How much does fencing cost in the UK? (2026)
Verified UK garden fencing costs in 2026 by type (closeboard, lap, picket, hit-and-miss, metal, composite), per metre and per panel, plus posts, gravel boards, labour day rates, and the scope gaps that catch homeowners out.
A new garden fence in the UK in 2026 costs between roughly £500 for a short 3-panel run in basic lap panels and £3,000+ for a long composite or metal boundary. For most homeowners replacing a typical rear-garden fence, the bill lands between £1,000 and £2,500, fully installed. The figures below come from cross-referencing MyJobQuote and Checkatrade.
Quick answer
UK garden fence cost 2026, fully installed per metre: timber £70–£150, composite or metal up to £200+. By panel (6ft, panel only): lap £40–£55, closeboard £45–£65, hit-and-miss £60–£80, slatted £50–£120, metal £80–£140. Concrete posts £15–£35 each, timber posts £10–£25. Fencer day rate £300–£400 for two people. Old fence removal: roughly £35 per panel.
How to read this guide#
Two kinds of figures appear below:
- Headline price ranges (per-metre fitted rates, panel and post prices, day rates, project examples): cross-referenced against MyJobQuote's 2026 fencing guide and Checkatrade's 2026 fence-panel installation guide. Sources are listed at the bottom.
- Practical guidance (post choice, ownership, planning rules, regional variation, red flags): drawn from standard UK fencing practice. Useful for context but not cross-referenced figure-by-figure.
Headline ranges (verified)#
Fully-installed cost per metre#
| System | Range per m |
|---|---|
| Timber (lap, closeboard, picket) | £70 – £150 |
| Hit-and-miss, slatted, Venetian | £100 – £180 |
| Metal (railings, mesh) | £120 – £200 |
| Composite | £150 – £220+ |
Panel only (6ft height)#
| Panel type | Range per panel |
|---|---|
| Picket / palisade | £20 – £30 |
| Lap / waney edge | £40 – £55 |
| Closeboard / featherboard | £45 – £65 |
| Hit-and-miss | £60 – £80 |
| Slatted / Venetian | £50 – £120 |
| Metal | £80 – £140 |
Posts#
| Post | Range |
|---|---|
| Concrete 6ft slotted | £15 – £20 |
| Concrete 7ft | £20 – £30 |
| Concrete 8ft | £30 – £35 |
| Timber 6ft | £10 – £15 |
| Timber 7ft | £15 – £20 |
| Timber 8ft | £20 – £25 |
Labour and extras#
| Item | Range |
|---|---|
| Fencer day rate (two-person crew) | £300 – £400 |
| Labour per panel (installation only) | £50 – £80 |
| Old fence removal and disposal | ~£35 per panel |
| Garden gate (supply and fit) | £200 – £700 |
| Painting or staining (professional) | £100 – £200 per run |
Typical project totals#
| Run | Panels | Range |
|---|---|---|
| 5.5m | 3 | £450 – £650 |
| 11m | 6 | £1,000 – £1,300 |
| 16m | 9 | £1,400 – £1,900 |
| 22m | 12 | £2,000 – £2,500 |
These assume 6ft closeboard panels, concrete posts, gravel boards, on level ground with clear access.
Practical guidance (industry standard)#
Where the price comes from#
The fitted-per-metre rate is driven by four things:
- Panel type. Closeboard and hit-and-miss panels cost more than lap panels and weigh more, so labour is higher too.
- Post choice. Concrete posts roughly double post cost but extend the structure's life by 10–15 years.
- Ground conditions. Level, soft, clear ground takes the listed day rate. Sloping, rocky, or root-bound ground (next to mature trees) can halve daily output.
- Old fence removal. A run that needs the previous fence and concrete-set posts dug out can add £35–£50 per panel before the new fence even starts.
The "cheapest" quote is often a panel-only price against a fully fitted quote that includes posts, concrete, gravel boards, removal, and disposal. They are different scopes, not the same job at two prices.
What the price should include#
A complete fencing quote should cover:
- Supply of panels, posts, gravel boards, post mix or postcrete
- Removal and disposal of the existing fence
- Setting new posts plumb and to a consistent line
- Installing gravel boards level along the run
- Fitting panels to the agreed height
- Clearing the site at the end
It often does not cover:
- Treatment, staining, or painting of new timber (a fresh closeboard panel needs a coat in its first year to last)
- Trimming overhanging vegetation from your neighbour's side
- Disposal of large root systems or tree stumps that obstruct the line
- New gates (typically priced separately)
- Concrete spurs to repair existing rotted posts, where used as a cheaper alternative to full post replacement
- Repairs to the neighbour's side if panels are double-sided
Concrete vs timber posts#
Concrete posts are slotted to accept the panel; they cannot rot at ground level and last decades. Timber posts (4x4 inch tanalised) cost less up front but are the most common failure point on a UK fence, typically rotting through within 8–12 years where they meet the soil.
The economic case for concrete is straightforward: spending £20 more per post avoids a full fence rebuild in 10 years. For a 12-panel run, that is £240 of posts now versus £2,000 of rebuild later. The case for timber is mostly aesthetic on listed or rural properties where concrete looks wrong.
