New Fence Installation in Cherry Hinton - What to Do While You Wait (and What to Leave to Us)

What a New Fence Installation Involves

We install timber panel, close-board, picket and post-and-rail fencing for homeowners across Cherry Hinton and the surrounding area. The job involves marking out the fence line, digging or augering post holes to the right depth, setting posts in concrete, fitting arris rails or panel supports, hanging panels or boards, fitting gravel boards at the base, and capping the posts. Done properly, a new fence should stand firm for many years without significant attention.

Pressure-treated timber is used throughout. Posts are set at roughly one third of their total length below ground, in concrete, to give the fence a solid footing that resists wind load and frost movement.

Why There's Often a Wait Before Work Can Start

Fencing jobs don't always start the week you call. A competent installer visits the site before giving a price, then has to order the right materials and schedule the work into an existing programme. Treated timber posts and panels need to be ordered at the right lengths - this isn't always something held in stock for every combination of height and style.

Very short waits can sometimes mean a contractor has taken on the job without visiting first, which creates problems later.

What You Can Usefully Do While You Wait

There are practical steps that help the job go smoothly and avoid delays on the day.

Clear the line of the fence

The most helpful thing you can do is clear the fence line of any obstacles before the installation crew arrives. This means cutting back shrubs, removing pots or garden furniture, pulling up any low-level planting within a metre of where the posts will go, and clearing any debris against the existing fence. If the crew has to spend time cutting back overgrowth or shifting garden furniture before they can start, that adds time and sometimes cost to the job.

Check the boundary position

If you have any uncertainty about where the boundary actually sits, now is the time to check. Your title deeds or a Land Registry title plan will show the general position of your boundaries. If a neighbour has ever queried the line of your fence, resolve that before work starts rather than during it. A fence installed on the wrong line means a fence that may have to be moved.

Talk to your neighbour

If the fence sits on your boundary, you don't legally need your neighbour's agreement to replace it. But letting them know in advance avoids surprise and bad feeling. If the fence is a shared boundary, both parties need to agree before any work starts. A quick conversation before your contractor arrives is far easier than a dispute during the job.

Think about gates

If you want a gate as part of the installation, this needs to be agreed and specified before materials are ordered, not on the day of installation. Gate posts need to be larger and set deeper than standard fence posts. Adding a gate as an afterthought once the posts are in is expensive and sometimes not possible without starting that section again.

Make sure access is clear

If the installer needs to get equipment - a van, a post-hole auger, or material deliveries - along the side of the house or through the garden, check that route is clear and passable. If there are locked gates between the street and the work area, make sure someone will be there to open them or that the contractor has been given a key or code in advance.

What Not to Do Before the Installer Arrives

There are things that feel helpful but can actually create problems.

Don't remove the old fence yourself

Unless you've specifically agreed with the contractor that you'll take down the old fence, leave it in place. Fence installers need to see the existing structure - where posts are set, how deep they go, what condition the ground is in around them. Removing the old fence yourself can also mean you take on responsibility for disposing of it, which may not be what you wanted. Agree disposal arrangements upfront and leave the removal to the people doing the job.

Don't dig around the post positions

If you think you're helping by starting to dig out old post holes, stop. Partially dug holes in the wrong position, or holes that have disturbed the ground around a post that still needs to be removed, add work rather than saving it. Post positioning is part of the installation process and needs to be done by the person who has measured the job.

Don't buy materials ahead of time

It's tempting to pick up some posts or panels from a builders' merchant to get a head start. Don't. The installer will have their own supply chain and will order to the specification the job requires. Materials bought separately may be the wrong size, the wrong grade of treatment, or simply incompatible with what the rest of the job uses. It can create awkward conversations and sometimes means purchased materials go unused.

Don't paint or treat the existing fence

If the old fence is being replaced, treating it now is a waste of product. If you're uncertain whether sections are being replaced or kept, clarify this with the contractor before spending money on treatment.

On the Day of Installation - What to Expect

How long a fence replacement takes depends on the length of the run, the ground conditions and the style of fence. Longer runs or difficult ground (tree roots, hard chalk, very soft clay) can mean the work takes longer to complete. The crew will mark the post positions first, dig or auger the holes, set the posts in concrete and then return to fix the panels once the concrete has begun to set - or continue the same day if a fast-set concrete mix is used.

Concrete around posts needs at least 24 to 48 hours to reach working strength. During this period avoid putting heavy loads against the panels or swinging gates hard.

Typical Costs for a New Fence

For a domestic garden fence in Cherry Hinton, close-board and lap panel fencing typically runs from £80 to £150 per metre installed, inclusive of pressure-treated timber, concrete setting, gravel boards and disposal of the old fence. Picket fencing is generally at the lower end of this range. Post-and-rail fencing costs less because fewer materials are involved.

Gates add to the cost depending on size and style. A standard pedestrian gate with posts and fittings typically adds £200 to £400 to the job. Double gates or larger openings cost more.

Fence Styles Worth Knowing About

• Close-board (feather-edge) fencing - solid, private, good in exposed spots. Boards are nailed to arris rails which are fixed to posts. Follows sloping ground better than panel fencing.
• Lap panel fencing - cost-effective, suits flat gardens, straightforward to install. Panels are fixed between posts and sit on gravel boards.
• Picket fencing - open style, suits front gardens or decorative boundaries. Allows light and air through.
• Post-and-rail fencing - open boundary marker, good for paddocks and larger plots. Not for privacy.

We Serve Cherry Hinton and the Nearby Area

We install fencing for homeowners in Cherry Hinton and in neighbouring towns and villages. We also cover Haverhill, Steeple Bumpstead, Kedington, Clare and Toppesfield. When you call, let us know your address and a rough idea of what you need and we'll arrange a site visit to give you an accurate price.

Ready to Get Started?

Call us to book a site visit. We'll look at the boundary, talk through the options and give you a clear price before any work is agreed. The more you can tell us upfront about the run length, ground conditions and fence style you're after, the more useful that first conversation will be.