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How much does a fence panel cost in Cheshire?
In Cheshire, a fence panel price depends on the bay, the posts, the height and whether the old timber is taken away. This page does not print a figure, because we could not find two dated public sources that agree on one.
Last reviewed:What one fence bay includes
In Cheshire a fence-panel question is about one bay: the panel, the posts that hold it, and the ground under those posts. The boundaries this guide is written for first are in Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach. People elsewhere in the UK can post a job as well. QuoteZila is new, so how many quotes you get depends on how many businesses near you have joined [QZ5].
A whole side of a garden, with several bays and a gate, is a different quote. Fencing cost is that longer page. Do not use it as a tariff for the one bay in front of you, and do not use this page as a tariff for a full boundary. If a firm only quotes "the fence", ask them to count the bays in writing.
Height, and when the panel is not a simple swap
If the panel stands next to a highway used by vehicles, or the footpath of that highway, the Planning Portal says you do not need a planning application when the fence would not exceed one metre in height from ground level [S1]. Elsewhere you do not need an application when it would not exceed two metres in height from ground level [S1]. If an existing fence already exceeds those limits, the right does not extend to increasing its height [S1].
The right does not apply where any part of the fence, wall, gate or other boundary forms a boundary with a neighbouring listed building or its curtilage [S1]. An article four direction or a planning condition can remove the right [S1]. In a conservation area you may need permission to take a fence down, even when putting one up would have been within the height limits [S1]. This page cannot see your boundary. Ask the council if any of those sentences might be yours.
Measure the existing bay from the garden. Write the height you want, and say if it matches what is there. A taller panel is not "the same panel" for planning, and it is not the same quote.
Sound timber is not the same thing as building regulations approval
Fences, walls and gates do not require building regulation approval [S2]. They must still be structurally sound, and they must be maintained [S2]. A quote can therefore be silent on building control and still have to say the posts and the panel will stand up. Ask what happens if the existing post is rotten. A price that reuses a soft post is not a price that includes a new one.
A party fence wall is a different object. The Planning Portal says you must tell the adjoining owner under the Party Wall Act where that kind of wall is involved, and that wooden fences are not included [S2]. Replacing a timber panel is not, on that wording, the wall they are describing. A brick pier or a masonry garden wall is outside this page. If the quote switches from timber to masonry, stop and split the paper.
GOV.UK's party wall guidance makes the same distinction from the other direction: a wall standing on the lands of two owners, such as a garden wall, can be a party wall, but timber fences are not part of that example [S3]. The Act is separate from planning permission and from building regulations approval [S3]. It also covers excavation near to and below the foundation level of neighbouring buildings [S3]. Deep post holes tight against a neighbour's footing might be that excavation, or they might not. Ask the contractor to say which, in writing, before the holes are a surprise extra.
What a single-bay quote should list
| Line | What you are comparing |
|---|---|
| How many bays | One panel is not a side of the garden |
| Posts | Reused, or new, and how they are set |
| Panel type | Overlap, closeboard, or another name they write down |
| Height | Not over 1 metre by a vehicle road, or not over 2 metres elsewhere, unless a different right applies [S1] |
| Gravel board | Included, or the panel sits on soil |
| Arris rail or concrete spur | A repair to the frame is not the panel |
| Waste | Old timber and old concrete leave the garden, or they do not |
| Gate | A gate is a second bay's worth of decision |
| VAT | Threshold £90,000 [S4] |
If the type of panel is missing, you cannot tell overlap from closeboard, and you cannot tell either of them from a metal sheet. Ask for the word. This page does not tell you which type to buy.
The boundary is not decided here
Two quotes can both be clear and still assume different owners. One firm may think you are replacing your own panel. Another may think the posts stand on next door's side. This page does not decide who owns a boundary. Say what you believe, and say if you have not asked the neighbour. Ask the firm to state the assumption on the paper. A price that includes a conversation you have not had is a different job from a price that only fits a panel on posts you can already touch from your garden.
Do not take the old panel down before the quote, if doing so needs permission in a conservation area [S1]. A photo of the damaged bay is enough. Do not dig a trial hole at the foot of a post that sits against the neighbour's wall [S3].
Money on the paper
Citizens Advice says a quote is a fixed price and an estimate is a rough guess, so get the bay in writing [S5]. Accepting it is a binding agreement [S5]. Written quotes from at least 3 traders are worth collecting [S5]. Some traders charge to prepare a quote, so ask before they visit [S5]. The paper should show a fixed total, a breakdown, how long the price lasts, whether VAT is included, and when the price can rise [S5].
A business must register for VAT when taxable turnover for the last 12 months goes over £90,000, or when it expects to go over £90,000 in the next 30 days [S4].
A daily rate is a poor fit for one bay, and it can string work out. If they will only price by the day, ask for the hours as well [S5]. Where a deposit cannot be avoided, do not agree more than 25%, take a receipt, and pay by card rather than cash for the whole bay up front [S5]. You can offer to buy the panel yourself instead of a deposit [S5].
