New panels, old posts
A panel is only fixed at its edges. Fitted into posts that are already soft, the panels will be loose again within a couple of winters and the run has to come out entirely.
Panel fencing · Bracknell, Berkshire & Surrey
Panel Fencing InstallationIn Bracknell, Fitted LevelAnd Matched To Your Line
A straight, even panel run that matches the rest of your boundary and your neighbour's line, fitted on sound posts with gravel boards, priced in writing within 48 hours and usually finished in one to two days.
20+ years' experience · Up to 5 years' guarantee · Payment on completion
Fencing experience
Public liability insured
Guarantee on new installs
Quote after your site visit
Checkatrade member
Service overview
What Panel FencingInstallation Involves
Panel fencing is fence built from pre-made panels, lap, feather-edge, closeboard-style, decorative or slatted, dropped into concrete post slots or fixed between timber posts, sitting on a gravel board. It is the quickest way to replace a boundary and the most cost-effective way to install a straight run.
The install is a setting-out job. Panels are a fixed width, so post centres have to be exact along the whole run, and any accumulated error shows up as a narrow made-up bay at the end. We set out the full line first, decide where any short bay lands, and work from a string line so the top of the fence reads as one level or cleanly stepped line.
Why professional installation matters
Panels are only as good as what holds them. Fitting new panels into old posts, or onto ground where the gravel board has gone, means the new fence inherits the old fence's failure date. Levels also matter more with panels than with built-on-site closeboard, because a rigid rectangle cannot follow the ground; it has to be stepped deliberately.
Over 20 years of local installs means we know what the estates around Bracknell were originally built with, and can match heights and profiles rather than guessing.
Who it is for
- Homeowners replacing a blown-down or tired panel boundary like for like
- New-build owners replacing thin builder-grade panels
- Landlords who need a straightforward, cost-effective boundary reinstated
- Anyone replacing part of a run and needing it to match what stays
When it is needed
- Panels are cracked, bowed, blown out or have dropped from their slots
- Boards have thinned and split so you can see through the fence
- The run has been patched with mismatched panels over the years
- A neighbour has replaced their side and yours no longer lines up
What it costs to wait
Why Cheap Panel JobsGet Done Twice
Panel fencing is where most corner-cutting happens, because it looks finished from the house whatever is going on at the base.
No gravel board, short life
Panels sitting on soil wick water straight up into the bottom rail. The panel rots from the base while the top three-quarters is still sound.
Wind takes the whole run
Panels are solid sails. Underset posts and loose fixings turn a gale into a domino run across the whole boundary.
Mismatched heights are permanent
A run patched with whatever was in stock never looks right again and drags the appearance of the whole garden down.
Common mistakes we are called out to fix
- Measuring the gap and buying panels without allowing for post widths
- Dropping panels into slots without gravel boards to lift them off the ground
- Nailing panels directly to soft timber posts instead of replacing the posts
- Trying to rake panels down a slope instead of stepping the run
- Leaving the short made-up bay at the most visible end of the fence
- Buying the cheapest lap panels for an exposed boundary that needs closeboard
Our process
Five Steps From EnquiryTo Guaranteed Finish
- 01
Free site visit
Robert comes out at a time that suits you, walks the boundary, checks access for materials and spoil, and looks at ground conditions, clay, made-up ground, tree roots, services and levels all change what the job needs. Nothing is priced over the phone from guesswork.
- 02
Written quote within 48 hours
You get a tailored written price, normally inside 48 hours of the visit and often sooner. It states the materials, the heights, the number of posts and boards, the expected duration and what is taken away. Payment is due on the day of completion.
- 03
Groundwork and preparation
Old materials are stripped out and removed, post positions are set off a string line, and holes are dug to depth rather than to whatever the ground allows. Getting this stage right is the difference between a fence that stays plumb and one that leans in two winters.
- 04
Installation
Posts are set and allowed to hold, gravel boards keep timber off the wet ground, and each bay is levelled and fixed as we go rather than corrected at the end. A standard domestic job is completed in one to two days.
- 05
Check, tidy and guarantee
We walk the finished line with you, check every fixing, gate swing and level, sweep the site and take the waste with us. Payment is due on the day of completion by card, bank transfer or cash; repairs carry a 1 year guarantee, new installations up to 5 years.
What you get
The Practical DifferenceOn Your Property
Quick to install
A standard panel run is a one to two day job, so the garden is open again fast and access through the property is brief.
Cost-effective boundary
Panels are the most economical way to reinstate a straight run, and we will tell you when a heavier build is worth the difference.
Even, level line
Set out off a string line with post centres matched to panel width, and any short bay placed where it is least visible.
Gravel boards as standard
Panels lifted clear of soil and standing water, so the base is not the first thing to fail.
Matched to your boundary
Heights and profiles matched to the panels that stay and to the neighbouring line, so the run reads as one fence.
