Cost of installing fence and gates nowadays

[howmuchisafence]

Living in the countryside, about 80m of fencing is required plus two large wooden gates (4m long). The fencing would be finished wooden posts cemented into the ground and about 1.25m tall from the ground once finished, the fencing material is really sturdy metal which is in a coil but is very sturdy, not the thin or light stuff, there is nothing where the gates need to be so all the posts need to be big enough to support the gates. It needs to look very neat and stylish, not just farmer-ish. How much would you say, to be done by a properly qualified and experienced person, labour only as we would buy all the posts and gates etc?

I had a quotation for a much smaller Fencing with one gate and it was 5 1/2 grand
I decided I could do it myself four times over had a go and it’s fine

Timber cost has rocketed in the last few years.

I am very impressed!
Would you have taken on 80m and two gates, just out of interest?

Did you use concrete?

The ground is very uneven and rocky, too.

The way I look at it is every single project is doable. It just takes us longer than it would big Burley blokes who do it for a living every day.

Following with interest we have just had someone round to quote 40 metres of fencing and posts - awaiting on price. If it’s 5-6k I will choke and have to consider doing it ourselves. We did do most of the other side and nearly broke my back it was physically hard work. I appreciate they have to make a living and materials it’s just out pricing what we can afford so we will have to take the physical pain/time and do it ourselves again.

I don’t know if this will work, but there’s a real of somebody doing it themselves on Insta

Could you let me know?! I am just trying to find out ranges of labour costs out there, we have materials.

I agree. The markets are going crazy, really annoying.

I had some quotes for roughly 54m of fence and posts. Most were over £5k. I must say I realised I was living under a rock then! I had no idea how expensive it is to do!

Why are you using wooden posts to support metal fencing when metal posts would be much longer lasting?
I presume all metalwork will be galvanised before being painted?

Good questions, but too late - it is already bought!
No idea about metal being galvanised.

Sounds like a weird solution.

Wooden posts and a metal fence ?

Concreting wooden posts into the ground isn't that hard, and if the fence is in a roll you don't even have to get the spacing that accurate.

What is hard is removing wooden posts that have been concreted in after they have rotted. Often they snap off at the base and getting the stump out is a mission.

You'll probably find it harder to get someone in to do it if you are supplying materials because most people want to work with stuff they are familiar with.

I can see what you mean, but if you google you will find some photos of wood posts with metal in between bits, it looks quite pretty?

How much do you think I'd be looking at? The posts there now (not many) are not concreted in, I should have said.

I honestly have no clue.

Maybe if you just want to put them in the ground without fix you could hire a machine or get someone who does that for a living in to drive them in which might be cheaper. The sort of stuff farmers probably do all the time.

Then just roll out the fencing on top and staple it on.

I was looking at a gate replacement just before covid. 6 foot high to match my fences, new posts, wood treated with a base coat, removal of old gate. The quote was £295. Then the covid lockdowns happened so I left it for a few years.

Revisited it this year. Quote is now £710!

It's more than just the price of timber. I think it's a vast smaller pool of tradies than before maybe?

I think it is to do with rising costs of living maybe?

It does all feel a bit out of control though.

I tried to get people to quote for new fence panels posts and gate twice and couldn't get them in. My piddling 10 panels obviously wasn't enough to make it worthwhile.

In the end I went to amazon bought panels and £100 wooden gate and fitted them myself. Still going strong 4 years later.

Getting old posts out the ground is hard. Mounting big gates you really need 2 people to put them on otherwise the strain on the one hinge is too much, but otherwise it's just labour and the good news is if it breaks again you can fix it.

Is it like this?

yes!

That explains it.👍
I was thinking decorative/domestic type fencing, not agricultural.😖

Unusual to have the posts concreted in, normally they are installed into bored holes or hammered in (soft ground).

Make sure you get 3 quotations. I had a quote for something. I guy from the local newsletter £1,300. A guy from a firm my mum knows and who has successfully done good work for them £450, plus £80 for an extra thing (which the first person said could not be done (it can he just didnt have the equipment), if I'd not got a second quotation I would have paid for the first. i think some tradies quote what they think you can pay.

Quote of £3900!

Thats very good

It is labour only - still good?
Thanks for your responses much appreciated!