The Advertising Standards Authority says a no call-out claim is fair only when you are not charged for travelling to the premises, the initial diagnosis, or any other charge before the work is agreed [S6]. Ask to see insurance that lasts until the panel is fitted [S5]. A much lower price may mean the posts are not included [S5].
Jobs you might post
These are examples, not taken from real job posts.
- One overlap panel in the back garden has split. Both posts feel firm when you push them from your side. Ask for a panel-only price, and ask for a new-post price as a second heading you can decline.
- A panel beside the pavement at the front is about waist height. You want the replacement no taller. Ask the firm to write the height and to say whether they think the 1 metre road rule is the one that applies [S1]. You have not taken the old panel away.
- The bay shares a line with next door and you have not agreed who buys the panel. Ask for a quote that states it assumes the posts are yours, so you can correct that before anyone arrives.
Fencing contractors are the trade page. Landscapers and gardeners sometimes quote a single bay as well. Ask all of them to count bays the same way.
How to compare two panel quotes
Match the bay count, the posts, the height and the waste. A panel leaning against the shed is not a fitted bay. Be wary of a trader who will not write the quote down [S5]. If the second quote adds the rest of the boundary, that is the other guide's job, not a reason to treat this bay as a full side.
This page is general information, not professional or legal advice. QuoteZila does not check Gas Safe, WaterSafe, NFRC, NICEIC or other registrations against the register on your behalf: look them up yourself.
Honest status: QuoteZila is new. We're starting in Cheshire, beginning with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach, and growing area by area. Anyone in the UK can still post a job or register a business. How fast you get quotes depends on how many local businesses have joined near you. Businesses can register and receive jobs straight away. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire.
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Questions about one panel
How much does a fence panel cost in Cheshire?
The bay, the posts, the height, the ground and the waste all change a single-panel job. Compare written quotes that describe the same bay and say whether a post is included, so one panel is not set beside a whole side of the garden.
Is one panel the same job as a new fence?
No. A single bay, with or without a post, is a different paper from a whole boundary with gates. Ask the quote to say how many bays it covers. If you only want one, do not accept a total that quietly includes the rest of the side. The longer fencing guide is a different page, and it is not a price for this bay.
Do I need planning permission for a panel?
Often the permitted-development limits are enough, and you should still check the plot. The Planning Portal says a fence beside a highway used by vehicles, or the footpath of that highway, does not need an application when it would not exceed one metre in height from ground level. Elsewhere the limit is not exceeding two metres in height from ground level. The right also fails if any part of the fence forms a boundary with a neighbouring listed building or its curtilage, or if an article four direction or a planning condition has removed it.
Do fence panels need building regulations approval?
The Planning Portal says fences, walls and gates do not require building regulation approval, but they must be structurally sound and maintained. A wooden panel is not a party fence wall. The same page says the duty to tell an adjoining owner under the Party Wall Act does not include wooden fences.
What if the posts are next to a neighbour's house?
Say so. GOV.UK says the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 covers excavation near to and below the foundation level of neighbouring buildings, and that a garden wall can be a party wall but timber fences are not included in that example. The Act is separate from planning and from building regulations. Ask the contractor whether these post holes are that excavation. This page does not decide it for you.
Does QuoteZila check fencing firms?
No. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire. You can report a quote or a business from your job page.
Can I post a single panel?
Yes. Say which bay, whether the posts are still standing, and add a Cheshire postcode. Up to five matched local businesses can quote. QuoteZila is free for customers and local businesses.
Related reading
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- Fencing Cost in Cheshire: What to Ask. Cheshire fencing prices stay needs source. The panel figures shown are examples from Mole Valley District Council in Surrey, checked 14 Oct 2026.
- Carpet Calculator: Working Out What You Need. A step-by-step way to work out how much carpet, underlay and gripper a room needs, and why roll width, joins and pile direction move the quote. No price shown.
Sources
- QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila home and jobs copy.
- QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila terms, customers.
- QZ5: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila FAQ.
- S1: Fences, gates and walls: planning permission, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-10-25. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/fences-gates-and-garden-walls/planning-permission/
- S2: Fences, gates and walls: building regulations, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-10-25. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/fences-gates-and-garden-walls/building-regulations-general-information/
- S3: Party Wall etc Act 1996 guidance, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-25. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preventing-and-resolving-disputes-in-relation-to-party-walls
- S4: Register for VAT, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-25. https://www.gov.uk/register-for-vat
- S5: Before you get work done on your home, Citizens Advice. Accessed 2026-10-25. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/before-you-get-building-work-done/
- S6: Call-out charges, Advertising Standards Authority. Accessed 2026-10-25. https://www.asa.org.uk/advice-online/call-out-charges.html