How to plan a new fence
Most fence jobs start with taking an old one down. Plan both parts together so you book the right skip and only make one trip to the merchant.
- Check the boundary and talk to your neighbour before you start, especially if the old fence is theirs.
- Take down the old fence and break out the old post concrete. It is heavy, so allow for it in the skip.
- Set out the new posts to a string line, one panel width apart, and set them in Postcrete.
- Fit gravel boards and panels. A gravel board keeps the panel off wet soil, which is where fences rot first.
Fixing a fence after a storm? Our fence guide covers storm repairs, who owns which fence and today's repair costs.
What a 20m fence needs
A straight 20m run of 6ft panels with timber posts comes to about 11 panels, 12 posts of 2.4m, 11 gravel boards and 24 bags of Postcrete. Taking down the old fence usually fills a 4–6 yard skip, more if each old post comes out with a lump of concrete attached. Adding a 300mm-wide gravel strip along the fence at 50mm deep takes about half a tonne of gravel. Each step above opens with your length filled in.
Order of work
- Agree the line with your neighbour and set a string line where the new posts will go. Decide which side the "good" face of the panels will face. It's usual, and polite, to face it towards the neighbour.
- Remove the old fence in sections, stacking panels for the skip. Old post stumps in concrete can often be dug round and levered out, or new holes can be set just beside them.
- Set the end post first, then fit a gravel board and panel and set the next post against it. Working post-panel-post keeps the spacing exact.
- Check the height and level every few posts. On a slope, step the panels and keep each one level.
- Finish with post caps, a coat of fence treatment if needed, and the gravel border.
Tools and timing
A post-hole digger or auger saves a lot of effort, and you'll need a spirit level, string line, saw, drill and a helper to hold panels. With two people and a free run, a 20m fence is usually a weekend's work once the old one is down. Avoid windy days: a 6ft panel catches the wind like a sail.
Prefer concrete for the posts? The concrete calculator has a post-hole option.