How to Quote Fencing Jobs in the UK
Per Metre, Per Bay, or Day Rate? Get This Wrong and Everything Else Is Guesswork
In a UK fencing group, a fencer pricing a 14-property new build job asked a simple question: “What is everyone currently charging per bay/per meter for 6ft closeboard all timber no top cap?” The replies gave real numbers, £55 per metre for closeboard at 1.8m on a clean new-build site, £60 per metre with a £10 hard-dig charge per hole where ground conditions were unknown, and one fencer answering with a flat £100 per linear metre for a different spec entirely. Someone else pushed back that bay size matters more than a blanket per-metre rate, and another pointed out you have to charge per square metre once garden sizes start varying.
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That thread is the whole story of fencing quotes in one place: there is no single correct rate, but there is a correct process, know your unit, price your extras separately, and never let a hard-dig or an extra gate get folded silently into a number the customer already agreed to. This guide covers how to quote fencing jobs properly in the UK, using the pricing structure that actually reflects how this trade prices work.
Step 1: Decide Which Pricing Model the Job Actually Needs
Fencing splits into two genuinely different pricing worlds, and the biggest quoting mistake is not picking clearly between them before you start working out numbers.
Per Metre or Per Bay: Most Residential Fencing
Standard garden and boundary fencing, closeboard, panel, post and rail, is almost always priced per linear metre or per bay. From real rates shared in UK fencing trade groups, closeboard fencing around 1.8m high on straightforward new-build ground runs roughly £55 to £60 per metre, rising toward £100 per metre for a heavier spec, taller height, or a job with awkward access. For gardens with lots of different-size runs and no consistent bay length, pricing per square metre of coverage can be more accurate than a blanket per-metre rate.
Day Rate: Agricultural, Stock, and Subcontract Fencing
Agricultural fencing, stock fencing, and a lot of subcontract fencing work for other contractors is priced by the day instead, closer to how groundworkers and bricklayers price CIS subcontract work. Fencers who do both, and plenty do, need to be clear in their own head, and in the quote, about which model a given job is being priced under.
Step 2: Survey the Site Properly Before You Price It
Never quote fencing from a phone call or a photo alone. Visit the site and check the actual ground, tree roots, old foundations, rubble, or a high water table can turn a straightforward run into a hard-dig job, and you need to know that before you commit to a number, not after the first few posts go in.
Confirm the boundary line with the customer, ideally against the title deeds or Land Registry plan, not just where an old fence used to stand. Boundary disputes are one of the most common sources of conflict in this trade, and a customer pointing at “roughly where it was before” is not the same as a confirmed line. Check access for materials delivery and whether a mechanical post driver can actually get to where it is needed, and ask directly whether any trees on or near the line are covered by a Tree Preservation Order before you price removal or root-related extra digging.
Step 3: Price Materials Properly
Get current supplier prices for every material line rather than working from memory, panels or featherboard, posts (timber, concrete, or metal), concrete for post fixing, gravel boards, and top caps if specified. Prices on timber especially can move between jobs, and quoting from an old memory of what a panel cost is a fast way to erode your margin.
Add a materials markup of at least 15-20%. You are sourcing, ordering, and taking responsibility if a delivery is short or a batch is the wrong spec, that overhead has a real cost, and it is standard practice across trades that manage their own materials.
Step 4: Cost Your Labour or Day Rate Accurately
Whether you are pricing per metre or by the day, start from your actual minimum viable day rate, not what feels roughly right. Work backwards from:
- Annual personal drawings target (e.g. £35,000-£45,000)
- Plus business costs: van, fuel, tools, post driver maintenance, insurance, software
- Plus tax, National Insurance, and CIS if you run or work as a subcontractor
- Divided by billable days (typically 180-210 per year after weather days, holidays, and admin time)
If you are pricing per metre, convert this day rate into a realistic metres-per-day output for the fence type and ground you are quoting, then build your per-metre labour rate from that, rather than picking a per-metre figure because it sounds competitive against a number a customer mentioned from a different fencer.
Step 5: Price Hard-Dig and Extras as Separate Line Items, Always
Real rates shared in UK fencing groups price hard-dig conditions, hitting a pin kerb, rubble, or rock, as a separate charge per hole, typically around £10 extra per post where ground is difficult, rather than folded into the base per-metre rate. This matters for two reasons: it protects your margin if ground conditions turn out worse than expected, and it gives the customer a clear, defensible reason for any variation instead of a vague “it cost more than we thought.”
The same logic applies to extra gates, additional posts for a change in run direction, or removing an existing fence before installing the new one. Price every one of these as its own line, agreed in writing before the work happens, not absorbed silently into the total.
Step 6: Write the Quote Clearly, and Send It in Writing
A good fencing quote includes:
- Client name and site address
- Date of quote and validity period (usually 30 days, shorter if timber prices are volatile)
- Pricing basis stated clearly, per metre, per bay, or day rate, with the total run length or number of days
- Fence type, height, and spec (e.g. 1.8m closeboard, featherboard, concrete gravel board)
- What is excluded (e.g. “hard-dig conditions if encountered”, “removal of existing fence”)
- Materials breakdown
- Total cost (ex VAT if VAT-registered)
- Deposit amount and when it is due
- Estimated start date and completion time
Send the quote by email or through proper quoting software, not a text message. If the customer replies to confirm, you have a written record of exactly what was agreed if a dispute arises over a hard-dig charge or an extra post later.
