Costs & pricing
Fence Panel Prices: What You Get for the Money
Panel prices spread widely because panels are built very differently. Thickness of board, number of rails and how the frame is fixed together tell you far more about value than the ticket price does.
Panel shopping is where most fencing budgets are set, and it is also where the most money is quietly wasted. A thin lap panel and a solid closeboard panel can sit next to each other looking broadly similar, and one will be sagging within a handful of winters while the other is still square.
Here is how the main panel types compare, what separates a cheap panel from a decent one in the same style, and the fitting costs that a panel price on its own never includes.
Panel types by price band
Prices below are for panels alone, before posts, fixings and fitting. They are indicative bands rather than a price list, because panel quality varies enormously inside every single style.
| Panel type | Relative panel price | What you are buying |
|---|---|---|
| Waney edge lap | Cheapest | Thin overlapping boards in a light frame |
| Closeboard | Mid to high | Thicker feather edge boards over multiple rails |
| Slatted | Mid to high | Planed boards with even gaps, contemporary look |
| Hit and miss | Mid to high | Boards alternating sides, airflow with privacy |
| Composite | Highest | Boards in an aluminium or composite frame system |
Telling a good panel from a cheap one in the same style
Pick a panel up. Weight is the fastest quality signal there is, because it comes from board thickness and rail count. Then look at the back: how many horizontal rails carry the boards, whether they are nailed or screwed, and whether the frame corners are properly fixed rather than tacked.
- Board thickness, the difference between a panel that stays flat and one that cups
- Two rails against three, which decides how the panel behaves in wind
- Whether the timber is pressure treated all through or dip coated on the surface
- Frame corners fixed square, not simply nailed and hoped for
The costs a panel price never includes
A panel is roughly half the story. Posts, gravel boards, fixings, digging, setting the posts, aligning the run and taking the old fence away are the other half, and they are the reason a fitted price looks so different from a shelf price.
- Posts, which are a bigger cost decision than the panel itself
- Gravel boards or a base detail to keep boarding off the soil
- Post fixings, caps and capping rails where the style uses them
- Removal and licensed disposal of what is being replaced
Where the value sits
For most gardens across London and Hertfordshire, a decent closeboard panel on concrete posts with a gravel board is the specification that gives the best years per pound. Composite is the choice when you would rather never treat a fence again and are happy to pay for that up front.
Get a fitted price rather than a panel price
We can talk you through panel options with real ones in front of you and price the fitted result, so nothing appears afterwards. Have a look at our fencing work and get in touch when you are ready for a figure.
Prefer a fitted price to a shelf price?
We will talk you through panel options with real ones to look at, then price the finished result so nothing appears afterwards.
Frequently asked
Why are some fence panels so much cheaper than others?
Almost entirely board thickness and rail count. A light panel uses less timber and fewer supports, which is exactly what shows up a few winters later.
How many rails should a panel have?
For full height boarding, three rails is the more robust build. Two rails is common on budget panels and gives the boarding less support across the span.
Is pressure treated timber worth paying for?
Yes, particularly for anything near the ground. Pressure treatment carries preservative into the timber rather than sitting on the surface as a dip coat does.
Do panel prices include posts?
No, and it is the single most common budgeting mistake. Posts, gravel boards and fixings are separate and add a substantial share of the total.
Are composite panels ever cheaper overall?
Not on purchase. Over a long ownership period the lack of treatment and replacement can narrow the gap, but the up front figure is clearly higher.
Can I supply my own panels and have you fit them?
Talk to us about it. What we can say is that a well built panel makes a much better fitted result, so it is worth checking the build before buying.