For as long as I can remember, the price of £100 per fence panel supplied and installed has been touted as the “going rate”. But is it still an accurate price for a new garden fence in 2022? Well… no it isn’t. The UK has experienced unprecedented inflation recently and some building products cost nearly twice as much as they did a year ago. Fence panel prices have increased significantly in 2021-22, as has the cost of labour. Keep reading to see how much you can expect to pay.
The team here at Job Prices has a good idea of how much it costs to replace a fence, we’ve had this type of work completed for us on several of the properties we’ve previously renovated.
We also have a few friends that work as landscape gardeners too.
Explore our fence installation prices below.
We can also point you in the right direction so you can get a competitive quote from a rated and reviewed fence panel installer within your area.
For those of you in a hurry, click here to get a custom price now.
On this page, you’ll discover:
- A visitors poll where we ask you how much you think fence panels will cost.
- See what others are being quoted via our feedback section (very insightful).
- A fence price guide based on our experience in home renovations.
- Advice – should you choose timber or concrete posts?
- A complete and in-depth breakdown of the cost to replace a fence (materials, waste disposal prices, labour charges and VAT etc).
- A works schedule so you can see the process of removing and replacing fence panels.
- We also explore how long we think the project should take.
Can You Answer This One Question? (optional)
We first published this poll in 2019 so it contains answers that are old as well as recent, leave an answer if you wish.
What Prices Have You Been Given For a New Fence?
Here we ask our site’s visitors to let us and others know how much they’ve been quoted for a new fence.
You may find the prices already provided to us to be insightful but beware, some are out of date now:
| Name: | Desc: | Price: |
|---|---|---|
| Dave (Conwy) | I've worked in North Wales and also in Surrey down south, the going rate" as you put it depends on the area. £90 per bay is doable up north but a tradesperson would need to charge much more than that to make ends meet in London or the surrounding areas. (2022) | £90 - £130 per bay |
| Paige S (Hants) | 10 fence panels with a trellis on top (2022) | £1650 |
| Tracey (Devon) | 3 fence panels, 4 posts, postcrete, fixings, removal of old fence panels. Clearing of area first. £250 Labour £190 materials £50 dispose of old fence (2021) | £490 |
| SJ (Southampton) | 16 bays - standard straight larch lap 6ft panels, concrete posts and gravel boards. 3 bags postcrete per post. Labour no VAT. For close board it would be a extra £255. (2020) | £2200 |
| Rob (Kendell) | Seven woven slat panels 1.2 x 1.8 m above 150mm gravel boards. Pressure-treated softwood posts set in concrete. Two cottage-style pedestrian gates. Labour and VAT included. The two gates alone account for £560 of this, which I think is unreasonable considering the gates cost only £50-£100. (2020) | £1950 |
| Dave Clenfield (hants) | seven x 6ft x 4ft wooden custom built fences fitted between concrete pillars (already erected) (2020) | £773 |
| Danni (Portsmouth) | 1 Wooden Fence Panel 6ftx6ft. To fit a new wooden panel to existing wooden posts (No new posts required and not disposing of the old panel) (2020) | £60 |
| GS (Plymouth) | 11.5m Concrete posts and gravel boards. Semi privacy fencing or hit and miss. Dispose of old fence (already dismantled).(2020) | £1250 |
| Jawahar (Cambridgeshire) | Closed board panels 6x6 feet. Replace existing panels and post. 20 metres long and add concrete posts and gravel boards. Plus new gate. The quotes seem really inflated. (2020) | £3850 |
| Jay (Dudley) | Four 6ftx6ft panels with wooden posts in a concrete floor, with fitting.(2020) | £395 |
| John (London) | To put new 4 wooden panels with 2 meter high and 13.5 feet long wooden fence on concrete floor, I was just given quote including the four panels, material and labor cost total. (2019) | £420 |
| Ronnie (Lancaster) | One panel 6x6 feather board and to move one concrete post into position (2019) | £240 |
| PC (South East) | 5 panels 6x6 and 4 posts (2019) | £920 |
| Laura (Scotland) | Back yard, removal of old fence, 36m of coverage, 20x6ft panels + posts etc + installing a gate Front yard, removal of old gate, installing 11x3ft fence + tree removal (2019) | £2150 |
| Susan (Essex) | One 6' X 6' larch panel, one 8' timber post, removal of old panel and post. Work guaranteed for one year. (2019) | £195 (one panel and 1 post) |
| Sara (S Wales) | Replace two lengths of fence (9m and 8m) with new posts, boards, rails and feather edge panels. Dismantle and dispose of old fence. 1 day of work for two people. Two quotes received £875 and £1450 (2019) | £875 |
