How much does a fence cost? UK prices and worked budgets
How much does a fence cost? It depends on the type of fence and what it needs to do: a garden boundary, privacy screening and a specialist acoustic barrier have different requirements. This article focuses on common garden fences—lap panels and closeboard panels—and the costs of materials and installation.
For a separate ten-bay run, our lap-panel example with timber posts and one bag of post mix per post totals £433.82. The closeboard example with concrete posts, concrete gravel boards and three bags per post totals £972.21. Both figures include VAT and cover the listed materials; delivery, installation and other extras are separate. The different specifications are set out below.
The price of your fence panels is only one part of the job. Replacing panels in sound existing posts is a different purchase from a completely new run. We use actual prices for lap panels and closeboard fence panels to show how the choice of panel, posts and other components changes your materials budget.
For broad UK garden-fencing context, MyBuilder’s garden fence cost guide gives £85–£180 per metre for materials and labour. That is a published guide, not a CE Clarke installation estimate or a range for every type of fencing. Access, ground conditions, water, welfare facilities and underground services can change the work involved, so we recommend a site visit and a written quotation.
In this guide: Budget lap fencing · Closeboard panel prices · Closeboard materials budgets · Fence calculators · Installation costs and site visits
How much does a fence cost for materials only?
These are two different garden-fence specifications. The lap option uses 6ft-high panels, 75 × 75mm timber posts and one 20kg bag of post mix per post. The closeboard option uses 5ft 6in panels, 150mm concrete gravel boards, concrete posts and a three-bag allowance per post. Compare the component lists as well as the totals.
| Number of bays | Lap panels, timber posts and post mix | Closeboard panels, concrete posts, gravel boards and post mix |
|---|---|---|
| Five | £223.72 | £521.36 |
| Eight | £349.78 | £791.87 |
| Ten | £433.82 | £972.21 |
Each example is a separate straight run, with one more post than panels. A bay is one panel between posts; it is not a fixed metre length. Gates, corners, slopes and different foundations need their own quantities. Prices may change, including when a sale ends.
Budget garden fencing: lap panels and timber posts
For a lower-cost garden boundary, this example uses 6ft × 6ft lap fence panels with 75 × 75mm × 2.4m timber posts and one 20kg bag of post mix per post. A freestanding five-panel run needs six posts; a ten-panel run needs eleven. The panel is dip-treated brown, while the timber posts are pressure treated.
| Component | Unit price | Five bays | Ten bays |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6ft × 6ft lap fence panel | £28.40 | 5 × £28.40 = £142.00 | 10 × £28.40 = £284.00 |
| 75 × 75mm × 2.4m timber post | £7.92 | 6 × £7.92 = £47.52 | 11 × £7.92 = £87.12 |
| 20kg post mix—one bag per post | £5.70 | 6 × £5.70 = £34.20 | 11 × £5.70 = £62.70 |
| Panel, post and post mix subtotal | £223.72 | £433.82 | |
These subtotals cover only the panels, posts and post mix listed. Add suitable fixings or brackets, any gravel boards, delivery, tools, installation, old-fence removal and disposal as required. The closeboard budget below includes concrete gravel boards and a different post and post mix specification, which helps explain the price difference.
One bag per post is the allowance used for this budget. Confirm the post size, hole dimensions and actual concrete requirement for your fence height, ground and exposure before ordering. Each additional 20kg bag adds £5.70 at the checked price.
What do closeboard panels cost?
| Panel height | Standard | Fully framed | Extra per framed panel |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3ft | £27.50 | £31.50 | £4.00 |
| 3ft 6in | £28.50 | £32.50 | £4.00 |
| 4ft | £29.50 | £33.50 | £4.00 |
| 4ft 6in | £31.00 | £35.00 | £4.00 |
| 5ft | £32.50 | £36.50 | £4.00 |
| 5ft 6in | £35.00 | £39.00 | £4.00 |
| 6ft | £37.50 | £42.00 | £4.50 |
At these prices, five standard 5ft 6in panels cost £175, while ten cost £350. Five standard 6ft panels cost £187.50 and ten cost £375. These are panel-only totals. If your existing posts and gravel boards are sound and correctly spaced, replacement panels may be the main purchase. If the posts lean, the slots are damaged or the new panel does not fit, that is a different job.
