Short answer: pick your fence by the job it has to do, not by the material. Marking a front boundary, screening a patio, containing a dog, enclosing a pool and dividing a paddock are five different problems — and choosing the wrong style for the job is a far more common regret than choosing the wrong material.

Start with the job, not the fence

Most people begin by browsing panels. It's more useful to begin with a sentence: "I need this fence to ______."

• Mark the boundary without closing it off — a low picket line, 2.5ft or 3ft.
• Screen a garden or patio — full-height privacy panels.
• Keep a dog in — 4ft, no climbable horizontals, gaps narrower than the dog.
• Make a pool safe — close-spaced balusters and a self-closing gate; picket spacing isn't designed for this.
• Divide a paddock — post-and-rail, visible and forgiving on impact.
• Enclose something temporarily — freestanding panels that need no digging.

Everything else — height, material, style, cost — follows from that sentence.

The main types of garden fencing

Picket

The open, welcoming boundary: vertical pickets with gaps between them, in straight-top or scalloped profiles. It defines a garden without walling it in, which is why it dominates front gardens. Available 2.5ft–4ft high in our picket range, with matching gates.

Privacy and screening

Full-height solid panels — tongue-and-groove boards, or the same with a lattice top that softens the height and lets light through. This is what you want for a patio, hot tub, or any boundary overlooked by neighbours. Our privacy range is 8ft wide × 6ft high.

Post-and-rail

Open horizontal rails on posts. Estate and paddock fencing: highly visible, easy to see through, not intended to contain small animals on its own. See ranch fencing in 2, 3 and 4-rail configurations.

Pool barriers

Close-spaced balusters designed so a small child can't pass through, with a self-closing gate. A safety product rather than a style choice — pool fencing.

Portable and temporary

Freestanding panels that stand on their own feet and link together, for events, works and seasonal layouts. Portable fencing.

Choosing a height

Height changes how a garden feels more than any other decision, so it's worth deciding on site rather than from a catalogue.

• 2.5ft — decorative. Edges beds and paths, defines without enclosing.
• 3ft — the classic front-garden height. Defines the boundary, still sociable.
• 4ft — a real boundary. Dogs, busier pavements, pool surrounds.
• 6ft — screening. Privacy panels for seclusion and shelter.

A word on planning: in the UK you generally need permission for a fence over 2m (about 6.5ft), or over 1m (about 3.3ft) where it fronts a road or footpath. Listed buildings and conservation areas have tighter rules, and covenants on newer estates sometimes restrict front boundaries entirely. Check with your local authority before ordering if you're near those limits — it's a five-minute call that occasionally saves a whole project.

Choosing a material

Timber is cheapest to buy, offers natural grain, and can be stained any colour. It also needs treating every year or two and typically fails at the post base within a decade. Full comparison: vinyl vs timber.

PVC-U (vinyl/plastic) costs more upfront and needs washing rather than painting. It won't rot, warp, splinter or rust, and the colour runs through the material. It's what we supply, in all five styles above. If you're unsure how the names relate, see plastic vs PVC fencing.

Composite gives a timber-grain look in a wood-plastic blend, usually at a higher price and heavier weight: composite vs vinyl.

Metal is for security and containment rather than garden boundaries, and brings rust management with it.

The parts people forget

A fence isn't just panels, and underestimating this is the most common budgeting mistake.

Posts. You need one more than the number of panels on a straight run, plus a corner post at every turn and blank posts either side of each gate opening. Post length depends on fence height — 60in posts for 2.5ft and 3ft runs, 78in for 4ft.

Caps. One per post. They finish the look and keep water out of the post.

Gates. Standard widths of 3ft, 4ft and 5ft to match each height, supplied with self-closing hinges, latch and fixings. Awkward opening? Custom widths are made to measure from 50cm to 6ft.

Ground fixings. Posts go into the ground normally; on concrete, paving or decking, steel surface mounts fix them down without digging.

Sloping ground, corners and awkward gardens

Few gardens are a neat rectangle. Two decisions come up repeatedly.

On a slope, you either step the fence down in panel increments — a series of level panels with small drops at each post — or follow the gradient. Stepping generally looks more deliberate and is easier to build with panel systems.

At corners and returns, remember each turn costs a post, and an L-shaped or enclosed garden needs noticeably more posts than the same total length in a straight line. That's why two gardens with identical fence lengths can have quite different totals.

What it costs

Panels start at £84.95 for 2.5ft and 3ft picket and £95.95 for 4ft, with 8ft-wide panels priced higher; pool, privacy, ranch and portable ranges are priced on their own collection pages. Posts, caps and gates are separate.

Rather than estimate, the Fence Planner prices a complete run: choose your style, enter your shape, measurements and gate openings, and it itemises every component with a live total. Full breakdown: how much vinyl fencing costs in the UK.

Buying and fitting

We're a UK supply-only retailer: we deliver nationwide or you collect from Rotherham (S62), and your own contractor or team installs. Our systems assemble rather than needing cutting and nailing — panels slot into routed posts — so plenty of customers fit them themselves. If you'd rather not, find an installer.

Residential orders are backed by our limited lifetime warranty; commercial orders by our 30-year commercial warranty (details). Buying for a site, school or on account? Trade Enquiries.

Frequently asked questions

What's the best fencing for a UK garden?

The one that matches the job. Picket for open front boundaries, privacy panels for screening, post-and-rail for paddocks, close-spaced balusters for pools. Then choose material on how much maintenance you're willing to do.

How high can a garden fence be without planning permission?

Generally up to 2m, or 1m where it fronts a road or footpath — with tighter rules for listed buildings and conservation areas, and possible estate covenants. Check with your local authority if you're close to the limit.

How many fence posts do I need?

One more than the number of panels on a straight run, plus a corner post per turn and blank posts either side of gates. The planner counts them for you.

What's the lowest-maintenance garden fence?

PVC-U. It needs washing rather than painting, staining or treating, and won't rot at the post base.

Can I fit a fence myself?

Many customers do — our panels are light and slot into routed posts. We're supply-only, so installation is yours or your contractor's.

Plan your garden fence

Browse picket, privacy, pool, ranch and portable ranges — or price a complete run in the Fence Planner.