Guaranteed and insured
Up to 5 years' guarantee on new installations, 1 year on repairs, with £5m public liability and employers' liability cover.
Detail that matters
Panel Fencing Installation In Detail, Materials, Methods And Variations
Panel types and where each belongs
Panel choice should follow exposure and purpose, not just price.
- Waney lap panels: the standard economical panel: fine for sheltered garden boundaries.
- Feather-edge / closeboard panels, heavier, more private, better in wind and the usual upgrade choice.
- Slatted and contemporary panels, spaced boards for a modern look with some airflow.
- Decorative top panels, convex, concave or trellis-topped for front and feature boundaries.
- Composite panels and boards: the low-maintenance route, fitted to a system framework.
- Trellis toppers, added height and planting support without rebuilding the run.
Concrete posts or timber posts
Concrete slotted posts take panels quickly, will not rot at ground level and are the most durable option on an exposed boundary. They are heavier work to set and less attractive close up.
Timber posts look better, allow panels to be face-fixed at any height and make future alterations; a gate, a trellis top, a stepped section, far easier. They will eventually fail at ground level, which is why depth, concrete detail and gravel boards matter so much. We will recommend one on the site visit and explain the cost and lifespan difference either way.
Setting out, levels and neighbours
We set out the whole run before digging, so post centres suit the panel width and any made-up bay lands somewhere sensible. On sloping ground, panels are stepped; each bay level, dropping at the posts, and we will show you exactly where those steps fall before we start.
Boundary lines and the neighbour's side are part of the conversation, not an afterthought. Which face the panels sit on, whether the good side faces in or out, and how your line meets an already-replaced neighbouring run are all agreed on the site visit.
Part-replacement and matching
Not every panel run needs a full replacement. Where the posts are sound and only some panels have failed, replacing panels is a repair, starting from £150 + VAT with a 1 year guarantee, and we will match profile and height as closely as the existing fence allows.
We install and replace panel fencing across Bracknell, Wokingham, Camberley, Ascot, Reading, Bagshot, Addlestone, Chertsey and Windlesham.
Related services
Areas we cover for this service
Bracknell · Wokingham · Camberley · Ascot · Reading · Bagshot · Addlestone · Chertsey · Windlesham
Based in Bracknell, working across Berkshire and Surrey every day. See the full areas we cover or contact us to check your postcode.
Before you enquire
Panel Fencing InstallationQuestions, Answered
Still not sure? Call 07939 405646 and speak to Robert directly, no call centre, no sales script.
- How much does panel fencing cost in Bracknell?
- It depends on panel type, height, run length, post type, access and how much old fencing has to come out. We measure on a free site visit and send a written quote, normally within 48 hours. Replacing a small number of panels is repair work, starting from £150 + VAT.
- How long does it take to install a panel fence?
- A standard domestic run is a one to two day job. Longer boundaries, stepped ground, concrete post removal or gates add time, and the expected duration is written on your quote.
- Can you just replace a few panels?
- Yes, provided the posts are sound. That is repair work from £150 + VAT with a 1 year guarantee. If the posts are failing too, replacing panels alone is money wasted and we will tell you.
- Should I use concrete or timber posts?
- Concrete posts last longest on exposed runs and cannot rot at ground level. Timber posts look better and make future changes easier. Both work; we will recommend one for your boundary and price it either way.
- How long do fence panels last?
- On sound posts with gravel boards, a good feather-edge panel run lasts many years; thin lap panels on soil last a fraction of that. The base detail matters more than the panel grade.
- Do I need gravel boards?
- We fit them as standard. They lift the panel clear of wet soil, and when a gravel board eventually rots it can be swapped without touching the panel above it.
- Can you fit panels on a sloping garden?
- Yes, by stepping the run so each panel stays level and the height drops at the posts. We show you where the steps land before starting, because rigid panels cannot follow ground the way built-on-site closeboard can.
- Can you match my neighbour's panels?
- In most cases. We check profile, height and post type on the site visit and match as closely as current stock allows so the boundary lines up.
- What guarantee comes with panel fencing?
- New installations carry up to 5 years' guarantee depending on the style installed. Panel repairs carry 1 year. We hold £5m public liability and employers' liability cover.
- Do you remove the old panels and posts?
- Yes, including concrete plugs from old posts. Removal and disposal are part of the quoted job.
Next step
Get Your Panel RunMeasured And Quoted
Free site visit, written quote within 48 hours, and a standard run installed in one to two days.
- Free site visit before any price
- Written quote within 48 hours
- Repairs from £150 + VAT
- Up to 5 years' guarantee on new installs
- £5m public liability insured
- Payment due on completion
Book Your Free Site VisitTailored quote within 48 hours. Payment is due on completion.
Prefer to talk it through? 07939 405646