Closeboard fencing: a worked five-panel and ten-panel materials budget
The example below is a new, separate, straight run on broadly level ground. It uses nominal 5ft 6in panels above 150mm gravel boards, two end posts and intermediate posts between the bays. There are no gates, corners or stepped sections. The nominal finished height is around 1.83m; confirm actual dimensions and the appropriate post length before ordering.
| Component | Unit price | Five bays | Ten bays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard 5ft 6in panel | £35.00 | 5 × £35 = £175.00 | 10 × £35 = £350.00 |
| 8ft intermediate concrete post | £22.55 | 4 × £22.55 = £90.20 | 9 × £22.55 = £202.95 |
| 8ft end concrete post | £37.98 | 2 × £37.98 = £75.96 | 2 × £37.98 = £75.96 |
| 150mm concrete gravel board | £15.52 | 5 × £15.52 = £77.60 | 10 × £15.52 = £155.20 |
| 20kg post mix — provisional budget quantity | £5.70 | 18 bags = £102.60 | 33 bags = £188.10 |
| Listed materials subtotal | £521.36 | £972.21 | |
The post mix line is a costing allowance of three bags per post, not a foundation specification. The required hole dimensions, embedment and bag quantity must be checked for the selected product, fence height, soil and exposure. Each extra bag changes this budget by £5.70. Different end details may also change the post selection.
These subtotals exclude delivery, installation, removing the old fence, waste disposal, tools, gates, any system-specific accessories and any additional foundation materials. They are useful starting budgets, not fitted quotations. The calculators below help you build a materials estimate for your own run.
But we can give you an accurate estimate of material costs
We can definitely help you price the materials on our website. Our product pages show the actual selling prices, and our calculators turn your measurements and chosen specification into an estimated shopping list and materials total. Once you have checked the quantities and accessories, your basket prices the products you are buying. That gives you a clear materials figure without pretending to know what is buried in your garden.
Fence panel fencing
For fencing made from complete panels, use our fence panel calculator. Enter your fence length, choose your panel style, posts and gravel boards, and set the finished height. It puts together estimated quantities and a materials cost, including post mix if selected. You can adjust quantities for materials you already have, print the list or add the materials to your basket. This is the calculator to use for a run of ready-made closeboard, framed closeboard or other fence panels.
Continuous closeboard fencing
For a fence built on site from individual featheredge boards fixed to cant rails, use our closeboard fencing materials calculator. Enter the run length, choose timber or recessed concrete posts, and select the finished height. It estimates the boards, rails, posts and gravel boards, with options for post mix, capping and centre stumps. Review the materials cost, adjust quantities and print the list or add it to your basket. Nails and screws need to be added separately.
Both calculators estimate materials for one straight run on level ground. Delivery and installation are extra; check corners, gates and end-post requirements separately before ordering. They currently start with two bags of post mix per post. Adjust the quantities when comparing them with this guide’s one-bag lap budget or three-bag closeboard-panel budget, and confirm the actual requirement for your site.
Comparing a made panel with a loose-timber shopping list
We make our closeboard fence panels in our Norfolk workshop using 18 featheredge boards per panel. The supporting rails are 75 × 32mm: four on the 5ft 6in and 6ft panels, and three on the shorter sizes. Our standard panels also arrive with the top capping fitted. Those are useful details when checking what another panel price actually includes.
If you are comparing that with making panels yourself, price the complete assembly: boards, rails, cap, fixings and the time and equipment to put it together. Check the usable timber as well as the quantity. Cutting losses and a twisted piece that cannot be used where intended can change a loose-timber order; the exact net dimensions are not automatically a complete cutting list.
Keep the comparison at the same stage of completion. A bundle of timber, a finished panel at the yard and a fence installed in your garden are three different purchases. Our listed standard panel price covers the assembled panel and fitted cap; posts, gravel boards and installation belong on their own lines.
A small panel saving can also disappear in fitting work if you order the wrong width. Replacing a panel measuring 1,800mm with one measuring 1,830mm is not automatically a quick 30mm adjustment: depending on the job, correcting the mismatch can mean another day’s work for a fencer and hundreds of pounds in extra labour. That is a possible consequence, not a fixed charge for every wrong-size panel. Confirm the actual panel width, gravel-board length and post arrangement before comparing basket totals.
Why two quotes for the same length can be very different
Start by comparing the finished fence, not just its panel height. A 6ft panel above a gravel board is taller than a fence with a 5ft 6in panel above the same board. The taller option can change the post length and the foundation needed. It may also change the planning position.
