Advice from fencers re cost please!

[SooBee]

We need a new garden fence. I've so far had 3 quotes, two of which were well over £600 and one of which was a bit over £300! I wonder why the huge gap?

It's only a shortish fence which needs 3metres of 1.2m panels and 6metres of 1.8m panels close board fencing, plus gravel boards and posts. I know one can buy the panels for about £35 at Wickes!

Can anyone advise what sort of price they might charge? Are the two £600+ very expensive or is the £300 one suspiciously cheap? (I did offer cash for the latter!)

Grateful for advice. (I am in North oxfordshire in a rural area)

 

[HERTS P&D]

£300 too cheap, £600 about right.

Or do it yourself, as you know the price of the panels.

Andy

 

[wrathkeg]

I find the building sheriff site quite good for this kind of thing, and it has a page on fencing costs (which as you'll see are in line with Andy's reply)

http://www.buildingsheriff.com/new-fencing-cost.html

 

[SooBee]

Thanks for the advice. Not sure what to do now!

 

[wrathkeg]

i'd suggest getting someone on personal recommendation but in reality that isn't always possible.

maybe you have a local reputable fencing supplies place who do installations, or can who can recommend someone.

 

[SooBee]

£300 too cheap, £600 about right.

Or do it yourself, as you know the price of the panels.

Andy

When you say 'too cheap' do you think they're cowboys? They seem to be on all local web directories. Perhaps that's not a recommendation. They have a landline number and street address.

 

[SooBee]

i'd suggest getting someone on personal recommendation but in reality that isn't always possible.

maybe you have a local reputable fencing supplies place who do installations, or can who can recommend someone.

Thanks, I've emailed a roofer who I hope might know someone. Local tradesmen seem to know a lot of others!

 

[wrathkeg]

When you say 'too cheap' do you think they're cowboys? They seem to be on all local web directories. Perhaps that's not a recommendation. They have a landline number and street address.

there are loads of reasons they might be cheap, all the way from wanting the work and being able to do it well (and quickly), to needing to undercut people to get the work.

In my experience, being in directories, and having real name, address and landline number all over the place is no guarantee of quality. I've had some really poor work (as well as really good work) done by people who do all of these these things, and first class work done by people who do none of them.