Fencing Contractors in the UK

Finding a good fencing contractor in the UK

A fencing contractor supplies and erects garden and boundary fencing: lap and closeboard panels, feather-edge and closeboard built on site, picket, slatted and hit-and-miss, composite and metal, on timber or concrete posts, with gravel boards, gates and the concrete and post-mix that hold it all up. Most also repair storm damage, replace single panels and posts, and put up the gates, trellis and pergolas that go with a garden. The good ones set posts deep, use pressure-treated timber, and build a fence that stands up to the next storm rather than the next quote.

The choices are height, style, posts and material. Closeboard built on site outlasts panels and can be repaired board by board; panels are quicker and cheaper; composite and metal cost more and need no maintenance; concrete posts and gravel boards keep timber off the ground and add years, at the cost of looks. A garden fence over two metres, or over one metre next to a road, needs planning permission; a boundary fence is usually the responsibility of whoever's deeds say so, and a good contractor asks before taking a neighbour's fence down.

The listings here show each contractor's reviews, fence types, examples of work and contact details, so you can see who is nearby, who builds closeboard or composite, and whose fences in your town are still standing straight.

What fencing contractors do

New fencing: lap and closeboard panels, feather-edge and closeboard built on site, picket, slatted, hit-and-miss, trellis, composite and metal, on timber or concrete posts with gravel boards.

Repairs: storm-damaged panels and posts replaced, leaning fences reset, rotten posts spurred or replaced, and single boards on closeboard.

Gates: side gates, driveway gates and field gates, hung to shut properly, with locks and automation from some contractors.

Boundaries: post-and-rail, stock and deer fencing for paddocks and fields, security fencing for commercial sites, and acoustic fencing by roads.

The rest: removal and disposal of old fencing, pergolas and arches, decking and sleepers, and treating and staining.

Before you book a fencing contractor

• Check the deeds or ask the neighbour whose fence it is before replacing a boundary; tell the neighbour either way.
• Get two or three quotes per metre or per panel with the specification: post type and depth, gravel boards, panel or board type and height.
• Ask for pressure-treated timber and posts set at least 600mm deep in concrete or post-mix.
• Decide panels for speed and cost, closeboard for life and repairability, composite for no maintenance.
• Keep a garden fence under two metres, and under one metre by a road, to stay within permitted development.
• Ask about removal of the old fence and access for the concrete; both affect the price.

What fencing costs in the UK

As a rough guide, supplied and fitted per 1.8-metre panel including a post and gravel board: lap panels £90 to £140, closeboard panels £120 to £180, feather-edge closeboard built on site £130 to £200, slatted £180 to £300, composite £250 to £400; concrete posts and gravel boards add £20 to £40 a bay over timber. Per metre, that is roughly £50 to £110 for timber and £140 to £220 for composite. A 20-metre garden fence therefore runs £1,200 to £2,500 in timber and £3,000 to £4,500 in composite; a side gate hung £200 to £500; replacing a single panel and post £120 to £220; removal of old fencing £10 to £20 a panel.

Concrete posts and gravel boards add a decade to a timber fence; a fence on rotten posts is replaced twice.