This quote for fencing - does it seem reasonable?

[LimitIsUp]

I've blocked out the identifying details of the quote as that wouldn't be fair to the business who quoted. I suspect that dh and I often pay a little over the odds for one reason and another but I'd like to pay a fair price and be a bit more savvy than I usually am

I did google on Checkatrade and it suggested £45 per metre for closeboard fencing which for 33 metres would be just £1485 - although I am aware that it material costs only, may not include VAT, certainly doesn't include labour, business overhead, disposal of old fencing etc. Still a gap of £2000 though!

Thing is I liked this guy, his testimonials are good and his work looks sound

.

Get at least 3 quotes.

We had our fence done a few years ago, about 20 meters plus a hand made gate. Concrete posts and bottom boards and it was £1500, but my friend uses this fencer A LOT and we got mates rates
Also different areas vary in prices

We paid £1435 in summer 2022 for about 14 metres of fencing, including a gate. Looks like it was the same as yours, closeboard with concrete posts & gravel boards. It was done by DD’s brother in law so he might have shaved the price a bit - he didn’t say and we didn’t ask!

How many panels is it? We paid £2,860 inc VAT for 13 6ft high panels, gravel boards, digging out old fence and removing waste.

Sorry, I've mistyped that. It was 11 panels which I believe is 20.13 metres.

I think that makes your quote look competitive?

Seems competitive. Factor in the cost of posts too.

These are helpful comparisons - thanks all

I'd query why they want to use concrete rather than wood posts.

For durability, longevity, withstanding storms, cost effective longer term etc presumably, wooden posts are pretty shit

Nope, properly treated wooden posts will pretty much last forever. We still have 500 year old wooden houses standing.

Any fault in a concrete post will let in water, allow the steel to rust and blow the whole post.

And there is nothing you can do to prevent this

That’s 6 x fence panels, concrete posts and gravel boards! I’d get a few prices because that’s really expensive!! My husband has his own fencing company

The op is asking about closeboard fencing, not panels.

I'd get more quotes, but wood is expensive at the moment. He's doing a quality job by the sound of it with the concrete posts, gravel boards and not using fence panels that is likely to last a very long time. Our NDN fence built like that must be nearly 18 years old and the only repairs he's needed to do were from when he accidentally reversed into it. Where we live it can be very windy, that's been up to the job whereas his new panel fence with wooden posts blew over in the gales this time last year and the other sides made of panels and concrete posts has had to be reinforced his side so it holds in the gales...

If treated wooden posts pretty much lasted forever then why doesn’t everyone use them as they are cheaper,lighter and more eco friendly ? Because they don’t thats why.

6 fence panels for 33m ? How wide does your husband make his fence panels ?

Hopefully you don't help out with accounts or ordering.

Sorry my mistake I read it as 33 feet

That sounds reasonable to me. We spent around £2.5k in 2021 for 12m on one side and 8m at the back. It felt expensive at the time but oh, what a relief when the next storm came through.

I paid around £5k for approx 50m + 3 gates in Spring 2021. East Anglia.
Inc existing approx 1/4 fence, 2/3 conifer and remainder wire fence removal.
Concrete posts, close board fencing & board gravel boards.
3 quotes , all v similar prices.

I’ve been quoted £450 for 2 panels and 1 post!

extortionate.

It also mentions tree work which presumably means they are spending time doing something outside of just fencing or is that separate? I would say that the quote doesn’t seem that extortionate. The labour on site clearance alone would likely run to a good grand or so once you’ve factored in disposal charges and any machinery / vans / skips etc. Are you capable of doing the knocking down and disposing yourself? Got space for a big bonfire at the bottom of your garden?

Sorry for my mistake, had fell asleep on sofa and read your thread last night 🤣 my husband would be a grand under that price and he is one of the best as he has been been fencing for over 40 years. Get a few more quotes but make sure you see their work before committing to a quote as their are some cowboys about who will beat prices and then do a very bad job

There’s cost of removal and disposal as well

@Jamjaris
My DH has a property maintenance business and he says there’s no way you could quote a grand under the OP’s initial quote for that type of fencing in that amount (plus the remedial tree work that’s mentioned) and the disposal of all the old fencing as well.

@LimitIsUp DH says given the information on the quote he’d say that’s a fairly reasonable price for the actual fencing, labour, removal of rubbish/old fencing and disposal of everything.

I agree that you need more quotes. We had 5 before we decided on a company because the quotes were so vastly different! I also would never use checkatrade! We've 2yrs renovating and none of our trades are on it, nor recommend it. Use nextdoor or ideally word of mouth recommendations instead.

Don't forget to ask for a hedgehog hole in the gravel board!