Summary
Fence panel replacement is one of the highest-volume domestic jobs a fencing contractor or general builder quotes, and one of the easiest to underprice because customers see it as "just swapping a panel." In practice the price is driven almost entirely by what condition the posts are in — a panel-only swap onto sound existing posts is a one-hour job per panel, while a panel that's failed because the posts have rotted or leant out of plumb needs the ground-works job covered in fence post installation depth and fence repair replacing posts before the new panel goes anywhere near it.
The second-biggest pricing variable is panel specification. "Fence panel" covers everything from a budget lap panel at £25 to a superior featheredge or acoustic panel at £150+, and customers frequently ask for a quote against a generic description without specifying which. Always confirm panel type, height and whether gravel boards are being replaced before pricing — a like-for-like panel-only swap and a full specification upgrade are very different jobs even on the same fence line.
This guide covers panel-only replacement (sound posts), full run replacement (posts and panels), and the common mixed scenario (some posts sound, some failed), with worked pricing examples. For post depth and foundation specification, see fence post installation depth; for post repair methods (spurs vs full replacement), see fence repair replacing posts.
Key Facts
- Standard budget lap/overlap panel, 1.8m × 1.83m — £25-£45 supplied
- Standard closeboard panel, 1.8m × 1.83m — £45-£90 supplied
- Superior featheredge panel, 1.8m × 1.83m — £70-£110 supplied
- Decorative/trellis-top panel — £55-£100 supplied
- Acoustic/dense composite panel — £110-£180 supplied
- Panel installation labour (existing sound posts, slide-in/clip-in) — £25-£50 per panel
- Panel installation labour (existing sound posts, requires new panel clips/fixings) — £35-£65 per panel
- Concrete gravel board, per 1.83m length — £12-£22 supplied
- Timber gravel board, per 1.83m length — £8-£15 supplied
- Timber post, 100mm × 100mm, 2.4m length — £18-£35 supplied
- Concrete slotted post, 2.4m length — £30-£55 supplied
- Postcrete (rapid-set), per 20kg bag — £6-£9; typically 4 bags per post
- Fencing labourer/contractor day rate — £180-£280 regional, £220-£320 London
- Productivity, panel-only swap on sound posts — 8-14 panels per day per two-person team
- Productivity, full post + panel run — 4-8 bays per day per two-person team
- Repair spur (post splint on sound concrete base) — £100-£190 supplied and fitted per post
- Full post replacement (dig out, reset in new concrete) — £130-£260 per post supplied and fitted
- Waste disposal (old panels, posts, concrete) — £8-£18 per panel/post removed, or £120-£220 for a skip on larger jobs
- CAT scan / service check before digging new post holes — no separate charge typically, but factor in the time
- VAT — 20% standard rate
Quick Reference Table
Spending too long on quotes? squote turns a 2-minute voice recording into a professional quote.
Try squote free →| Scenario | Unit | Labour | Materials | Total Cost (per unit) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single budget panel swap, sound posts | Per panel | £25-£50 | £25-£45 | £65-£110 |
| Single closeboard panel swap, sound posts | Per panel | £30-£55 | £45-£90 | £120-£190 |
| Single featheredge/superior panel swap, sound posts | Per panel | £35-£60 | £70-£110 | £150-£220 |
| Full run, budget panels + timber posts | Per linear metre | £30-£45 | £30-£55 | £75-£130 |
| Full run, closeboard panels + concrete posts | Per linear metre | £35-£55 | £55-£95 | £115-£190 |
| Full run, superior/acoustic panels + concrete posts | Per linear metre | £40-£65 | £90-£155 | £160-£220 |
| Single failed post replacement (dig out, new concrete) | Per post | £85-£165 | £45-£95 | £130-£260 |
| Single post repair spur (sound concrete base) | Per post | £65-£125 | £35-£65 | £100-£190 |
Detailed Guidance
Diagnosing before quoting — the post condition question
Never quote a panel replacement without checking what's holding it up. On site, push each post laterally at the top and check for movement at the base, and dig a small inspection hole at the ground line on timber posts to check for rot. A panel that's failed because the wind took it, with sound posts either side, is the cheap job. A panel that's sagged or fallen because a post has rotted or the concrete base has failed is a different job — the post work in fence repair replacing posts and fence post installation depth must be priced and completed first, and the panel price is secondary to it. Quoting the panel alone and discovering the post problem on the day is the single most common cause of a fencing contractor eating cost or having an awkward on-site conversation about a revised price.
Panel-only replacement (sound posts)
Where posts and gravel boards are sound, this is the fastest and most profitable fencing job available: remove the failed panel (usually held in with galvanised panel clips, screws, or slotted into concrete post channels), fit the replacement, and re-secure. Timber posts with screwed batten fixings take slightly longer than concrete slotted posts, where the panel simply lifts in and out of the channel. Always check the gravel board at the same time — if it's rotten or cracked, replacing it alongside the panel is a small additional cost that avoids a callback within a season.
Full run replacement (posts and panels)
Where multiple posts have failed, or the customer wants a full refresh rather than a patch, price the job per linear metre using the worked examples below rather than itemising every post and panel separately for the customer — it's clearer to read and matches how most UK fencing contractors quote. Confirm post spacing (1.8-1.83m standard for panel fencing) before calculating linear metre totals, and always price gravel boards as a separate line if they're being replaced — many quotes bundle them into "posts and panels" and then the customer is surprised gravel boards weren't included.