| Betty (Hampshire) | Remove and replace 6ft fence with concrete posts and gravel boards, feather panel x 6. Plus dispose of old fencing. Good access in Feb 2019 (2019) | £1039 |
| Albert Erskine (Haydock) | 6 ft high fence concrete posts double 2 ft concrete base 4 ft vertical fence panels supply and install. (2019) | £1300 |
| Richard (S Yorkshire) | Old concrete fence to remove, 27 double sided 6’ panels to fit with gravel boards. 9’ posts (7’ above ground) (2019) | £3000 |
| Liz (Oxfordshire) | Eleven metres , four foot high. Concrete posts and gravel boards. Feather edge slot in boards. Clean new land, nothing to clear away or dispose of . £1600. I thought this was far too much . Can anyone tell me otherwise? (2018) | £1600 |
| Reg (Norwich) | x10 6 x 6 with concrete posts, gavel boards, remove old fencing, digging out as required, dispose of old materials through a licensed waste carrier. I am bothered that by creating tight competition and very low prices, we will only drive fly-tipping of waste, which is no longer cheap to dispose of properly, and increase the use of low quality fence panels, which will not last very long. (2018) | £1500 |
| Olly N.E.Lincolnshire | Clear everything from an overgrown garden. Replace 7 fence panels with 7ft feather edge panels, 8 concrete posts, 7 concrete gravel boards, clips, postcrete etc... Dig out a pond and fill. Fit wooden sleepers and bark chip a 15ft by 10ft play area. (2018) | £2400 |
| Tony (Devon) | We have just had one of our rear fences replaced with 6ft lap panels and wooden posts. Good access but there was an old fence to remove before he could begin installing the new fence and old concrete to take out too. Total of 8 panels and gravel boards, 9 posts, 32 panel clips, 32 gravel board clips, concrete for posts, screws and waste taken away. (this was the middle quote out of 3 and took 1 man two days to complete) No guarantee was provided but the chap said it will last until the posts rot. (2018) | £1000 |
| Rob (Reading) | 10 x 10ft panels with concrete posts. An overgrown boundary to be cleared the full length. An apple tree removed. (2018) | £3000 |
| Heather (NE London) | Remove old concrete and wire fence and replace with closeboard panels x 10 plus a new wooden side gate. (2018) | £1950 |
| cnw (Berks) | 4x panels to be replaced: 5ft panels with Trellis - Labour and materials and disposing of old fence £760.00 6ft high panels - Labour and materials and disposing of old fence £730.00 I was shocked by this price and will shop around for cheaper. (2018) | £730 (4 panels) |
| Charles (S Wales) | Self install - 17 6ftx6ft feather edge heavy duty panels, 19 concreate posts, 25 concreate gravel boards (some used two due to height drop), 25ish bags postcreate, hire of concreate breaker. Travis Perkins for posts and boards, wickes for postcreate, local supply for panels. All consumer prices. 4 days with 2 people. (2018) | £1200 self install |
You can update this list here. (Update April 2022: We only display the most recent 25 comments, older comments will be deleted to make space for more recent ones.)
Timber or Concrete Fence Posts – Which One Should You Choose?
We think concrete posts are the best option for most gardens but not everyone agrees with us.
There are pros and cons of each material.
Before you reach a decision, consider these points:
Concrete Posts
Concrete is heavy and may require two people to install. The material certainly isn’t pretty; it’s grey, dull and to some, is seen as unattractive and totally out of place between timber panels.
Concrete does have one redeeming quality though; if installed correctly it will last for decades and possibly as long as the house itself.
It’s also very easy to slide out old fence panels and insert new ones, so easy that it takes only a few minutes.
Timber Fence Posts
This material matches in well with the wooden fence panels, it can be painted to match them and is lightweight so can be fitted by a single person.
Timber posts don’t last as long as concrete, are more likely to shift in the ground (esp in windswept locations) and it isn’t as easy to replace the panels between them.
They also cost more.
As a general rule of thumb, we think concrete posts should be used in windy areas, while in sheltered locations, consider either.
Pro Tip: Before installing timber fence posts, dip the base of the fence post in tar, bitumen or a preservative. This helps to keep moisture out and prevents wet rot.
Further Reading:
Pros and cons of timber/concrete fence posts by Harrow Fencing
Timber or concrete fence posts – by Jackson Fencing
New Fence Panel Cost – A Works Schedule
We’ve been given estimates, quotes and work schedules from many installers over the years, most contain a “schedule of works” similar to this:
- Remove existing fence panels.
- Dig out and remove existing posts.
- Dig out existing post concrete.
