Costs & pricing
Reading a Fencing Quote: What Sets the Price?
A fencing quote is really four separate line items dressed up as one number — the boarding itself, the post system holding it up, how far a crew has to carry materials, and what happens to the old fence.
Two contractors can walk the same boundary and hand you figures 40% apart, and the gap is almost never dishonesty — it's what's included. One has priced a side-return carry, a licensed tip run and a broken concrete spur; the other has priced boards and posts and left the rest as a surprise once the van is on site.
Figures below are indicative guide ranges based on the kind of work we quote across London and Hertfordshire — they are not a quotation. Every job is priced after a free site visit, and the written price we give is the price you pay.
Boundary run length and how it's actually measured
Quotes are priced per metre of run, not per garden, so an L-shaped or split boundary with two side returns and a rear fence should be measured and priced as separate legs, not averaged into one blended rate. Ask for the metreage broken out — it's the fastest way to spot a quote that's rounded up rather than measured.
- Rear boundary, left side and right side priced as separate legs where the shape isn't a simple rectangle
- Corner and end posts counted separately from mid-run posts, since they carry different loads
- A gate opening within the run should reduce the boarding metreage, not just get added on top
Post type and why it's the line worth scrutinising
Timber posts are the cheapest line on the sheet and the most common reason a fence needs revisiting within a decade — most failures start where a post meets the soil, not in the boarding above it. Concrete posts cost more per unit but remove that failure point outright, which is why we flag post type as the single line most worth upgrading if the budget only stretches to one change.
Access: the labour line hidden in plain sight
A garden a van can reverse up to prices very differently from one reached through a hallway, over a shared side passage, or across a neighbour's access with permission. Every board and post carried by hand instead of barrowed from a parked van adds real time — this is the line most often left vague on a cheap quote and then billed as an 'extra' once work starts.
- Confirm whether the price assumes vehicle access to the boundary or a carry-through
- Shared side returns sometimes need protection boards laid for the duration of the job — ask if that's costed in
- Steps, narrow gates or a flight of stairs to the garden all add carrying time on top of the build itself
What happens to the old fence
Disposal is where quotes diverge most and where the biggest silent upcharge lives. Licensed removal of old timber, wire and broken concrete spurs is a genuine cost, and a quote that omits it isn't cheaper — it's just deferred until the old fence is stacked at the end of your driveway.
- Ask explicitly whether removal and licensed disposal of the old fence is included, not assumed
- Broken-out concrete spurs and post stubs are heavier and slower to clear than timber boards
- Confirm who is responsible for making good the ground where old posts are dug out
Frequently asked
Why do two fencing quotes for the same garden differ so much?
Almost always because of what's included, not the workmanship. Post type, disposal of the old fence and access are the three lines most often missing from the cheaper figure.
Should a quote break the boundary into separate legs?
Yes, wherever the boundary isn't one straight run — a side return and a rear fence carry different post counts and access, and pricing them as one blended figure hides that.
Is removing the old fence usually included?
It should be stated explicitly either way. If a quote doesn't mention it, ask — it's one of the most common things left off a cheaper price and added back later.
Does a hallway carry-through actually add much to the price?
Yes. Every board and post carried by hand rather than barrowed from a parked van adds real labour time across a whole boundary, not a token amount.
Want this priced properly for your garden?
Free site visit across London and Hertfordshire, a written specification, and a fixed price. No obligation.