How to build a wooden fence

Whether you need to know how to build a fence because you are creating privacy or simply want a beautiful finish to your garden, there are a few decisions that you need to make before you get started.

Fence panels

Aesthetic and budget will determine your choice of fence panel, and they tend to come hand in hand – panels that require more manufacturing will cost more.

Traditional Waney Lap panels are your entry point. These horizontal slats are typically the cheapest and best if you’re buying on a budget.

Feather edge or close board fence panels are mid-point price-wise and have a vertical aesthetic.

Decorative panels tend to be top of the range. They are a lot more intricate; some have trellis or instead of vertical or horizontal construction they have a combination of different effects.

Height

5ft and 6ft fences are the most common fence heights in the UK. You need to remember that a gravel board (see below) will add approximately a foot in height. There are half-foot gravel boards available, but you need to factor all of these dimensions in. For example, a 6ft fence with a 1ft gravel board would mean that your overall structure would be 7ft.

Wooden or concrete posts

This decision will come down to personal taste and how you want to fit in with the surrounding area. For example, you will find more concrete posts in the north of the UK and in the South there tends to be more wood. Look at your neighbours to get a feel for what people tend to go for in your area.

Gravel board

A gravel board is a strip (concrete or wood) that slots under your fence panels. Traditionally gravel boards are used to stop the fence panel being in contact with the floor to minimise damage and rotting. However, some wooden fence panels are treated to offer better protection. For example, you could put a Grange fence panel directly into the ground and they come with a 20-year guarantee against rot and fungal decay. That said, it is most common for people to opt for a gravel board as they find it aesthetically pleasing.

Boundaries

Before you get cracking, remember to talk to your neighbours. Whether you are replacing an existing fence or establishing a boundary, it pays to communicate early and throughout the process. Explain your intention including the style and position of your fence.

How to build a fence – step-by-step guide

You’ve chosen your fence style and materials, so what do you do next? We’ve teamed up with one of our fencing suppliers Grange to take you step by step through how to build a fence.

This advice is based on using wooden fence posts and gravel boards. It assumes that existing fencing has been removed.

How To Put up a Grange Fence

Step 1 – installing your first wooden post

Using your spirit level, make sure that the post sits straight against the wall.
Use a pencil to mark on the post where the drill holes will be - equal distance from the top and bottom. Drill the holes where marked.
Also drill holes, top and bottom, into the wall - consistent with the distance of the holes in your post.
Partially hammer your nails into the two holes in your post and then into the wall to make secure.
To ensure that you will have a straight line of fencing, partially hammer a small nail into the edge of the timber post, around one foot from the ground. Tie string to the nail and then take it to where the end of the fence line will be. Remember to remove any foliage out of the way to ensure you have a straight, taut line.
To give you the point of your next post, from the first post, measure along the ground the width of your panel and gravel board.
Dig out a hole for your post. This should be 60cm deep for 6ft fence panels. For shorter panels, you can get away with a shallower hole.

Step 2 - Fitting your first gravel board

Using your drill, screw in your gravel board brackets to the end face of the gravel board. For the panel to fit correctly, ensure the top of your gravel board clip sits flush against the top of the gravel board.
Gently hammer your gravel board to the ground against the first post. Check it is level and drill the bracket into the post.

Step 3 – Fitting your first fence panel

Mark three points on the top, middle and bottom of your post. These should be at equal distances. Screw in three U fence clips – top, middle and bottom – into the post.
Place your fence panel on top of the gravel board while slotting it into the U fence clips and knocking it gently into place. Secure the fence panel by using your drill to screw the U clips into the panel.
Place the next post into your dug out hole and make sure it sits flush against the edge of the gravel board and fence panel. If it doesn’t, you may need to dig a larger hole.
Mark where the top of the fence panel comes to against the post. Also mark the bottom of the post where the top of the gravel board meets to give you the point of where the gravel board bracket needs to be secured.
Mark three points on the top, middle and bottom of your post. These should be at equal distances. At these points, screw in three U fence clips into the post.
Take your post to your fence panel and slide the U clips into the end of the panel. Check the post is level against the panel and screw the three U clips into the panel to secure.

Step 4 – Securing posts into the ground

Fill your bucket with water and half fill the hole around the post. Shake out a bag of postfix fast setting concrete into the water. Repeat until the hole is full and the post is submerged in the mixture.
If you find any excess concrete on the post or panel, wash them down with water.
Leave this to set.

Step 5 – Continuing the fence line

Screw the next gravel board bracket to the gravel board.
Using your string line as a marker, dig a small channel for the gravel board to sit on neatly. It’s important that the gravel boards are level, so remove any stones or gravel.
Take your gravel board and line it up so that it is in line with the previous one. Gently hammer it to the ground against the post. Check it is level and drill the gravel board bracket into the post.
Measure top, middle and bottom at equal distances on your post for your three U fence clips and screw these into the post to secure.
Slot in the next fence panel on top of the gravel board and into the U clips. Screw these into the post to secure.
Continue this whole process until you get to the end of your fence line.

Step 6 – Cutting panels and gravel boards to size

If you get to the end of your fence line and the last panel is too big, measure the remaining distance to the end of the fence line.
Mark on the gravel board the length you have remaining and use a saw to cut to size.
Mark on the fence panel the length you have remaining. Nail a spare baton into the marked point where the end of the panel will be. Using an electric jigsaw, cut down the panel to the size required.
As done previously, fit the panel to the post.

How to build a fence - you will need

Whether you’re repairing winter damage or redesigning the garden, you’ll find everything you need at Huws Gray, including garden fencing, decking, patios, block paving, and aggregate bulk bags. View the landscaping range online.

For tools and equipment, speak to your local Hirebase team. We’ve got everything for the garden, house, and commercial use, from saws to post hold borers, excavators to dumpers. Pop in, give us a call, or hire online.

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