A quote with timber posts is not the same specification as one with slotted concrete posts. A quote with new end and corner posts is not comparable with one that assumes all existing posts can be reused. Ask each supplier or installer to describe the same run, using a simple sketch showing every corner, gate and change in level.
For a sound comparison, write down panel construction, actual dimensions, post type and length, gravel board type and height, treatment specification, VAT, delivery and installation scope. “Heavy duty” on its own is not enough information. Rail sections, rail count and the framing arrangement are more useful details.
How much does fence installation cost—and why do we recommend a site visit?
The £85–£180 per metre guide above is useful only as broad context. Multiplying it by 15 metres gives £1,275–£2,700, but that calculation does not tell you what your garden will cost. It is not our quotation, a guaranteed range or a price ceiling. Check VAT, delivery, removal and every inclusion with the installer.
In our view, there are too many variations to give a dependable installation estimate from a fence length alone. Two boundaries needing the same ten panels can involve very different amounts of work. These are the details we want to understand before quoting:
| Site factor | Why it can change the installation price |
|---|---|
| Access and carrying distances | Narrow gates, steps, limited parking and a long route to the boundary affect how materials, waste and equipment reach the work area. |
| Water supply | We need to establish whether suitable water is available where the work requires it, or whether another arrangement is needed. |
| Welfare facilities | Toilet, washing and rest facilities need to be considered. Where suitable facilities are unavailable, any necessary provision needs to be allowed for. |
| Underground services and other risks | Buried cables, pipes and drains can affect post positions and the proposed excavation method. Identifying and assessing those risks can change the programme and cost. |
| Specialist equipment | If the site assessment identifies a need for vacuum excavation or extraction equipment, hire, access and operating arrangements need to be priced for that job. |
| Ground and existing foundations | Old concrete, roots, hard surfaces, soft ground and changes in level can make removal, digging and reinstatement more involved. |
| Removal, disposal and extra details | Taking away the old fence and spoil, making good surfaces, adding gates or working around corners all need a clear place in the quotation. |
We recommend a site visit followed by a written quotation with the specification, included work and any provisional allowances set out clearly. Ideally, get that quote from us—this is our website, after all! See our fence installation service to discuss your project with CE Clarke.
A specialist comparison: 4m-high acoustic fencing
The 4m-high acoustic fencing pictured below cost approximately £800 per metre installed. Its requirements were very different from a typical garden boundary. It shows why the application matters so much when comparing fence prices; the rest of this guide focuses on common garden fences.
Where can you reduce the cost sensibly?
- Keep serviceable components. Reusing genuinely sound posts and boards can reduce materials and labour. Check condition, dimensions and alignment first.
- Choose the right panel height. Set the desired finished height before ordering. Buying a taller panel and then shortening it is not automatically a saving.
- Choose framing for the fixing system. Our standard and fully framed ranges have different uses. The more expensive option is not needed simply because it is available.
- Plan the whole order. Forgotten end posts, extra bags and fixings can create a second delivery and another interruption.
Do not reduce the required foundation or keep a cracked post to make a spreadsheet total look better. A cheaper first purchase is poor value if the supporting structure needs rebuilding shortly afterwards.
How to get a useful delivered or fitted price
Measure each run separately. Record the heights at both ends, note corners and gates, and photograph access and existing posts. Decide whether you want fence panels or a continuous featheredge system; these use different component lists. Our continuous closeboard calculator is for the latter.
Then check delivery for your actual postcode and arrange a site visit if you need installation. Ask for a written quote showing the fence specification, access arrangements, water and welfare provision, removal and disposal, VAT, exclusions and any provisional allowances. If the installer quotes for supply and fitting together, do not add the materials subtotal again.
Quick answers
Can I multiply one bay price by the number of bays?
Only if you account for the shared posts and both ends. A new straight run with ten panels normally has eleven posts, while two separate five-panel runs normally have twelve. Corners and gates change the detail again.
Does a ten-panel run measure exactly 18.3m?
Ten nominal 1.83m panels give 18.3m of panel width, not necessarily 18.3m of installed boundary. Posts, slots, brackets and tolerances affect the overall run. Check the first bay with the actual system.
Are the displayed prices permanent?
No. These are dated examples, including any current sale prices. Use the linked product prices and your basket for the current amount before ordering.