Picket fencing

What it is

A picket fence is a low, vertical-board boundary fence, usually 900mm to 1200mm high, with gaps between the boards (the pickets) so you can see through it. Traditional cottage-garden look. Common on front gardens and on side returns between houses where a tall fence would be too much.

It’s a decorative fence, not a privacy fence. It says: this is the edge of the garden, not: keep out. Paired with a matching gate, it’s one of the nicer bits of joinery on a domestic frontage.

When a picket is the right call

• You’ve got a front garden on a traditional East Sussex cottage or terrace, and you want a boundary that fits the style.
• You want to keep a small dog or young children in the front garden without blocking the view from the pavement.
• You’re replacing a picket run that’s gone over and want to match what was there.
• You want a low boundary with a garden gate, and a close-board or panel would look out of place.

How we build it

• Properly treated posts, concreted in. Even on a low fence, the posts are what hold it up and what give up first. Properly treated every time.
• Pickets cut to a matching profile. Flat-top, round-top, pointed-top, or a decorative arched run. Cut in batches from pressure-treated timber so they match. Spacing typically 30 to 40mm between pickets.
• Rails on the back face. Two horizontal rails between the posts, pickets nailed to the rails. On longer runs we’ll add a third rail.
• Paint or stain. If you want it painted, we’ll prime and paint on site or quote for it unpainted so you can finish it yourself. White’s traditional. Black and dark green also common on East Sussex cottages.
• Gate integration. A matching picket garden gate, hung on galvanised hinges with a drop latch or a Suffolk latch, is nearly always part of the job.

What it costs

Priced per metre after a site visit. Height, spacing, whether you want painting, gate integration and any curved or decorative top profile all move the number. A simple painted picket run with a gate is a tidy half-week job. We put a written quote in front of you within two working days.

What we won’t do

We won’t fit a picket run with untreated posts, even though the spec is low-impact. The posts are still in the ground and still need to be properly pressure-treated. We also won’t paint over rotten timber to make a tired fence look fresh; if the run has gone, we’ll say so and price a replacement instead.