Skip to content
Talqero
Sign inPost a task

Gardening and landscaping

Fencing and gates

Erecting or repairing fences, posts and gates.
Post a task Fencing and gates by county

Whether this needs a licence in Ireland

Ireland

No licence required

Taken from the statute below; not yet reviewed by a lawyer

Irelandwww.cru.ieChecked

Fencing and gates: what the job involves

Putting up or repairing garden boundaries — timber panels, featheredge, post-and-rail, composite boards, railings and gates — on posts set in concrete. In an Irish wind, what keeps a fence standing is post depth, post spacing and the gravel boards at the bottom.

Also asked for as: fencing contractors · garden fencing · fence panels fitted · fence repair after storm · concrete posts fence

How the job is usually done

  1. Agree the line with you, and with the neighbour if it is a shared boundary.
  2. Take down and clear the old fence, and break out old post footings where needed.
  3. Set out and dig post holes to depth, or core through concrete.
  4. Set posts in concrete or postcrete, plumb and in line.
  5. Fit gravel boards, then the panels, rails or boards.
  6. Hang gates with hinges, latches and a drop bolt.
  7. Treat cut ends, tidy the site and take away waste as agreed.

Fencing and gates: what is included

Usually included

  • Setting posts and fitting the fence and gates
  • Treating cut timber
  • Clearing the work area

Usually not included — agree it separately

  • Taking away the old fence, unless quoted
  • Staining or painting the whole fence
  • Block walls, pillars or automatic gates
  • Surveying a disputed boundary

Materials and who supplies them

  • Posts, panels, boards, rails and gravel boards — usually supplied by the contractor
  • Concrete or postcrete, fixings and gate hardware — supplied by the contractor
  • Treated timber, concrete posts, composite or steel — your choice, which sets the life of the fence

How long it takes

One to three days for a typical back garden; old concrete footings, rock, slopes or a long run add time.

When to book

Any time the ground is not frozen or waterlogged; after winter storms, fencers are busiest and lead times stretch.

Fencing and gates: the rules in Ireland

What the official sources say, checked against them on the date shown. A summary, not legal advice — follow the link to read the rule itself.

  • A wall, fence, gate or railing around a house is exempt from planning permission up to 2 metres high, or 1.2 metres in front of the house; a block or concrete wall visible from a road or public area must be capped and rendered, and a metal palisade or other security fence is not exempt.

    Applies to: the homeowner

    Planning and Development Regulations 2001 (as amended), Schedule 2, Part 1, Class 5; Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage · assets.gov.ie · Checked 9 October 2026

  • Collecting waste for reward — grass clippings, hedge cuttings, soil, old slabs — needs a waste collection permit, and a householder may only hand waste to an authorised collector or bring it to an authorised facility.

    Applies to: the gardener or landscaper who takes waste away, and the householder

    Waste Management Act 1996, sections 32 and 34; National Waste Collection Permit Office · revisedacts.lawreform.ie · Checked 9 October 2026

What fencing and gates costs, and why

What jobs on Talqero came to

Not enough comparable jobs yet to publish a range here. Talqero shows a price range only once at least five comparable jobs, agreed prices or offers exist — a range from fewer would describe a handful of jobs, not the market. Post your job and compare the offers you get.

What affects the price

  • Length and height of the run
  • Material: treated timber, concrete posts with timber panels, composite, or metal
  • Removing and disposing of the old fence
  • Ground: rock, old footings, slopes and stepping the fence
  • Number and type of gates
  • VAT: hard landscaping is building work, charged at the reduced 13.5% rate by a VAT-registered business unless materials are more than two-thirds of the price — ask whether a quote includes VAT
  • VAT: building work on a home is charged at the reduced rate of 13.5% by a VAT-registered business — unless the materials come to more than two-thirds of the price, when Revenue’s two-thirds rule applies the goods rate to the whole job. Ask whether a quote includes VAT.

Paperwork to ask for at the end

  • A written quote naming the material, post type, spacing and height
  • Any guarantee on posts or panels, in writing

Safety

  • Before digging, the contractor should check for buried cables, water and gas pipes.
  • Freshly set posts are weak for a day or two; keep children off the fence and gates.
  • Pressure-treated timber offcuts should not be burned.

Fencing and gates: before you hire

Questions to ask a tradesperson

  • How deep will the posts go, and how far apart?
  • Concrete or timber posts — and what guarantee comes with them?
  • Do you take the old fence away, and with what permit?
  • Is the height within the planning exemption?

What you can do yourself

Replacing a broken panel between sound posts is a fair DIY job; setting a full run of posts true and deep enough to survive winter storms takes experience.

What to put in your task

  • How long is the fence line?
  • How high should it be?
  • What type of fence?
  • Is there an old fence to take down?
  • How many gates do you need?

Photos that help

  • The whole fence line from one end
  • The base of the old posts, and any concrete or walls
  • Slopes or steps in the ground

Fencing and gates by county

Choose your county for fencing and gates close to home.

Gardening and landscaping

Need fencing and gates? Describe the job.

Post it once, free. Professionals near you reply with their own price and when they could start. You choose, and pay them directly.

Post a task

Questions about fencing and gates

Does fencing and gates need a licence in Ireland?

No licence is required for this work in Ireland (source: www.cru.ie). Ask instead for references and photographs of similar jobs.

How high can a fence be without planning permission?

Up to 2 metres around the back and sides of a house, and 1.2 metres in front, under the exempted-development rules. Metal palisade and other security fences are not exempt at any height, and a block wall facing a road must be capped and rendered.

Who owns the fence between me and my neighbour?

It depends on your title deeds and Land Registry map, which often do not show it precisely. Many boundary fences are shared by agreement. Settle it with your neighbour before work starts, and put the agreement in writing.

Concrete or timber posts?

Concrete posts with timber panels last much longer and panels can be swapped after a storm. Timber posts look better and are easier on uneven ground but eventually rot at ground level. In exposed sites, concrete posts are usually worth it.

Often booked with fencing and gates

More gardening and landscaping services

Gardeners and landscapers