Most homeowners in Leicester and across the UK pay somewhere between £40 and £120 per metre for garden fencing supplied and fitted, depending on the style and the state of the ground. That is a wide range, so this guide breaks down what sits behind it. The figures below reflect what we typically see quoting jobs around Leicestershire in 2026, though every garden is different.
As a rule of thumb, a standard lap panel fence with timber posts costs around £40 to £70 per metre installed. Closeboard (also called featheredge), which is stronger and better suited to exposed or sloping gardens, usually runs £60 to £100 per metre. Composite fencing sits at the top end, typically £120 to £200 per metre, but it needs almost no maintenance for decades.
Posts make a real difference to the figure. Concrete posts with gravel boards add roughly £10 to £20 per metre over timber posts, but they will not rot at ground level, which is where most fences fail first. Around Leicester, the clay soil holds water in winter, so we generally recommend concrete posts or well set timber posts on a proper concrete footing.
The biggest single variable is what is already there. Removing an old fence, breaking out concreted posts and carting the waste away can add £10 to £25 per metre before any new fencing goes in. Access matters too: if materials have to be carried through the house or down a narrow entry, as is common with Victorian terraces in parts of Leicester, labour time goes up.
Ground conditions are the other factor people rarely expect. Sloping gardens need stepped or raked panels, which take longer to fit. Tree roots, old footings and buried rubble all slow down post holes. A long straight run on flat, clear ground will always come in cheaper per metre than a short awkward one, because the set up cost is spread across more metres.
An average terraced or semi detached garden boundary is around 10 to 15 metres. At mid range closeboard prices, that puts a full replacement somewhere in the £800 to £1,500 bracket including removal of the old fence. A larger detached plot with 25 metres or more of boundary can reasonably reach £2,000 to £3,500 depending on the spec.
Be a little wary of quotes far below these ranges. Very cheap jobs usually mean thin panels, posts set in shallow holes or no gravel boards, and the fence tends to need attention within a few years. A properly installed closeboard fence should last 15 to 20 years or more, so paying a bit extra per metre is often the cheaper choice over its lifetime.
Online calculators cannot see your garden, so treat any per metre figure, including ours, as a starting point. A proper quote should follow a site visit where the contractor measures the run, checks the ground and access, and confirms who owns which boundary. It should itemise removal, materials, posts, gravel boards and waste disposal so you can compare like for like.
When comparing quotes, ask how deep the posts will be set (600mm is a sensible minimum for a 1.8m fence), whether the timber is pressure treated, and what happens with the old fence. Two quotes that look £300 apart often turn out to be pricing different jobs once you dig into the detail.
They are two ways of describing the same job, since a standard panel bay is about 1.83 metres wide. Per metre pricing is easier for comparing quotes, but always check whether a figure includes posts, gravel boards, fitting and waste removal.
Usually not, provided the fence is no more than 2 metres high, or 1 metre where it borders a highway. Listed buildings and some conservation areas have extra rules, so check with your local council if you are unsure.
The owner of the boundary is responsible, which your title deeds or Land Registry plan may show, though many deeds are silent on it. In practice, neighbours often agree to split the cost, and it is worth having that conversation before booking any work.
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Leicester-based, working across the Midlands for commercial and domestic clients.