Fencing installation is setting fence posts into the ground, usually in concrete, and fixing panels or boards between them to mark a boundary, add privacy or keep children and pets in, with gates fitted where access is needed.
For a homeowner in Edinburgh, planning new fencing and gates tends to begin with two questions: what will it cost, and how disruptive will it be? Our guide range is £1,150–£2,900 including VAT, and a typical job runs to 1–3 days for a typical garden. Both numbers firm up once we have seen the property, measured up and agreed exactly what is included.
- Guide price
- £1,150–£2,900 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 1–3 days for a typical garden
- Postcodes
- EH1, EH2, EH3, EH7 and EH8
- Planning rules
- Scotland
- Local area
- City of Edinburgh
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
What should you budget for new fencing and gates in Edinburgh?
Here is how the guide price for new fencing and gates breaks down in Edinburgh. We start from national figures and adjust for Scotland, which comes out about 4% below the national guide. The resulting range, VAT included, is £1,150–£2,900, and a survey, at no cost to you, firms it up.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Edinburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Repairs or a short run | Replacing a few panels and posts, or a short run of up to about 6m. | £300–£850 |
| Typical garden boundary | About 20m of panel or closeboard fencing with concrete posts and gravel boards. | £1,150–£2,900 |
| Composite or long runs with gates | Composite or premium fencing, longer runs, or a driveway gate. | £2,900–£6,700 |
Your price depends mostly on:
- Fence style and material: panels, closeboard or composite
- Post type: concrete, timber or aluminium
- Ground conditions, slopes and removal of the old fence
- Number, size and type of gates
What do you get?
- Removal and disposal of the old fence and posts
- Concrete or timber posts set in concrete
- Concrete or timber gravel boards to keep panels off the soil
- Panels or boards fixed level or stepped to follow the ground
- Post caps and capping rails where specified
- Gates hung with hinges, latches and locks
Homes in Edinburgh and the Lothians
Edinburgh's New Town is a planned Georgian sandstone townscape within a World Heritage Site, and districts such as Marchmont and Leith have Victorian tenements. Bungalows and villas fill the suburbs, Midlothian has former mining villages, Livingston was built as a new town, and East Lothian villages often have red pantile roofs.
Listed and conservation-area homes need careful window and stone repairs. Bungalows commonly suit loft conversions and dormers, and suburban semis take extensions and garage conversions.
So when we survey a Edinburgh property for new fencing and gates, the first step is working out how it was built and what has been changed since.
Planning and building rules in Edinburgh
Which rules apply depends on where you live. For Edinburgh, the answer is Scotland, and the points below reflect that; we verify them with the council before quoting.
In Scotland, gates, fences and walls up to 2 m high are usually permitted development, with a 1 m limit in front of the house or next to a road.
A building warrant is not needed for ordinary garden fences.
Rules change and every property is different, so we check the planning history and constraints for your address before we quote.
What happens after you get in touch?
Free site survey
We begin by looking at the job in person. During the free survey we discuss options, materials and budget for new fencing and gates, and photograph or measure anything the quote needs to reflect.
Price and scope agreed
We put everything into a written, fixed-price quote: the specification, what's excluded, staged payments and the expected time on site. Take whatever time you need to decide; there's no pressure to commit.
Dates and permissions
With the quote agreed, we book the work in and handle preparation: permissions where needed, building control notifications, material orders and access arrangements for your Edinburgh property.
Finish and handover
Our trades complete new fencing and gates while your point of contact keeps you updated. When everything is finished, we clear the site, take away waste and go through the result with you before handover.
Why homeowners choose us
Fencing and gates in Edinburgh: questions
What happens at the survey?
We visit your home at a time that suits you, look at the area involved, take measurements and check access, condition and any services that might be affected. We talk through what you want from new fencing and gates, explain the options and answer questions. There is no charge and no obligation; afterwards we send a written quote.
Who owns the fence between me and my neighbour?
Fence ownership is usually shown on the title plan or deeds, sometimes with a T mark on the side of the owner. If it is unclear, it may be shared. Even on your own boundary, it is sensible to talk to neighbours before replacing a fence, agree access and confirm the line. We fit the fence on the line you confirm and can face the good side outwards if you wish.
How high can my fence be?
Fence height limits depend on planning rules, your home's location, whether it is listed or in a conservation area, and which UK nation you live in. In England, fences up to 2m high are usually permitted development, reduced to 1m next to a road used by vehicles. Higher fences need planning permission. We check the rules for your boundary before quoting.
Which postcodes in Edinburgh do you cover?
We cover EH1, EH2, EH3 and EH7, along with the rest of Edinburgh and the Lothians. If your postcode is not listed, get in touch anyway: our coverage is UK-wide, and we can usually arrange a survey wherever you live. Enter your postcode in the guide-price tool or contact form and we will confirm.
Are concrete posts better than timber?
Concrete posts do not rot and are the most durable choice for panel fences, especially on exposed sites. They are heavier and more utilitarian in appearance. Timber posts look more natural and suit closeboard and featheredge fences, but they eventually rot at ground level, even when treated. Aluminium posts suit composite systems. We recommend posts based on your fence style and exposure.
Nearby towns
We welcome enquiries from all EH1, EH2, EH3 and EH7 postcodes in Edinburgh, plus Musselburgh, Bonnyrigg and Penicuik. Each one gets the same survey at no charge and a written price fixed for the work described.