- Supply and install new timber or concrete posts set in concrete foundations.
- Dip the lower part of timber posts in extra preservative.
- Supply and install timber footboards.
- Supply and install new timber fence panels.
- Remove and dispose of all waste material legally.
Cost Breakdown
Materials & Price (based on 10 fence panels)
Here is a list of materials, ordered by price with quantity in brackets ():
- Timber lap fence panels 6ftx6ft – £35.00 (10)
- Timber posts – £20.00 (11)
- Timber footboards – £10.00 (10)
- Fixing brackets, screws and post caps – £10.00 (10)
- Concrete mix £90.00
Total Material Cost For 10 Panels: £860.00
Waste Disposal
Fencing installers that dispose of the old fence panels, posts, concrete and other waste will take the material to a commercial waste disposal yard.
Commercial waste disposal is costly in the UK and with VAT added, expect the price to be around £125.
Cost: £125.00
Labour Costs
This varies by quite a lot as wages are different in London compared to, for example, North Wales.
The labour fee also depends on how long the work takes, a good efficient team could install 10 panels in around one and a half days with favourable weather. But it wouldn’t be unusual for the work to take two full days.
The condition of the garden, access difficulties etc can all increase the time required to complete the project.
Labour: £300.00
Other Charges
There’s not much point in a business only charging a customer the cost of labour for the employees and the cost of the materials.
All businesses have overheads that need to be factored into the price, along with a reasonable profit margin.
For 10 fence panels, we think the overheads and profit margin will be somewhere between £200 and £500 depending on the size of the business.
Costs and Net Profit: £200 – £500
VAT
Any business with an income over a certain amount must charge VAT, currently 20%.
Do consider that you can reduce the cost to replace fence panels quite a bit by choosing a smaller firm or sole trader.
(more info about how you can legally avoid paying VAT here)
Total Cost – Our Example
Based on experience and research, we think the total cost for the supply and installation of 10 6ft x 6ft fence panels and posts, including waste disposal and VAT is:
| Project: | Price: |
|---|---|
| Fence Panel Installation x 10 | £1750-£2050 |
| Get a Custom Price Here | Get a Custom Price Here |
Do You Think Fence Panels Should Cost More or Less?
Labour prices outside of the south-east will generally be less while the materials generally cost the same.
VAT makes up a big chunk of the cost, a non-VAT business will, of course, be cheaper.
One-man sole trader businesses have fewer overheads, often only charge wages with no profit margins and will be cheaper.
Bottom line – shop around! (or use a comparison service like this one)
How Long Should a Project Like This Take?
We recently hired a sole trader to install six 5-foot high fence panels for us.
He did have some trouble digging out the holes to the required depth as the ground was full of hardcore and also roots from a nearby tree.
It took him a full day.
Here are some factors to consider:
- how easy it is to access the garden.
- how easy it is to remove old panels and posts.
- smaller panels are easier to fit than larger ones.
- if you want post caps and trellis fitted to the top of the fence, this takes more time.
Is There a Good or Bad Time of Year to Replace Fence Panels?
We know from experience that the most expensive time of year to replace fence panels is immediately after a severe storm, a hurricane or a period of high winds.
With thousands of old fences blown over, all at the same time, you can expect:
- Gardeners and installers to raise their prices to reflect the increase in demand.
- Suppliers to run out of stock.
- Companies bring in subcontractors to meet the demand.
- Longer waiting times.
This happens after every storm, hurricane or period of exceptionally high winds. It happens in many countries and also affects other trades, such as roofing.
If possible, and assuming the fence doesn’t need to be replaced urgently, we suggest waiting until the rush is over and prices have normalised.
The ideal time of year to replace a fence is during the winter. Prices are often lower, extra discounts are sometimes offered and waiting times are shorter.
Looking For Inspiration?
Fence panels can be so much more than just a boundary between two gardens.
With a little creativeness, even those on a tight budget can reap rewards.
As frequent visitors to this site will know, we are huge fans of Pinterest.
This is perhaps the best site on the web to get ideas and inspiration for a wide range of tasks in and around the home.
If you haven’t done so already, go check these great garden fence panel ideas:
Fence panel ideas by Dream Yard on Pinterest
25+ fence panel ideas on Pinterest
Get a Quick Price For Fence Panels Online (takes only minutes)
We’ve researched the prices we think you should pay for a new fence.
Now it’s time to get a custom price for your project.
Hit the link below to get your personalised price:
More:
Below you can find a link to our recently updated trade day rates page:
This guide was written by Danny Woodley and was last updated in April 2022.
Don’t forget; we have price guides for hundreds of home improvement projects.
Explore our full list of detailed price guides here.
