Heavy-Duty Closeboard Fencing in Nottingham

The single biggest reason a fence fails isn't the panels — it's the posts rotting at ground level. Timber posts pressure-treated to UC4 grade can still split and rot after 8–15 years where they meet the soil. Concrete posts don't. They're cast around steel reinforcement, set in concrete foundations, and they outlast the timber components several times over. Gravel boards (the horizontal panels at the bottom) keep the feather-edge boards 150mm clear of the ground — out of the wettest, weediest zone where timber decays fastest. Combined, the system typically gives 25+ years before any major intervention is needed, versus 8–12 for an all-timber installation.

Concrete slotted posts (100×100mm or 125×100mm depending on height and exposure), each set 600–700mm into the ground in post-mix concrete. Concrete gravel boards (typically 150mm or 300mm tall, slotted into the posts) running along the bottom of every panel section. Pressure-treated arris rails — three for fences up to 1.5m, four for taller — slotted between posts. Feather-edge boards (UC4-treated, kiln-dried softwood, 22mm at the thick edge) overlapped 25mm and screwed to the arris rails. Galvanised post caps, weathered capping rail across the top, and stainless or galvanised fixings throughout.

1.8m (6ft) is the standard domestic height for boundary closeboard — privacy with proportion. 2.0m and 2.4m are common where neighbours overlook or where the property sits in a wind-exposed spot. We can build to any height your local planning permission allows (front gardens are typically capped at 1m, rear at 2m without permission). For really exposed sites we step the post section up to 125×125mm and tighten panel spacing. For corner-of-property runs visible from the road we often suggest a heightened return on the first 1–2 panels — looks deliberate, blends better, costs almost nothing extra.

Every timber component is pressure-treated to UC4 — the grade rated for in-ground or near-ground use. Feather-edge boards are kiln-dried before treatment, which lets the preservative penetrate properly rather than skinning the surface. Arris rails (the horizontal supports the boards screw into) are similarly treated. We use stainless or galvanised fixings — bright zinc or untreated steel rusts within months and stains the timber. Capping rail is included on every install we do; without it, water tracks down the cut tops of every board and rots the whole fence from the top down.

Site visit first. We walk the run with you, measure precisely, mark out post centres, identify any drains, services, or boundary edge cases, and confirm the ground conditions (clay, sand, made-ground). On install day we dig the post holes (mechanical augering on most jobs, hand-dug where access or services dictate), set the concrete posts in post-mix, slot in the gravel boards, fit the arris rails, then nail or screw on the feather-edge boards from the bottom up. Capping rail and post caps go on last. Old fence removed and disposed of as part of the price. Site cleared and swept. Most domestic runs (15–30m) take 1–2 days; longer runs quoted bespoke.

A lot of fencing companies push prefabricated lap or overlap panels — they're cheap, quick to fit, and what most contractors default to because the margin's higher. They also rot faster, the boards split, and the whole panel needs replacing when one piece fails. Built-in-place closeboard is the alternative — every component is replaceable individually, the build is sturdier, and the look is cleaner. We'll fit prefab panels if a client specifically wants them on a budget job, but for any client expecting the fence to outlast a 5-year mortgage cycle, we always recommend closeboard.

Closeboard fences silver gracefully. The pressure treatment gives the timber a green-brown tone for the first 12 months, and over 2–3 years it weathers to a soft silver-grey. If you prefer to keep the fence darker, oil-based or solvent-based timber stains can be applied annually — most clients don't bother, and the silvered look is increasingly the chosen aesthetic anyway. The concrete components don't change much; they pick up a bit of moss in shaded spots which a stiff brush handles in five minutes.

Closeboard with concrete posts is the most-installed system across our service area — we run jobs every week from West Bridgford and Edwalton through to Bulwell, Carlton, Calverton, and out into the rural-edge villages like Ruddington, East Leake, Cotgrave, and Burton Joyce. Notts soil profile is varied (clay-heavy in places, sandy elsewhere) and we adjust foundation depth and concrete mix to suit — clay holds water, so deeper footings and a wider concrete haunch; sandy ground drains fast and posts can be set marginally shallower. The spec adapts; the result doesn't.

We're a Nottingham-registered limited company trading from Chris Allsop Industrial Park in Colwick, with over 140 five-star reviews on Google. Owner-led — Kye runs every job from quote through to fitting, so the person who measured your fence is also overseeing the build. Free no-obligation quotes, fixed prices written down before we start, all work guaranteed. We turn down work we can't do properly rather than over-promise; that's why we ask you to ring rather than chat.

Closeboard with concrete posts and gravel boards costs more than prefab panels per metre, but works out cheaper across a 25-year ownership window because nothing needs replacing. Cost per metre depends on height, post centres, ground conditions, gate count, access for materials, and how much old fencing needs removing. Survey usually within a week. Install slots run 2–4 weeks out — quicker outside spring/early summer, slower during the Easter rush. Storm-damage emergency repairs we try to fit in faster; ring us if you've got a fence down.