Regional variation#
Fencing prices vary by region, mostly on the labour side (materials are nationally priced):
- Inner London: ~15–25% above national
- Outer London / South-East: ~10–15% above
- Midlands and East: close to national
- North of England, Wales: ~5–10% below
- Northern Ireland, rural Scotland: ~10–15% below
For a 22-metre rear-garden fence costing £2,200 nationally, this means roughly £2,500–£2,750 in inner London and £2,000–£2,100 in the North.
Red flags in fencing quotes#
No mention of post type or panel spec. "Fence the back garden, £X" is not a quote. The panel material, height, post type, and gravel board need to be specified or you will end up with the cheapest combination on site.
No removal allowance. Stripping out an existing fence and digging out concrete-set posts is real work. A quote that does not mention it either expects you to do it (often unrealistic) or will add it once on site.
Cash-only, no VAT. Fencers turning over £90,000+ a year must be VAT-registered. A larger job priced cash-only often signals an undeclared trader, no public liability insurance, or both. If a post goes through a buried gas main, you want the insurance.
Suspiciously low per-metre. Anything below £50 per metre fully fitted in 2026 is either using the thinnest waney-lap panels with timber posts and no gravel boards (it will look tired within five years) or has cut the labour to a single-person crew at unrealistic speed.
No allowance for sloping ground. Step-down or rake panels cost more in time and waste material. A quote silent on slope is fine on a flat plot and a warning on a sloped one.
Boundary ambiguity. A fencer cannot resolve who owns the boundary; that is on the deeds and on you. A quote that confidently moves the line "an inch into the neighbour's side to give your panels room" is how disputes start.
Sequence of work on a typical replacement#
- Survey and quote. Fencer measures the run, checks access, agrees spec and removal scope.
- Strip out. Old panels and posts removed, concrete-set posts dug out, waste loaded for disposal.
- Set new posts. Holes dug to 600–750mm, posts plumbed and concreted. Concrete typically left to set overnight on long runs.
- Fit gravel boards. Slotted into concrete posts or rail-fixed to timber posts, levelled along the run.
- Fit panels. Slid into slotted posts or rail-fixed, capped where the spec calls for it.
- Tidy. Site cleared, waste removed, any new timber checked for treatment.
A 22-metre fence on level ground with concrete posts is usually a 2–3 day job for a two-person crew. Add half a day per significant obstruction (tree, sloping section, awkward gate).
Comparing your quote#
The reliable way to know if a fencing quote is fair is to check each line against the ranges above: the panel type and height, post choice, gravel boards, removal allowance, and the per-metre or per-panel rate. The easier way is to paste your quote into Check the Quote, which compares every line against current UK rates for your postcode, flags anything above the fair range, and tells you what is missing. Your first project is free. For related outdoor work, see the driveway cost guide or the garden landscaping cost guide.
Got a quote you want checked?
Paste any UK contractor quote and Check the Quote compares every line item against current market rates, flags missing scope, and runs a Companies House check on the contractor. Free on your first project.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a new garden fence cost in the UK in 2026?
- A fully-installed timber garden fence costs roughly £70–£150 per metre in 2026, confirmed across MyJobQuote and Checkatrade. The typical 11-metre (6-panel) replacement runs around £1,000–£1,300, and a 22-metre rear-garden boundary lands at £2,000–£2,500. Composite and metal systems run higher, up to £200+ per metre.
- How much is a 6ft fence panel on its own?
- Panel-only prices in 2026: lap or waney-edge £40–£55, closeboard or featherboard £45–£65, hit-and-miss £60–£80, slatted or Venetian £50–£120, metal £80–£140, picket £20–£30. Composite panels are dearer again and sold by full kits rather than single panels. Add posts, gravel boards, concrete, and labour to get the fitted cost.
- Are concrete posts worth the extra cost?
- Usually yes, for a permanent fence line. A 6ft concrete slotted post costs £15–£20 versus £10–£15 for timber, but concrete posts will not rot at ground level, which is where 90% of timber posts fail. The fence panels can be slid out and replaced individually as they age, without redoing the whole structure. For a temporary fence or a short run, timber posts are reasonable.
- What does a fencing day rate include?
- A fencer day rate of £300–£400 in 2026 covers two people (a fencer and a labourer) for roughly 7–8 hours. That is usually enough to remove and replace 7–10 panels on a clear, level run. Materials are billed separately. Awkward access, sloping ground, or concrete-set old posts can drop output to 3–4 panels per day, which is where overruns happen.
- Do I need planning permission for a fence?
- Not usually. A garden fence under 2 metres (6.5 feet) is permitted development in most cases, and 1 metre next to a public highway. You do need permission for anything taller, for fencing on a listed property, or where covenants on your title deeds restrict boundary treatments. Always check your deeds before going above 1.8m.
- Whose fence is it: mine or my neighbour's?
- Check your title deeds. Most deeds mark boundary ownership with a T-symbol on the side of the boundary the owner is responsible for. If both sides have a T (an H), the fence is jointly owned. If neither does, ownership is ambiguous and you should agree the work and cost split in writing with your neighbour before commissioning a fencer.
Last updated: 4 June 2026