Which fence panelling suits your garden?

What is fence panelling?

Fence panelling is the infill of a fence: the timber or composite panels or boards fixed between posts. Most garden fences in the UK are built in bays. Each bay is one panel, usually about the width of a standard panel, held between two posts and often sitting on a gravel board at the bottom.

QuoteZila is starting in Cheshire, with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach among the first towns, and anyone in the UK can post a fencing job. The panel styles below are sold across the country, so the choice is about your garden rather than your town.

What types of fence panel are there?

Each style has its own strengths:

• Overlap or lap panels. Thin horizontal boards that overlap each other inside a frame. They are a common and lower-cost choice, but thinner boards can be less sturdy in exposed spots.
• Closeboard panels. Vertical featheredge boards fixed to horizontal rails inside a frame. They are heavier and generally stronger than overlap panels.
• Featheredge built on site. Instead of a ready-made panel, the boards are nailed to rails fixed between posts. It suits sloping ground and long runs.
• Slatted or horizontal batten panels. Smooth boards with small gaps between them, for a modern look. Privacy depends on the gap size.
• Hit and miss panels. Boards fixed on alternate sides of the rails, so wind can pass through while the fence still looks solid from an angle.
• Trellis. An open lattice, used on its own or as a topper on a lower panel for climbing plants.

Composite panels, made from wood fibre and plastic, are another option. They need little maintenance but cost more and come in fixed sizes.

Timber or concrete posts?

The posts carry the fence, so they matter as much as the panels.

Timber posts are easier to cut and fix, and look more natural. Pressure-treated posts last longer in the ground than untreated ones, and many fitters set them in concrete or a post mix.

Concrete posts are slotted, so the panel slides in between them. They do not rot, and panels can be lifted out and replaced without disturbing the posts. They are heavier to handle and some people prefer the look of timber.

Gravel boards sit along the bottom of the bay, between the ground and the panel. They keep the panel off wet soil, so it rots more slowly. They can be timber or concrete. When a panel fails, it is often the bottom that goes first.

How do you choose fence panelling for your garden?

Think about these points before you ask for quotes:

• Privacy. Closeboard, overlap and solid slatted panels give most privacy. Hit and miss and trellis give less.
• Wind. Exposed gardens put solid panels under strain. Stronger panels, closer posts or a hit and miss design can help.
• Slope. On a slope, panels are usually stepped down in bays, while site-built featheredge can follow the ground.
• Height. Planning Portal says you will not need to apply for planning permission for a fence of up to one metre next to a highway used by vehicles, or its footpath, or up to two metres elsewhere, if the other conditions are met ^[S1]. Those conditions include that the site is not a listed building or within its curtilage, and that the right has not been removed by an article four direction or a planning condition ^[S1].
• Plants and pets. Climbing plants like trellis tops. Dogs that dig may need a gravel board or wire mesh at the base.
• Maintenance. Timber needs a treatment from time to time. Composite needs little more than a wash.

Neighbours and boundaries

A fence is often on a boundary with a neighbour. This page does not tell you who owns or must maintain a boundary. Read your title documents, and talk to your neighbour before you start.

GOV.UK's guide to party walls says a party wall can include a garden wall that does not form part of a building, but not wooden fences ^[S2]. So the Party Wall Act process does not normally apply to a timber fence, though good relations with your neighbour still matter.

If you only need one or two panels replaced, our fence panel cost guide explains what changes the price of a single bay. For a longer run, see our fencing cost guide, and our fencing page covers the trade.

Jobs you might post

These are examples, not taken from real job posts.

• "Three overlap panels blown down in the wind. Please quote to replace with closeboard panels and check the posts."
• "New fence along the whole back boundary. Concrete posts and gravel boards, panels the same height as the old fence. Please quote."
• "Want slatted panels along a side fence for a modern look. Please advise on gaps for privacy and quote."

Post the job to gardeners or handymen as well as fencing contractors. Your job goes to up to five matched local businesses ^[QZ2]. QuoteZila is free for customers and local businesses ^[QZ1].

Posting a job is not open yet

Questions about fence panelling

Part of Advice. All services

Related trades

• Fencing
• Gardeners and landscapers
• Handymen

Cost guides

• Fencing cost
• Fence panel cost

Related pages

• Engineered Wood Floor Underlay: How to Choose. How to choose underlay for an engineered wood floor: floating or glued, concrete or timber subfloor, damp, sound in flats and underfloor heating.
• Filler for floorboard gaps: what to use. How to choose a filler for floorboard gaps in a Cheshire home, when a tube sealant is enough, and when a joiner should see rotten or moving boards.

Sources

1. QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila home and FAQ copy.
2. QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila FAQ How does getting quotes work.
3. S1: Fences, gates and garden walls: planning permission, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-10-31. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/fences-gates-and-garden-walls/planning-permission
4. S2: Party walls and building work, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-31. https://www.gov.uk/party-walls-building-works