Fence Install Costs

[Eddie Twadds]

Just trying to get a feel for a recent fencing quote for replacement of posts and top capping to existing feather edge boards (majority of posts are rotten and can be replaced without replacing the fencing). See quote below:

Replacement of 20 4"x4", 8 foot posts
40 bags of Postmix
30 metres of 4" capping
Removal and disposal

£1700 (based in West Yorkshire).

This works out at £85 per post. Does this sound good/bad/about right?

TIA

[Wildfire]

I'm on the SE and payed about £1300 for 14 posts to be replaced with concrete posts and gravel boards and a 1.5 panels a couple of years ago after the storms.

[gmaz]

Yes its about £100 per post/panel so sounds OK

[Eddie Twadds]

gmaz said:

Yes its about £100 per post/panel so sounds OK

Sorry are you saying that £100 per post including panel is ok or £100 per post excluding panel is ok?

Edited by Eddie Twadds on Monday 28th April 18:32

[Hammer67]

Get a quote for concrete posts, might not be much more and will massively outlast wooden ones.

[Its Just Adz]

We paid considerably more than that to have composite fencing installed with new posts etc... but then outlr garden is weird shape with ups and downs, plus the old post bases had to be dug out.

[DonkeyApple]

Eddie Twadds said:

Just trying to get a feel for a recent fencing quote for replacement of posts and top capping to existing feather edge boards (majority of posts are rotten and can be replaced without replacing the fencing). See quote below:

Replacement of 20 4"x4", 8 foot posts
40 bags of Postmix
30 metres of 4" capping
Removal and disposal

£1700 (based in West Yorkshire).

This works out at £85 per post. Does this sound good/bad/about right?

TIA

Seems fair.

Posts range from £10-£25 depending on quality so that's £200-£500. Postcrete is around £5 so that's another £200. And there will probably be two people for a day which is £300-500. Add in the other bits and you soon arrive at a guesstimate that isn't far off the quote.

Something to bear in mind is that if you were to supply the labour then it would cost around £20/post. But you've got to lift out the existing concrete lumps on your own and then dispose of them along with the posts. Fitting the new posts is child's play but it's when you consider the pulling up of the existing posts and their disposal that quoted costs start to look reasonable.

What I would say is that there are fence posts and then there are fence posts. The cheapest are not much more than balsa wood and will rot out rapidly, whereas quality ones will last many years. You need to ensure that you're getting the quality type as that's what you are paying for and many tradesmen will be overly tempted to then use super cheap, ready to rot crap and pocket the Brucie Bonus.

Grain gap and weight are the two simplest ways to best ensure that what turns up to your home are actual fence posts and not children's modelling supplies.

You also want to ensure that the workmen finish the top of the postcrete so that water flows away from the posts. You'd think this goes without saying but bending down and operating a trowel is too much hard graft for many while others don't understand and are scared of water and all its voodoo. It's roulette as to how the workman will cope with being asked about the simple stuff. Many are highly delicate, over emotional flowers that will implode upon the most basic of conversations regarding the task at hand. To best avoid having one of these emotional toddler episodes you should go and look at at least one of their previous jobs.

In short, the quote seems fair so long as they use the appropriate timber and set the posts correctly. Many don't.

[mikeiow]

DonkeyApple said:

.
<sensible stuff>

You also want to ensure that the workmen finish the top of the postcrete so that water flows away from the posts. You'd think this goes without saying but bending down and operating a trowel is too much hard graft for many while others don't understand and are scared of water and all its voodoo. It's roulette as to how the workman will cope with being asked about the simple stuff. Many are highly delicate, over emotional flowers that will implode upon the most basic of conversations regarding the task at hand. To best avoid having one of these emotional toddler episodes you should go and look at at least one of their previous jobs.

In short, the quote seems fair so long as they use the appropriate timber and set the posts correctly. Many don't.

Although for fencing you probably want to see one they did 10 years ago to check it is still standing!

Tough ask.

There was someone on YouTube who proved postcrete was much, much weaker than ‘proper’ mixed concrete….I’d have kind of expected a pro landscaper to mix their own (cheaper and more robust over time, I would think?).

[Arrivalist]

Hammer67 said:

Get a quote for concrete posts, might not be much more and will massively outlast wooden ones.

Each to their own but I find concrete posts ugly. Prefer wood every time.

[mikeiow]

Arrivalist said:

Hammer67 said:

Get a quote for concrete posts, might not be much more and will massively outlast wooden ones.

Each to their own but I find concrete posts ugly. Prefer wood every time.

Broadly agree, but you can paint them - green panels and posts blends in find (but will need redoing every 5 or so years), and concrete will inevitably outlast timber.

Another option might be Durapost. 25yr guarantee, easier to fit (but presumably cost a bit more).

We need to consider some for a place where the neighbour just piles his garden waste up on the (currently chain link!) fencing. Almost certainly needs to be concrete for that alone….

[Arrivalist]

mikeiow said:

Arrivalist said:

Hammer67 said:

Get a quote for concrete posts, might not be much more and will massively outlast wooden ones.

Each to their own but I find concrete posts ugly. Prefer wood every time.

Broadly agree, but you can paint them - green panels and posts blends in find (but will need redoing every 5 or so years), and concrete will inevitably outlast timber.

Another option might be Durapost. 25yr guarantee, easier to fit (but presumably cost a bit more).

We need to consider some for a place where the neighbour just piles his garden waste up on the (currently chain link!) fencing. Almost certainly needs to be concrete for that alone….

If you’ve got specific requirements then absolutely another product may be what’s required.

Durapost looks interesting but you’d need to be careful how it and the panels are used so it doesn’t look too industrial.

[DaveyBoyWonder]

Seems reasonable - digging out 20 rotten posts assuming they're in concrete sounds like a right chew in itself.

[DonkeyApple]

mikeiow said:

Although for fencing you probably want to see one they did 10 years ago to check it is still standing!

Tough ask.

There was someone on YouTube who proved postcrete was much, much weaker than ‘proper’ mixed concrete….I’d have kind of expected a pro landscaper to mix their own (cheaper and more robust over time, I would think?).

Yup but looking at last week's instal will show the quality of the posts used and whether they finished off the postcrete correctly. Even the crappiest of timber can have its lifespan doubled by just finishing off the cement so that water flows away from the wood.

[C Lee Farquar]

mikeiow said:

There was someone on YouTube who proved postcrete was much, much weaker than ‘proper’ mixed concrete….I’d have kind of expected a pro landscaper to mix their own (cheaper and more robust over time, I would think?).

It is, but it's still fit for purpose, it only needs to be as strong as the timber. Any stronger and all your achieving is to make the next post replacement more difficult.

To make the posts more resistant to wind damage you need more concrete, not more cement.

[Huzzah]

Arrivalist said:

Hammer67 said:

Get a quote for concrete posts, might not be much more and will massively outlast wooden ones.

Each to their own but I find concrete posts ugly. Prefer wood every time.

I go 1/2 and 1/2 concrete godfathers bolted up to wooden posts. The post doesn't need to go near the soil.