Fencing cost: what affects the price

How fencing is priced

Fencing is usually priced per metre or per bay (one post and the panel or boards between it and the next post), quoted as a fixed price for the whole run. The price includes taking down and disposing of the old fence if there is one, the posts and footings, the panels or boards, gravel boards and any gates. This guide explains what moves that price up or down. It does not give figures, because a number quoted without seeing the garden would be a guess.

The single biggest factor is length. A fence is a linear job, so doubling the length roughly doubles the materials and most of the labour. Height matters too: a 1.8 metre privacy fence uses more material and catches more wind than a 1.2 metre boundary fence, so the posts and footings have to be more substantial.

Fence type

Basic lap panels are the cheapest option and the quickest to fit, but they are also the first to fail in a storm. Close-board fencing, built board by board on rails, costs more in labour but is stronger and follows sloping ground better. Modern slatted and decorative panels sit in between, and composite fencing costs the most up front but needs no painting or staining and does not rot.

The posts are a separate choice. Timber posts are cheapest but rot at ground level, which is where most fences fail. Concrete posts cost more but do not rot, and they let you swap a damaged panel without disturbing the posts. Steel post systems are slimmer and suit modern composite and slatted fences. Over the life of the fence, better posts usually pay for themselves.

Gravel boards and the details

A gravel board runs along the bottom of the fence at ground level, keeping the panels or boards clear of the soil so they do not wick up water and rot. Concrete gravel boards add to the materials cost but extend the life of the whole fence. Gates, trellis tops, post caps and capping rails all add a little each, and on a long run the littles add up.

Where the ground levels differ either side of the boundary, the fence may need to step down the slope, or a low retaining wall may be needed to hold the soil so the fence does not have to. That kind of masonry work is priced separately from the fencing itself.

Ground, access and the old fence

Soft, peaty ground needs deeper post holes; ground full of roots, old concrete or rubble slows the digging down. Removing an old fence is usually straightforward, but old concrete post footings take real effort to get out, and a fence tangled with established shrubs or a hedge takes longer to clear.

Access matters more than people expect. A back garden reached only through the house or down a narrow alley slows the delivery of posts and panels and the removal of spoil. If the fence can only be put up from the neighbour's side, that needs their agreement and a bit more care, which can add time.

Repairs versus replacement

Not every tired fence needs replacing. A single storm-damaged panel or one snapped post can often be repaired for a fraction of the cost of a new run. Replacement becomes better value when several posts are rotten, panels are failing along the length, or the fence is leaning across a long stretch: patching a fence in that condition is money spent on something that will fail again soon.

A site visit tells you which situation you are in. We look at the posts first, because they decide whether a repair will last.

Comparing quotes

Give every fencer the same description: the length and height, the fence type, the post and gravel board choice, whether the old fence comes out, and any gates. Then check each quote says the same things are included: materials, footings, removal and disposal of the old fence, and making good. A cheap quote that leaves the old fence in a pile on the lawn is not the cheaper job it looks.

We are based in Bidwell, Dunstable and install fencing as part of our hard landscaping work. Estimates are free after a site visit, and our fencing service page explains the types we build.

Questions people ask