HOW TO HIRE · GARDEN & OUTDOOR

How to hire a fencing contractor in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No register covers fencing contractors. In England the height limit is 2 metres, 1 metre beside a road. Check that, the posts and the boundary.

  • Search and compare — no account needed
  • Nearest to you first
  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a fencing contractor in five steps

  1. Settle the boundaryWhich side is yours, and whether the neighbour agrees to the new fence.
  2. Check the heightUp to 2 metres, or 1 metre beside a road, in England without planning permission.
  3. Choose posts and panelsConcrete or timber posts, panel or closeboard, gravel boards.
  4. Ask about the old fenceTaken away by a registered waste carrier, priced.
  5. Get it in writingLength, height, materials, gates, removal and VAT.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

Anyone may trade as one of the fencing contractors in any UK nation; no statutory register exists, and TrustMark registration is voluntary. The rules sit on the job instead: the height of the fence under the planning rules.

Look at two or three jobs they finished a year ago, and check any TrustMark claim on its website. trustmark.org.uk →

Height limits (England)

In England, permitted development allows a new fence, wall or gate of up to 2 metres, or 1 metre beside a road used by vehicles (Class A, Part 2, General Permitted Development (England) Order 2015). Anything at a listed building needs permission.

Ask the fencing contractor to confirm the finished height on the quote, and check with the council if it is close. legislation.gov.uk →

Waste carrier registration

Taking the old panels, posts and concrete off your property makes the fencing contractor a waste carrier, and every nation requires carriers to register — the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales, SEPA or the NIEA, depending on where you live.

Get the registration number in writing and look it up by number, name or postcode. environment.data.gov.uk →

Wooden fences are not party walls

Gov.uk's party wall guidance covers garden walls on the land of two owners but not wooden fences, so a timber fence does not need a party wall notice under the rules for England and Wales; agree a shared boundary with the neighbour anyway, and the council's height limits still apply.

Ask the fencing contractor which side of the boundary the posts will go. gov.uk →

VAT

Putting up a fence is standard-rated at 20%. A fencing contractor turning over more than £90,000 a year has to register, charge it and show the 20% as its own line on the written quote.

Ask for the fencing contractor's VAT number and confirm the 20% is listed below the itemised fence price. gov.uk →

“How high will the finished fencing be?”

A good answer: A height in metres including any trellis; over 2 metres, or 1 metre by a road, needs planning permission in England.

“What fencing posts will you use, and how are they set?”

A good answer: Concrete or treated timber, set in concrete to a stated depth.

“Will you fit gravel boards under the fencing?”

A good answer: Yes, so the panels stay off the soil.

“Which side of the boundary will the fencing go?”

A good answer: They ask you, and suggest you agree it with the neighbour.

“What happens to the old fence?”

A good answer: Taken by a registered waste carrier, priced.

“What guarantee covers the fencing?”

A good answer: Workmanship in writing, and the panel maker's guarantee.

“Are there pipes or cables along the fence line?”

A good answer: They ask before digging post holes.

Getting the quote right

  • Length, height and style of fence
  • Post type and setting
  • Gravel boards, gates and trellis itemised
  • Removal of the old fence
  • Who actually attends to set the posts and hang the panels, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
  • The VAT number, with 20% VAT listed separately from the fence materials and labour

Walk away if

  • No question about the boundary or the neighbour
  • A fence over 2 metres with no mention of planning
  • Old fence removed with no carrier number
  • Full payment before work starts
LOW
£60
TYPICAL
£1,050
HIGH
£2,100

What a fencing contractor costs: £60–£2,100 per project

Fencing is priced by the project, usually per metre run; the height, post type, panel style and removal of the old fence set the price. Fencing Installer price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Fencing contractors near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. Agree the lineBoundary confirmed, buried services asked about.
  2. RemoveOld fence and posts out, loaded for a registered carrier.
  3. PostsHoles dug, posts set in concrete, checked plumb.
  4. PanelsGravel boards and panels fixed.
  5. FinishCaps, gates and trellis fitted, the site cleared.

Closeboard
A fence of overlapping vertical boards.
Gravel board
A board at the base that keeps panels off the ground.
Post cap
A cap that keeps rain off the post top.
Trellis
A lattice panel, often fitted on top of a fence.
Permitted development
Work allowed without a planning application, within limits.
Boundary
The legal line between your land and the neighbour's.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the invoice and guaranteePanel and post guarantees often need proof of purchase.
Push the postsNo movement at the top.
Check the lineStraight, level tops, panels seated.
Rate the workBooked through Locufy, the job can be reviewed; if the fencing contractor needs to come back, the make-it-right step gives them the chance first.

STEP 1Start with the fencing contractorSet out in writing what went wrong with the fence. Section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 is the duty of reasonable care and skill; section 55 lets you ask for the service to be repeated.
STEP 2Let Locufy follow it upBelow four stars, you choose whether the fencing contractor sees the problem before your review does; we follow it through, then the review goes live.
STEP 3Planning or building control problemsIf the fencing contractor's work breaks planning or building rules, the council's planning or building control team is the authority, and an enforcement notice can require the work to be undone. For advice, or to have Trading Standards told, ring Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Small claimsKeep the quote, the photos and every message with the fencing contractor: claims up to £10,000 in England and Wales, £5,000 in Scotland and £5,000 in Northern Ireland are heard on the small-claims routes.

Hiring a fencing contractor: questions people ask

In England, for a fence over 2 metres high, or over 1 metre next to a road used by vehicles, or at a listed building; otherwise usually not.

Nothing in the law licenses fencing contractors or puts them on a register.

Expect £60 to £2,100 a project, most often near £1,050. Our fencing installer price guide covers what changes it, and the search above lists fencing contractors where you live.

On your own land, not legally, but agree the line and access first; a wooden fence is not a party wall.

Concrete lasts longer; timber is cheaper and easier to fix to.

A day or two for most gardens.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in garden & outdoor

How to hire: Gate InstallationHow to hire: Garden Wall BuildingHow to hire: Hedge RemovalHow to hire: LandscapingHow to hire: Decking ConstructionHow to hire: Patio LayingHow to hire: Garden ClearanceHow to hire: Block PavingAll 701 hiring guides →

Fencing contractors near you

Fencing contractors in LondonFencing contractors in ManchesterFencing contractors in BirminghamFencing contractors in GlasgowFencing contractors in BelfastAll fencing contractors on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2 Part 2 — gates, fences and walls
  2. gov.uk — party walls and building work
  3. gov.uk — register as a waste carrier, broker or dealer (England)
  4. Environment Agency — public register of waste carriers
  5. TrustMark — the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — what you can ask for when a service falls short
  7. Civil Procedure Rules Part 26 — the small claims track (England and Wales)
  8. mygov.scot — make a court claim for money (simple procedure)
  9. nidirect — the small claims process (Northern Ireland)
  10. Buildings and construction (VAT Notice 708) — 2.1 Construction services: work to an existing building is normally standard-rated
  11. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  12. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register