Written by Mark Reid,
Trades Editor ·Verified 23 September 2026
Reading's mix of housing, from the Victorian terraces around Caversham to newer estates out towards Lower Earley and Woodley, means fencing jobs vary a lot from one street to the next. A small back garden off Oxford Road might just need a few larch lap panels replacing after a bad winter, while a property near the Thames or Kennet could need something sturdier to cope with damp ground and the odd flooded fence line. Then there's the clay soil common across much of Berkshire, which plays havoc with fence posts if they're not set properly, so a lot of local contractors end up doing repeat work fixing leaning posts that were only ever bedded in with a bit of hardcore rather than proper concrete.
The businesses featured on this page come from public business listings, and we've ranked them by their review rating and how many reviews they've built up, with a small boost for those who have a working website and phone number listed. We also read through each business's homepage to check that fencing work, not landscaping or general building, is what they actually focus on day to day. That step keeps general handymen and unrelated trades off this list. Any listings that show as permanently closed get removed automatically as part of this process. Where you spot a Trust Verified badge next to a business, that firm has gone through our fuller verification, covering trade qualifications, public liability insurance, trading history, customer review history and registered company details. Our How We Verify page sets out exactly what that involves. For businesses without the badge, none of that has been independently checked by us, so it's worth doing that legwork yourself before signing anything.
Before you commit to a contractor, ask to see proof of public liability insurance and find out whether they're a member of a trade body such as the Fencing Contractors' Association. It's also worth asking who'll actually be turning up to do the work, since some larger outfits subcontract. Get a written quote that breaks down materials (concrete gravel boards, treated timber, post type) separately from labour, and always get two or three quotes rather than taking the first one that comes in, especially for bigger jobs like garden boundary replacement or new driveway gates, where prices can swing by hundreds of pounds between firms.
How We Select & Rate The Best Fencing Contractors in Reading
Rankings are based on review rating and review count pulled from public business listings, with a small lift given to businesses showing a working website and phone number. We check each business's homepage to confirm fencing work is genuinely their main trade, which keeps unrelated businesses off this page. Listings flagged as permanently closed are removed automatically. Businesses carrying a Trust Verified badge have additionally passed our full verification, covering trade qualifications and accreditations, public liability insurance, trading history, customer review history and registered company information; see our How We Verify page for the complete criteria. Other businesses here haven't been independently verified by us, and their inclusion isn't an endorsement, so do your own checks before hiring.
Recommended and Featured listings are paid placements, so a business's fee affects whether and where it appears. Every other listing is ranked on rating and review count from third-party business listings. How we rank & verify →
Fencing contractors serving Reading and the surrounding area, Witchalls Fencing installs and repairs residential and commercial fencing across a range of styles and materials. The company holds a 5.0 rating from 29 Google reviews, reflecting consistent work across its local client base. RG30 6UH forms its operational base.
Fencing contractors serving Reading and the surrounding area, MBC Fencing install and repair a range of domestic and commercial fencing. The company holds a 5.0 rating on Google, drawn from customer reviews across its local work. RG4 8LJ places it well for enquiries across north Reading and into neighbouring areas.
Residential and commercial properties across Reading are the focus for Steve's Fencing, a local contractor covering installation and repair work in the RG30 area. The business holds a 4.2 rating on Google across 13 reviews. Steve's Fencing works across a range of fence types and boundary projects, keeping its scope straightforward and local.
A fencing and decking contractor serving Reading and the surrounding Berkshire area, Berkshire Decking & Fencing installs timber and composite solutions for domestic properties. The business covers garden fencing, decking structures, and associated groundwork. With a local focus across the county, it operates as a specialist trade rather than a general landscaping outfit.
Transparency notice: Recommended and Featured listings are paid placements, so a business's fee affects whether and where it appears. All other listings are ranked by a combined score drawn from ratings and review counts published on third-party business listings, plus basic completeness signals such as a working website and phone. A Trust Verified badge means we have independently checked that business's documents; businesses without it have not been independently verified by us. How we verify →
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How much does a fencing contractors cost in Reading?
A standard closeboard fence panel installation typically runs from around £45 to £75 per metre including labour and materials, depending on panel height and whether concrete posts or gravel boards are included. A full garden boundary replacement, say 20 to 25 metres, often lands somewhere between £1,200 and £2,800. Gates cost extra, from about £150 for a simple timber garden gate up to £600 or more for a bespoke driveway gate. Prices shift depending on ground conditions too, as clay-heavy plots around Reading sometimes need deeper post holes or postcrete rather than just hardcore, which adds to labour time. Getting two or three quotes is normal practice and worth doing even for smaller jobs.
Do I need planning permission for a new fence in Reading?
Most fences don't need planning permission as long as they're under two metres high, or one metre if they front a road. If your property backs onto a conservation area, which covers parts of Caversham and the town centre, or if you're near a listed building, restrictions can be tighter, so it's worth a quick check with Reading Borough Council's planning department before work starts. A reputable contractor should flag this during the quote stage anyway.
How long does it take to have a fence installed?
A typical domestic garden fence, around 15 to 20 metres, usually takes one to two days for a two-person team, assuming no complications with old fence removal or tricky ground. Concrete posts need time to cure properly before panels go on, so some contractors split the job across two visits a few days apart. Larger jobs, or ones involving retaining walls or sloped gardens, can take three to five days.
Who's responsible for fence maintenance between neighbours?
There's no automatic legal rule saying which side owns which fence, contrary to popular belief. Check your property deeds first, as they sometimes mark boundary ownership with a T symbol. If it's genuinely unclear, it's worth having a conversation with your neighbours before replacing a shared fence, partly out of courtesy and partly because splitting the cost is common practice locally.
What's the difference between featherboard, panel and post-and-rail fencing?
Featherboard (also called closeboard) uses overlapping vertical timber slats fixed to horizontal rails, giving good privacy and strength, and it's popular for gardens backing onto alleyways or footpaths. Panel fencing, like larch lap or waney lap, is cheaper and quicker to install but generally has a shorter lifespan, often 8 to 10 years versus 15 to 20 for closeboard. Post-and-rail is more common on rural or semi-rural boundaries around the edges of Reading, such as towards Theale or Shinfield, where it's used more for marking boundaries than privacy.
What should I check before choosing a fencing contractor in Reading?
Ask to see evidence of public liability insurance, ideally at least £1 million to £2 million cover, and check whether they belong to a trade association like the Fencing Contractors' Association or Trustmark. Look at recent customer reviews rather than just the overall star rating, since patterns in feedback (late arrivals, poor tidying up, communication issues) tell you more than a number alone. Ask for a written quote with materials and labour itemised separately, and ask whether they offer any workmanship guarantee, typically one to two years is reasonable for fencing. If a business carries a Trust Verified badge on this page, that means we've checked their qualifications, insurance and trading history directly; for anyone without it, doing that verification yourself before booking is a sensible precaution.
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