Worked example — single closeboard panel swap, sound posts
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Closeboard panel, 1.8m × 1.83m | £65 |
| Panel clips/fixings | £8 |
| Labour, 0.75 hr (two-person team, shared across visit) | £35 |
| Waste disposal (old panel) | £12 |
| Margin 20% | £24 |
| Total | £144 |
Sits comfortably within the £120-£190 range for this panel tier.
Worked example — full run, closeboard panels + concrete posts, 12m run
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| 6 × closeboard panels (1.8m × 1.83m) | £390 |
| 7 × concrete slotted posts (2.4m) | £280 |
| 6 × concrete gravel boards (1.83m) | £96 |
| Postcrete, 28 bags | £224 |
| Labour, 1.5 days, two-person team | £560 |
| Waste disposal (old fence removal, 12m run) | £180 |
| Margin 20% | £346 |
| Total | £2,076 |
That's £173/linear metre — near the top of the £115-£190 closeboard-plus-concrete-posts range, reflecting full removal and disposal of the old fence as part of this job.
Worked example — mixed job, 18m run, 2 posts failed out of 10
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| 10 × budget panels (existing run, replacing all for consistency) | £350 |
| 2 × new timber posts (replacing failed posts, dig out old concrete) | £70 |
| Postcrete, 8 bags (2 posts) | £64 |
| 8 × sound posts — panel re-fix only, clips/fixings | £64 |
| Labour, 1 day, two-person team | £420 |
| Waste disposal (2 old posts + concrete, 10 old panels) | £160 |
| Margin 20% | £226 |
| Total | £1,354 |
That's £75/linear metre — at the lower end because most posts were reused, illustrating why post condition is the dominant cost variable, not panel choice.
Common pricing mistakes
- Quoting panel-only pricing without checking post condition — the most frequent cause of a job costing more than quoted; always inspect or explicitly caveat the quote as "subject to post condition on the day."
- Forgetting gravel boards — customers assume they're included in "new panels"; price them as a visible separate line to avoid disputes.
- Underestimating waste disposal on full-run jobs — old timber, old concrete post bases and old gravel boards add up quickly; a domestic skip is often cheaper than per-item disposal charges beyond about 8-10 panels.
- Not confirming panel height/spec against the existing fence — a customer wanting "the same as before" but describing it vaguely can end up with a mismatched panel height or style; confirm against the existing fence or a reference photo before ordering materials.
- Ignoring boundary/party fence ownership — before quoting a full replacement, check who owns the fence (deeds, or by convention with the neighbour) — see planning permission fences walls for boundary and consent considerations, particularly on taller or replacement fencing near a boundary.
- Missing service checks before digging new post holes — always confirm no buried services run along the fence line before excavating for post replacement.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to replace one fence panel in the UK?
For a panel-only swap onto sound existing posts, expect £65-£220 depending on panel specification (budget lap through to superior featheredge or acoustic panels), including labour, fixings and waste disposal. The price rises significantly if the posts either side also need replacing.
Why is the price so different if the posts need replacing too?
A post replacement is a groundworks job in its own right — digging out the old concrete base, disposing of it, digging a new hole to the correct depth (see fence post installation depth), setting a new post in fresh concrete, and allowing cure time before loading it with panels. This typically adds £130-£260 per post to the job versus a straightforward panel-only swap.
Can a leaning post be repaired instead of replaced?
Often yes, using a repair spur (a concrete or steel splint bolted to the existing post and set into a new foundation), provided the panels and rails themselves are sound and only the post has failed at ground level. This is typically £100-£190 per post versus £130-£260 for a full replacement. See fence repair replacing posts for when a spur is appropriate versus when full replacement is the honest recommendation.
Should I price fence replacement per panel or per linear metre?
Single or occasional panel swaps are usually clearer priced per panel. Full-run replacements (multiple bays, posts and panels together) are more standard and easier for customers to compare when priced per linear metre, consistent with how most UK fencing contractors quote larger jobs.
Do I need permission to replace a fence panel?
Like-for-like replacement at the same height and position generally doesn't need planning permission. Increasing height above 1m facing a highway, or above 2m elsewhere, or replacing a boundary treatment in a conservation area or on a listed property, may require permission — check planning permission fences walls before quoting any job that changes height, position or materials from the existing fence.
Regulations & Standards
BS 1722-5 — specification for close-boarded fences; relevant to panel and post specification consistency.
BS 8500-1 / -2 — concrete specification, relevant to post-setting concrete/postcrete used in post replacement.
BS EN 1991-1-4 — Eurocode 1, wind actions; underlies post depth and foundation sizing referenced in fence post installation depth.
Party Wall etc. Act 1996 — may be relevant where post foundation work is close to a shared boundary.
BSI — BS 1722-5 — fence specification.
BSI — BS 8500 — concrete specification.
TRADA — Timber Fence Specification — design and detail guidance.
Planning Portal — Fences, walls and gates — permitted development guidance for boundary treatments.
fence post installation depth — post depth, hole diameter and concrete specification behind post-replacement pricing in this guide.
fence repair replacing posts — repair spur vs full post replacement decision detail.
planning permission fences walls — height limits and consents relevant before quoting a full replacement.
garden fence painting pricing guide — related pricing for treating/painting fencing rather than replacing it.
garden wall vs fence — comparison context for customers considering a full boundary change rather than a like-for-like fence replacement.