Timber Panel Fencing

The standard, cost-effective boundary fence for most gardens

Timber panel fencing — pre-made lap or overlap panels fitted between posts — remains the most common boundary fence for a reason: it's cost-effective, relatively quick to install, and gives a reliable level of privacy and boundary definition for most residential gardens.

A timber panel fence is built from pre-manufactured panels, usually overlap or waney-lap construction, fitted between vertical posts set at regular intervals along the boundary line. The posts do most of the structural work, and this is where fence longevity is genuinely decided — posts set in concrete, to an adequate depth below ground, resist the leaning and eventual failure that under-set or poorly concreted posts suffer within a few years, particularly on boundaries exposed to prevailing wind. Panels themselves are then fitted between the posts using galvanised fixings, with a gravel board typically run along the base to keep the panel itself clear of direct ground contact, since a panel sitting in contact with damp soil rots from the bottom up far faster than one kept clear of it. Panel height is chosen based on the balance between privacy and any relevant restrictions — fences up to a certain height generally don't need permission, with lower limits applying near a highway boundary — and panels can be run in a straight line or stepped to follow a sloping boundary, which needs planning for at the post-setting stage rather than improvised as panels go in. It's a fencing type that suits the vast majority of standard residential boundaries, offering a dependable balance of cost, appearance and privacy without needing a specialist material or construction method.