Fence Installation Checklist: 9 Essential Checks

Quick answer: To prepare for fence installation, confirm the proposed fence line, discuss the work and any necessary access with your neighbours, and clear the working area. Agree the quote and facilities with your contractor, and share what you know about underground services. Your contractor must still plan and check the work safely.

This fence installation checklist explains what to agree with your contractor and neighbours, and how to prepare your garden before work begins.

Customers need to explain what they want, discuss the work with neighbours and prepare the garden. The fencing contractor needs to explain what access and preparation are required, provide a clear quotation and plan how the work will be carried out safely.

At CE Clarke, we’ve encountered blocked access, belongings covering the fence line and structures attached to fences that needed replacing. These experiences show why the arrangements matter well before installation day.

Your contractor should explain exactly what is included

Before agreeing to the work, you should understand what will be removed, what will remain and what will replace it.

A clear written quotation should identify:

• The fencing style, materials and finished height.
• The type of posts, gravel boards and any gates or trellis.
• Which existing panels, posts and other components will be replaced or retained.
• What removal, disposal and making good are included.
• The price, including the position on VAT, and payment arrangements.
• Any exclusions, allowances and how changes or additional work will be agreed.

“Replace the fence” leaves too much open to interpretation. Replacing fence panels between existing posts is a different job from removing the entire fence and installing new posts, gravel boards and panels.

Your contractor should also explain the expected timing and any site requirements. Customers should know beforehand how much space to clear, whether neighbouring access is needed and where vehicles and materials will go.

Agree the position of the new fence

Walk the proposed fence line and confirm the start and finish points, corners and gate positions with the contractor.

Make it clear whether the new fence is following the existing position or whether you want a change. The contractor should check that they understand the intended line before removing the old fence or digging post holes.

The proposed fence position also needs to be distinguished from the legal boundary. An existing fence does not necessarily follow that boundary exactly, and title plans usually show general boundaries rather than a precise line. HM Land Registry explains what its plans can establish.

If there is a disagreement over the boundary, resolve it before installation. Marking a line on the ground does not settle a dispute about ownership.

Speak to your neighbours before the work begins

Explain what is proposed, when it is happening and how it may affect their garden or driveway. Make sure everyone involved understands the arrangements and that any necessary permissions are in place.

If the existing fence belongs to your neighbour, obtain their agreement before altering or removing it. Citizens Advice provides guidance on fence disagreements.

Your contractor should tell you whether access from the neighbouring property is needed. Arrange that access beforehand and pass on any conditions or restrictions.

We’ve worked on installations where a neighbour would not allow us to put a foot on their property. That can make the installation much more awkward. Knowing about the restriction early allows the work to be assessed and planned properly.

If speaking to your neighbour is difficult, tell the contractor before the fencers arrive so the access arrangements can be discussed.

Check access, parking and anything that could obstruct the work

The contractor should explain the space needed for unloading, handling materials and working along the fence. The customer can then arrange for gates to be accessible and vehicles or other obstacles to be moved.

On one job, a customer arranged for the fence to be replaced while the neighbours were away. Their car had been left parked right against the fence, preventing us from carrying out the work.

Having the neighbours away did not resolve the access problem. It left nobody available to move the vehicle.

When a booked team cannot start, the contractor loses working time while wages and other costs continue. Confirming the arrangements beforehand helps protect that working day and keeps the installation on schedule.

Clear the fence line as agreed

Once the contractor has explained the working space required, move garden furniture, pots, ornaments, toys, tools and other loose belongings out of the way. Take down removable baskets, lights and decorations attached to the fence before the fencers arrive.

Agree separately who will deal with substantial vegetation, heavy objects or anything you cannot move.

Our team has often ended up clearing belongings and taking items off fences to keep a job moving. Leaving and returning another day can create more cost and disruption for everyone.

That clearing still takes time away from installation. Preparing the garden beforehand lets the team concentrate on the fencing work.

The contractor should make these expectations clear in advance, including any clearance that forms part of the quoted work.

Tell the contractor about underground pipes, cables and drains

Before the fencers arrive, tell your contractor anything you know about services running through or near the proposed fence line. Even a detail such as a cable supplying your shed can help them identify what needs checking and plan the work safely.

Pay particular attention to your own private pipes and cables, as well as mains services. This includes drains and sewer connections, water feeds to outdoor taps, and electricity or telecoms supplies to sheds, garages, garden buildings or outdoor lighting. Do not assume the contractor will know about an installation simply because it serves your property.

Share any relevant plans, photographs or installation records, particularly for work you have arranged yourself. Be clear about what you know and what you only suspect. If you do not know the route or depth of a service, say so rather than guessing.

The contractor must still assess the risks, make appropriate enquiries, arrange suitable checks to locate and identify services, and use safe digging methods. Ordinary cable locators may not detect plastic drains or other non-metallic pipes, so a clear scan is not proof that the ground is free of services. The contractor needs to account for these limitations when deciding whether to use a powered post-hole auger or investigate further. HSE’s guidance on avoiding underground services explains the importance of information, locating methods and safe excavation.

Both sides’ actions matter if a service is damaged. Failing to share relevant information you know, or giving misleading information, can affect liability. This does not remove the contractor’s responsibility to exercise reasonable care. Depending on the circumstances, responsibility may rest with the customer, the contractor or both; neither ownership of the pipe nor the fact that the contractor struck it settles liability on its own.

Agree toilet and other facilities beforehand

The contractor must ensure suitable welfare facilities are available for the team from the start of the work.

If the plan is to use a toilet and washing facilities in the customer’s home, that needs to be agreed beforehand, including availability while the team is working. The contractor should arrange suitable alternatives where those facilities cannot be used. HSE explains construction welfare requirements.

Any need for a water supply or electricity for the work should also be discussed in advance. Neither side should have to guess what will be available on the day.

Flag anything that relies on the existing fence

Tell the contractor about anything attached to, supported by or retained against the fence. The contractor should explain how removal may affect it and agree how it will be handled.

We’ve replaced fences where gravel boards were holding back shingle around a patio. Once the boards were removed, the loose material fell through into the working area. The affected neighbour needs to understand beforehand that fencing work may disturb the patio edge or garden.

We’ve also encountered lean-to roofs for log stores attached to fences. Replacing the fence can then require part of the structure to be dismantled or alternative support to be arranged. This has caused serious arguments when the consequences only became clear as replacement work approached.

Discuss these complications early and agree who will deal with them before removal begins.

Final fence installation checklist

Both customer and contractor should finish the planning stage with a clear understanding of the job: the fence specification and position, access, preparation, known services, welfare facilities and any complications.

If something changes, tell the other party promptly. Clear information in both directions gives the installation the best chance of proceeding safely and as planned.

Discuss your fence installation with CE Clarke Fencing and agree the preparations it needs.