Fencing Cost per Metre in the UK: Panels, Closeboard, Slatted
What fencing costs per metre in the UK, compared by type and height, plus the extras for slopes, gates and removing the old fence.
The average cost of fencing per metre in the UK is the cost of a typical 30 m run, £2,750, divided by 30. Most jobs fall within £2,150 – £3,600 for the same run, including 20% VAT. This article shows how that per-metre price changes with fence type, height, ground, gates and old-fence removal. For the full breakdown, see our Fencing guide.
How we get a per-metre price
We price a fence from labour hours multiplied by local rates, plus materials, then check the result against market prices and real quotes. All the figures here are for a 30 m run. To get a per-metre price, divide the total by 30. To scale for your own garden, multiply that per-metre price by your length. The result is a guide, not a substitute for a written quote. Fixed items such as a gate don't scale with length, so add them separately.
Fence types compared
Each figure below is a mid-range 30 m run in that material, with everything else at its default.
| Fence type | Typical cost for 30 m |
|---|---|
| Overlap (lap) panels on timber posts | £2,200 |
| Closeboard panels, concrete posts and gravel boards | £2,750 |
| Featheredge closeboard built on site | £3,300 |
| Slatted or hit-and-miss | £3,600 |
| Composite privacy | £4,750 |
The full table, with usual ranges and lifespans, is below.
| Material | Typical | Usual range | Lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overlap (lap) panels on timber posts | £2,200 | £1,700 – £2,850 | 10-15 years |
| Closeboard panels, concrete posts and gravel boards | £2,750 | £2,150 – £3,600 | 15-25 years |
| Featheredge closeboard built on site | £3,300 | £2,600 – £4,300 | 15-25 years |
| Slatted or hit-and-miss | £3,600 | £2,800 – £4,700 | 15-20 years |
| Composite privacy | £4,750 | £3,700 – £6,150 | 25-30 years |
Some points that help you choose:
- Lap panels are the cheapest way to get privacy. They suit sheltered gardens, but they are thin and wear out sooner in exposed spots.
- Closeboard panels with concrete posts and gravel boards cost more up front. The concrete posts and gravel boards keep timber out of the wet ground, which is where most fences fail first.
- Site-built featheredge closeboard takes longer to put up, so labour is a bigger share of the price. It copes better with uneven ground and awkward lengths than ready-made panels.
- Slatted and hit-and-miss designs look neater and let wind through, which helps on exposed boundaries. They use more timber and more fixing time.
- Composite costs the most at the start but needs no staining. Compare its lifespan against timber before ruling it out.
Height: 1 m or 1.8 m
Height is one of the biggest levers on the price. A low front-garden fence of about 1 m is a mid-range £1,950 for a 30 m run. A standard 1.8 m (6 ft) privacy fence is £2,750. The taller fence needs more material, longer posts and deeper holes.
Height also matters for planning. Fences, walls and gates need no planning permission if they are not over 1 m high next to a highway used by vehicles (or its footpath), or 2 m elsewhere. This does not apply to listed buildings or their curtilage. A 1.8 m fence at the front on a road boundary would normally be too tall, so check with your council first.
The extras that move the total
Four extras account for most gaps between a quote and a headline price.
- Sloping ground. Stepped or racked panels take longer to set out and cut. A sloping 30 m run comes to £3,000 at mid-range.
- Rocky ground or roots. Digging post holes is slower and sometimes needs breaking tools. A run in rocky ground or through roots comes to £3,250.
- A gate. One walk gate on a 30 m run brings it to £2,750. A walk gate plus a double drive gate takes it to £3,500. Gates are fixed-cost items, so they add proportionally more to a short fence.
- Removing the old fence. Taking down and hauling away the old fence brings the run to £2,900. If the old posts are set in concrete, ask whether the quote includes digging them out.
These options change the base job rather than stacking neatly, so don't simply add the figures together. Use them to see which factor matters most for your garden.
Quick ways to keep the price down
- Compare like with like: same height, same post type, same gate hardware.
- Ask whether gravel boards are included. They are cheap to fit at the start and expensive to retrofit.
- Choose the right height for each boundary rather than 1.8 m everywhere. Use a low fence at the front and a tall one at the back.
- If you're also planning other garden work, see our guides to Garden decking and New driveway. Installers sometimes offer a better rate when jobs are combined, and a deck or driveway can change where the fence needs to go.
Check your own quote
Once you have a written quote, run it through our "is my quote fair" tool. Enter your length, height, material and extras, and it compares them with our live model. A quote well above our range often hides a bundled extra, such as removal or a gate. A quote well below it often leaves out gravel boards, concrete for posts or waste disposal.
Ask each installer to itemise the following:
- the length covered and the fence height
- the post type and whether concrete is included
- the gate or gates, with hinges and latches
- removal and disposal of the old fence
- an allowance for sloping or difficult ground
A clear quote makes the per-metre price easy to check and easy to compare between firms.