Composite Fencing

Composite fence panels, wall-top infill and screen sections, made in the same boards and the same frames as our gates. Most of what we fit runs alongside a gate — matching the boundary either side so the whole frontage reads as one thing rather than a gate someone dropped into an existing fence.

What we are actually set up to do

Almost all of our fencing work happens as part of a gate job. That is not a limitation we are apologising for — it is where composite fencing genuinely earns its money, because matching a gate is the one thing a fencing contractor cannot easily do.

Panels running off a gate

A pair of gates with fence panels continuing the line either side, in the same boards and the same frame colour. Because it is all made together to the same measurements, the board lines run through and the panel heights match the gate rather than nearly matching it.

Wall-top infill

Composite panels set into a frame on top of an existing brick or rendered wall. It adds height and privacy without rebuilding the wall, and it is the cheapest way to make a low boundary do a job it was never built for.

Screens and returns

A short run tying a side gate into a house wall, a screen across an exposed corner, a panel closing a gap between a gate post and a garage. Small jobs, usually decided at survey, and usually the difference between a gate that looks finished and one that does not.

Matched to the gate, not approximately

Seven board colours, the same range as the gates, so the fence made today matches the gate made today — and the gate made three years ago. That is the whole reason to buy both from the same place.

Fencing on its own — where we are the right call, and where we are not

This is worth being straight about, because getting it wrong wastes your time more than it wastes ours.

Along the Sussex coast, yes

Worthing, Brighton, Hove, Shoreham-by-Sea, Littlehampton, Chichester and the villages between are where we are properly set up for fencing as a job in its own right — no gate required. If you want a boundary done on that stretch of coast, ask us.

Everywhere else, fencing comes with a gate

Elsewhere our fabricators fit fencing as part of gate work rather than as a standalone trade, because fencing on its own sits with fencing contractors who are geared up for it and will usually be quicker and cheaper. We would rather tell you that now than quote you slowly and lose to someone who does it every day.

The exception that is usually worth asking about

If the fencing has to match a composite gate — ours or anyone's — that changes the answer wherever you are. Matching board colour, board width and frame finish is the part a general fencing contractor will struggle with, and it is worth a call even if the gate is not from us.

How it is actually built

Posts first, and they decide everything

Aluminium or steel posts with a channel down each face. Boards slide down into the channel rather than being nailed to a rail, which is why a composite panel does not rattle loose and why a damaged board can be swapped without dismantling the run. Post spacing is set by board length, so the run is planned from the posts outward rather than cut to fit at the end.

Levels and falls

A fence follows the ground or it steps. On a slope, stepping each bay down keeps every panel level and leaves a triangular gap at the base of each; raking follows the ground and keeps the gap closed but puts every board at a slight angle. On a long run the difference is very visible and it is a decision made at survey, not on the day.

Into existing concrete posts

Common, and usually the cheapest good outcome. Composite boards can be dropped into standard concrete slotted posts where the gap suits, so nothing has to be dug out. We measure the slot before promising it, because concrete post spacing varies more than it should.

What it will not do

Composite fencing is heavier than larch lap and it needs sound posts. It is not the answer for a long agricultural boundary or a temporary line, and anyone who tells you it is has not priced it.

Against timber, honestly

The upfront comparison is not close

Composite costs meaningfully more than a timber panel fence on the day it goes in. Anyone comparing purely on installation cost should buy timber, and we will say so.

The comparison that matters is year six

Timber needs treating, panels warp and crack, and a fence put up today is usually being patched by year five and replaced by year ten. Composite is not painted, not treated, does not rot at the base and does not go grey. Whether that is worth the difference depends entirely on how long you intend to be there.

Where it is clearly right

Anywhere it has to match a gate. Anywhere access makes replacement painful — a rear boundary you can only reach through the house. And anywhere salt or persistent damp kills timber early, which on the Sussex coast is most places facing the sea.

What affects the cost

Gate prices move on a handful of variables rather than a fixed rate. The main ones are:

FAQs about composite fencing

Will you fit fencing without a gate?

Along the Sussex coast — Worthing, Brighton, Hove, Shoreham, Littlehampton, Chichester and the villages between — yes, as a job in its own right. Elsewhere in the country we fit fencing as part of gate work rather than on its own, because standalone fencing sits with fencing contractors who do it daily and will generally be faster and cheaper. The exception anywhere is fencing that has to match a composite gate.

Can you match fencing to a gate I already have?

If it is ours, yes — that is what the fixed seven-colour range is for, and a panel made now will match a gate made several years ago. If the gate came from elsewhere, send photographs including a close-up of the board grain and something in shot for scale. Board widths differ between manufacturers and that is usually the thing that gives a mismatch away, so we will tell you honestly whether we can match it or only get close.

Can composite boards go into my existing concrete posts?

Often, and it saves digging anything out. It depends on the slot width and the post spacing, both of which vary more than you would expect between installations of the same age. We measure before promising rather than turning up with boards that do not fit.

Is composite fencing worth the extra over timber?

Not on day one — it costs meaningfully more to install and anyone comparing only on that number should buy timber. It becomes worth it somewhere around year six, once a timber fence is being treated, patched and eventually replaced. If you are moving in two years it is hard to justify. If you are staying, or the boundary is hard to get to, or you are on the coast, it usually pays.

What about wall-top panels?

A frame fixed to the top of an existing brick or rendered wall with composite boards set into it. It is the cheapest way to add height and privacy to a low boundary without rebuilding, it keeps the wall you already have, and it matches a gate in the same boards. It is also subject to the same height rules as any other boundary structure, so tall ones want checking with the council first.

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