Case study · Heathfield
Closeboard fence upgrade
Old fence was tired and too low, new gate installed Old fence cleared and tidy when we left
Read the case studyClose-board fencing
Close-board is the fence most people actually want when they say "fence panels". Built on site, properly treated posts concreted in, arris rails notched, feather-edge overlapped, capping rail on top. Quality materials only, never just the cheapest.
The service
What it is
A close-board fence is the one most people actually want when they say "fence panels". It's built on site, post by post and board by board, with properly treated posts concreted in, arris rails notched in, feather-edge boards overlapped, and a capping rail on top. It's the traditional English garden fence and it's what the good ones down your road almost certainly are, once you look closely.
Put up properly, a close-board fence goes the distance. Put up on a cheap spec, untreated posts, no capping, thin feather-edge, skimped overlap, you'll be looking at it again in five. The timber looks similar on day one. The difference shows up after the second winter.
The other thing worth knowing: close-board is an installation, not a delivery. Nothing arrives ready-made. The whole fence is cut and fixed on your boundary, which is why it can follow a slope or a curve that panels can't, and why the post installation matters more here than on any other kind of garden fence.
When close-board is the right call
- You've got a long run of boundary to cover and you want it to look like one piece of work, not a line of panels.
- The line is exposed to the prevailing south-westerly or the wind off the coast.
- The previous panels have failed and you're rebuilding the run from scratch.
- You want privacy on a boundary where a gappy picket or a low post and rail won't cut it.
- You want the fence that lasts the longest for the money, with the lowest repair cost over its life.
How we work
How we build it
- Mark and dig the post holes3 feet deep, spacing to suit the run and the boards. Ground conditions change the dig; Kent sandstone can be a different job to clay round Battle.
- Properly treated posts concreted in with postcreteNot bare timber, not the cheapest grade. Quality materials only, never just the cheapest. Pressure treatment is the single biggest factor in how long the fence lasts. Concrete posts are an option here too, and worth it on an exposed run.
- Gravel boards along the baseKeeps the feather-edge off the wet soil. Concrete gravel boards for the long-life spec, timber where it suits the look.
- Arris rails notched into the posts3 rails on a standard fence, 2 if it's a shorter height.
- Feather-edge boards overlapped by about 25mmSo when the timber moves in winter, the line doesn't gap out. Boards cut from properly sourced, pressure-treated timber.
- Capping rail along the topSheds water off the end grain of the feather-edge, which is where the rot can get in, plus it just finishes the look.
What we won't do
We won't put up a cheap spec to win a quote. Cheap posts and panels look the same on day one and give up in about five years. We only fit properly treated, quality timber because that's the fence that lasts. Quality materials only, never just the cheapest. If our number isn't the right one for you, we'll wish you well.
Pricing guide
What close-board fencing costs
We have gathered publicly available pricing so you can see the range before we visit. Below is what the main UK cost guides publish for close-board fencing, and then how we price yours.
What moves the price
- ground and dig. Wealden clay digs heavy and holds posts well; both change the day.
- old fence out. Taking down and carting away the tired run is part of the job.
- posts and gravel boards. Properly treated posts and concrete gravel boards cost more and last longer.
- length and gates. Longer runs price better per metre; gates price separately.
How we price it
We price close-board per metre after a site visit, because access and ground conditions move the number as much as the fence height does. In the price: treated posts, postcrete, gravel boards, feather-edge, capping rail and all the fixings. What adds cost: slopes that need stepping, removal and disposal of the existing fence, gate integration, and difficult access.
See how we price every job, across tree surgery and fencing →
What customers say
Reviews from fencing work
5.0 across 12 Google reviews, all verifiable on our profile
★★★★★“Absolutely brilliant”
★★★★★“We asked Josh to install a new post and rail fence together driveway gates. He ordered all the materials and completed the job in 11/2 days. Realising that we had dogs to keep safe he also attached wire stock fencing to stop them jumping through the rails and onto the road. He explained that he had set the wire about 4 inches off the ground so so that we could strim the grass without breaking the trimmer cord all the time; neat touch. We were so pleased with the work that we asked him if he could plant a laurel hedge along the fence. He purchased the hedging plants cheaper than any quotes I had and had the hedge in within a day. Not an easy task digging all the holes in drought hardened Wealden Clay. Another excellent job and the hedge is thriving!”
Related work
Related work
Recent fencing jobs that involved close-board fencing.
Case study · Goudhurst
Closeboard replacement
6ft closeboard with Concrete posts
Read the case study
Case study · Hurst Green
A close-board side fence rebuilt.
Front fence on the boundary line, old fence leaning into the neighbour's path. Stripped out, posts pulled, a new close-board run set straight on properly treated posts concreted in with gravel boards. No damage to the path or the borders.
Read the case study Where we work
Close-board fencing across East Sussex
We cover about twenty miles around Heathfield, which takes in Hastings, Battle, Bexhill, Rye and the villages between. Each town page has what the ground and the trees are actually like there.
Common questions
Close-board fencing questions
Why do fence quotes per metre vary so much?
Because the metre isn't the job. The dig, the old fence coming out, the posts and gravel boards, and how the run holds the wind all move the price. We quote the run we can see, in writing.
Is the cheapest quote a false economy?
Usually. The low quotes tend to mean untreated posts, no gravel boards and panels where boards should be. Close-board built properly costs more on day one and years less over its life.
What does your fencing price include?
Everything on the written quote. Old fence out and away, properly treated posts concreted in, gravel boards, the boards themselves, and the site left tidy. No extras appearing on the day.
Fence line had its day?
Fill in the quote form or give us a call and we'll come and have a look. No charge for the visit, no hard sell.