Everyone wants a number. We get it. The trouble is that "a new fence" can mean any one of a dozen jobs at very different prices — and quoting a flat £X per metre online would be the kind of bait-and-switch we wouldn't want a contractor doing to us. So instead, here's the breakdown by job type, with realistic 2026 ranges based on the work we actually do across Swansea and South Wales.
All prices below are supply-and-fit figures — labour, materials, ironmongery, post mix and disposal of the old fence included. Indicative, subject to survey. Your actual quote depends on a handful of site-specific factors we'll cover further down.
Quick reference (2026 Swansea prices)
| Type of fence | Typical per-metre cost |
|---|---|
| Lap panel + treated timber posts | £65 – £90 per metre |
| Lap panel + concrete posts & gravel boards | £90 – £130 per metre |
| Closeboard (feather-edge) on concrete posts | £130 – £180 per metre |
| Picket / decorative (1 m–1.2 m height) | £75 – £120 per metre |
| Slatted contemporary panels | £140 – £220 per metre |
| Hardwood (oak, sweet chestnut) closeboard | £200 – £300+ per metre |
For a typical Swansea back garden of about 8 metres along the rear boundary and 5 metres down each side (18 metres total), that puts a sensible "concrete posts, lap panel, gravel board" full replacement at around £1,600–£2,400, and a full closeboard replacement at around £2,300–£3,200. Smaller jobs and repairs are very different — see below.
Repairs and small jobs
Most of our quoting visits aren't whole-fence rebuilds. They're targeted repairs after wind damage or rot. Rough ranges:
- Single lap panel swap, posts already in place: typically £80 – £140 fitted.
- One panel + one post replacement: usually £180 – £280.
- Three panels and two posts (a typical "storm took the back fence" job): usually £450 – £700.
- Re-hanging a leaning side gate: £80 – £160 depending on the hardware needed.
- New side gate to match existing fence: usually £250 – £450 fitted, more for tall or wider openings.
(If you're dealing with storm damage specifically, we've got a separate post on what to do when a Swansea storm takes your fence down, including what to photograph for the insurer.)
Driveway gates — a different conversation
Hand-built timber driveway gates sit in a different price bracket because they're bespoke. As a rough guide:
- Pair of timber driveway gates (up to 3.6 m wide): £900 – £1,800 supply-and-fit, depending on style and ironmongery
- Single pedestrian/side gate: £180 – £450
- Sliding driveway gate: £1,400 – £3,000+
- Automated swing or slide: add £1,500 – £3,500 on top, depending on the motor system, safety photocells and remote-control kit
Gate jobs nearly always need a same-day survey because the opening width, ground levels and post anchoring vary so much. We can't give a sensible quote over the phone for one.
What's actually in the price?
It's worth knowing the rough split, because it explains why "cheap" quotes are usually too good to be true.
For a standard lap-panel-on-concrete-posts run, the cost typically divides up like this:
- Posts and gravel boards (concrete): 20–25% of the job
- Timber panels: 15–20%
- Labour (digging, setting, fitting, finishing): 35–45%
- Post mix / concrete: 5–8%
- Disposal of old fence, ironmongery, sundries: 8–12%
- VAT (if the contractor is VAT-registered): 20% on the lot
So when a quote comes in at half of everyone else's, you're usually losing somewhere — most often it's concrete posts replaced with cheap timber ones, or post-mix replaced with "we'll hand-mix something in a bucket". You don't notice for the first 18 months. You notice in year four.
What pushes a job to the expensive end of the range
These are the site factors we look for during a survey, in rough order of impact:
1. Access
If we can wheelbarrow materials straight to the line from the van, the job goes faster. If the only route is through the house, up a narrow side return, or over a neighbour's garden, we have to factor in extra time. A bad access route can add 15–25% to labour costs.
2. Ground conditions
Soft loam: easy digging, posts set quickly. Heavy clay: slower digging, sometimes a digger needed. Rocky ground (parts of Mumbles, Gowerton, around the Gower): can need rotary breaking, which is slow. Old concrete in the line from a previous fence: breaking out adds time. Tree roots: same.
3. Slope
A level run is the easy case. Stepping panels down a slope, or running a fence diagonal across a sloping garden, takes more measuring, more cuts, and sometimes specially made shorter panels at the ends. Add 10–20% for noticeable slopes.
4. Disposal
If we're replacing an existing fence, the old timber has to go. We charge a flat per-job disposal figure that scales with the volume — for a small repair it's usually included; for a whole-garden tear-out it's typically £80–£150 extra. We tip at a licensed waste site, not on the local nature reserve.
5. Bespoke materials
Standard 1.83 m × 1.83 m lap panels are cheap because every merchant stocks them. As soon as you want a non-standard height (say 1.5 m or 2 m), or a non-standard finish (painted, stained pre-install, hit-and-miss, hardwood), the materials cost climbs and we often have to wait for delivery, which affects scheduling.
6. Time of year
This one's less than people expect. Materials prices are largely stable across the year; what changes is how booked-up local contractors are. Spring (April–June) is the busiest time in South Wales — you'll wait longer for a slot. Late autumn and early winter are quieter and quotes can be slightly keener, but expect a few weather days.
7. VAT status of the contractor
If a contractor is over the VAT threshold (currently £90,000 turnover), they have to charge VAT on top of materials and labour. Smaller firms below the threshold don't. That can mean a 20% headline difference between two quotes for the same job — neither is necessarily ripping you off.
The cheapest quote isn't always the cheapest job.A common pattern: a low quote that "forgot" gravel boards, used timber posts instead of concrete, or didn't include disposal. By year three you're paying for those savings with interest. Always compare quotes line-for-line, not just the total.
Three honest ways to bring the price down
- Stick to standard heights and materials. 1.83 m lap on concrete posts is the cheapest credible build because everything is off-the-shelf.
- Take the old fence down yourself. If you've got a free afternoon and a roof rack, removing and tipping the old run yourself can save the disposal portion. Some contractors will discount accordingly; some won't (because removing it carefully matters for what they fit next). Ask.
- Split the job with the neighbour. If the fence is shared or genuinely benefits both sides, a friendly cost-split is the single biggest saving available. See our note on who owns the fence for how to handle that conversation.
Three things that don't save what you'd think
- "Just doing one side" of the garden. Mobilising the team, digging, mixing concrete and setting up the line are all fixed costs — they don't halve when the run halves. A 10 m job is more than half the price of a 20 m job.
- Going with timber posts to "save the upgrade". The cost gap to concrete posts is small (often £8–£15 per post fitted), and concrete posts comfortably double the fence's life.
- Skipping the gravel board. A concrete gravel board is the single best £20-per-metre you'll spend on a fence. Without one, the bottom of the panels rots out in 5–7 years.
What to expect from us specifically
For Swansea jobs, here's how it works on our end:
- Free on-site survey. We come, measure, and look at the access, ground, and what's already there.
- Quote on the day. Fixed, written, no "while we're here" extras unless we hit something genuinely unforeseen (and we'll always agree it with you first before adding).
- Materials list itemised. You see exactly what's going in — post type, panel type, ironmongery — so you can compare like-for-like against other quotes.
- Insurance-friendly invoicing if you're claiming for storm damage.
Good quality fencing and reasonable price.
We won't be the cheapest quote on a Facebook group. We aim to be the right one — fitted properly, first time, with materials that match the price.
Want a real number, not a range?
The on-site survey is free and the quote is fixed before any work starts. Tell us roughly where in Swansea you are and what the job is — we'll come out at a time that works.
Call 07931 691696