Step 7: Taking a Deposit
The clearest pattern from working fencers discussing this directly in UK trade groups is taking roughly 50% of the estimated total shortly before a confirmed start date, or once materials have physically arrived on site, rather than the moment the quote is accepted. The remaining balance is settled on completion, adjusted up or down for anything that differed from the original estimate.
This structure protects your cash flow for materials without asking a customer to fund a job that has not started yet, and it gives the customer a genuinely reasonable answer if they ask why you want money before work begins: the deposit funds the materials sitting in your yard or on their driveway, not your time.
Real Fencing Rates Shared by UK Tradespeople
| Fence Type | Typical Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1.8m closeboard, clean ground | ~£55-60/metre | New-build sites, no waste or rip-out |
| 1.8m closeboard, harder spec | ~£80-100/metre | Heavier timber, harder ground, domestic access |
| Hard-dig extra (per hole) | ~£10/hole | Pin kerb, rubble, or rock encountered |
| Panel fencing | Priced per bay | Bay size varies rate more than a blanket per-metre figure |
| Agricultural / stock fencing | Day rate | Often CIS subcontract, similar model to groundworks |
Rates shared informally by fencers in UK trade groups, 2026. Always confirm current local rates and supplier prices before quoting, these vary by region and site access.
Using Software to Quote Faster
Building quotes on paper or from memory means every repeat job starts from scratch, and it is exactly how a hard-dig charge or an extra gate gets forgotten under time pressure. Tradify is built specifically for UK tradespeople and lets you save your standard per-metre, per-bay, and day rates by fence type, so a repeat quote takes minutes rather than an evening at the kitchen table.
When the customer accepts, the quote converts directly into a live job, with the deposit request linked to your confirmed start date rather than triggered automatically the moment the quote is signed off.
Pricing: From ~£34/month per user. Free 14-day trial, no card required.
Jobber is a strong alternative if you want an online client portal where customers can approve quotes and pay deposits digitally.
Common Quoting Mistakes Fencers Make
- Quoting a per-metre rate without checking bay size, uneven bay lengths can make a blanket per-metre figure inaccurate
- Not confirming the boundary line before pricing, “roughly where the old fence was” is not a confirmed line
- Folding hard-dig risk into the base rate, price it as a separate per-hole extra instead
- Ignoring Tree Preservation Orders near the line, check before pricing root removal or tree work
- Agreeing extras verbally on site, always get it in writing, even just a text or email reply
- Mixing up per-metre and day-rate pricing on the same job, decide the model upfront and stick to it
The Bottom Line
Fencers who price consistently are not the ones with the lowest per-metre rate, they are the ones who know which pricing model a job needs, survey properly before committing to a number, and keep hard-dig and extras as separate, defensible line items rather than folding everything into one figure. A quote built this way protects your margin and gives the customer a clear reason to trust the number.
If you want to speed up quoting and keep every job cleanly priced whether it is per metre, per bay, or day rate, Tradify is worth a look. It is built for UK tradespeople and works properly from a phone on site.
Frequently Asked Questions: Quoting Fencing Jobs
Real rates shared by UK fencers put 1.8m closeboard fencing on clean, easy-access ground at roughly £55-60 per metre, rising to £80-100 per metre for a heavier spec or harder access. Hard-dig conditions are typically priced as a separate extra, around £10 per hole, rather than built into the base rate. Panel fencing is often priced per bay instead of per metre, since bay size affects the rate more than a blanket per-metre figure does.
Most residential garden and boundary fencing is priced per linear metre or per bay. Agricultural, stock, and a lot of subcontract fencing work is priced as a day rate instead, similar to groundworks. Decide which model a job needs before you start pricing it, and state the basis clearly on the quote so there is no ambiguity if the job runs long.
Most UK fencers take around 50% of the estimated total, either shortly before a confirmed start date or once materials have arrived on site, with the balance settled on completion adjusted for anything agreed during the job. This funds your material costs without asking the customer to pay for work that has not started.
Price hard-dig conditions, rubble, rock, or a pin kerb, as a separate charge per hole rather than folding it into your base per-metre rate. Roughly £10 extra per hole is a commonly cited figure in UK fencing trade groups, though this should be adjusted for your local rates and the severity of conditions found.
A fencing quote should include the client’s name and site address, date and validity period, the pricing basis stated clearly (per metre, per bay, or day rate), the fence type, height, and spec, what is excluded, a materials breakdown, total cost, deposit amount and timing, and your estimated start and completion dates.
Tradify is a widely used quoting app among UK fencers because it handles per-metre, per-bay, and day-rate pricing on the same account. It lets you save your standard rates by fence type, generate a professional PDF quote on site, and link a deposit request to your confirmed start date rather than to quote acceptance.
Related Guides for Fencers
- UK Fencers Hub, all our fencing guides and reviews in one place
- Best Apps for Fencers UK
- Best Job Management Software for Fencers UK
- Best Invoicing Software for Fencers UK
- Tradify Review for Fencers UK
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