--- title: Close-board fencing: a plain guide | Fence2Fence UK url: https://brick2brick.co.uk/guides/close-board-fencing/ description: Close-board fencing explained: how it differs from panels, concrete or timber posts, what gravel boards do, height rules and how a new fence goes in. last_updated: 2026-10-16 publisher: Brick2BrickUK Ltd and Fence 2 Fence Ltd --- # Close-board fencing: what it is and how it goes in Close-board fencing is overlapping feather-edge boards between posts, with a board along the bottom. Fence2Fence UK fits it between slotted concrete posts on concrete gravel boards. This guide explains how it is built, how the options compare, and the height rules to know first. ## What is close-board fencing? A close-board fence built on site goes up board by board. Posts go in first, then horizontal rails between them, then vertical [feather-edge boards](https://brick2brick.co.uk/guides/glossary/#feather-edge-board) nailed to the rails. Each board is thicker on one edge than the other and overlaps the one next to it, so there are no gaps to see through. A [gravel board](https://brick2brick.co.uk/guides/glossary/#gravel-board) runs along the bottom, between the posts. Close-board can be built on site like this, or come made up in sections that slide into slotted concrete posts. The fence Fence2Fence UK put up in September 2026 is close-board between slotted concrete posts, on concrete gravel boards. General information, not advice for your property. Rules change and depend on the house: check with your council before you start. ## How is close-board different from fence panels? Fence panels are made in a factory to a set size and slot or fix between posts. They go up quickly, and one damaged panel can be swapped for another of the same size. Close-board is solid: the boards overlap, so there are no gaps to see through. Built on site, the rails are fixed into the posts and the boards nailed on one at a time, so it can be cut to suit odd lengths. It also comes made up in close-board sections that slot into concrete posts like panels. Fence2Fence UK’s fences so far are close-board with concrete posts. For anything else, ask Liam. ## Should you choose concrete or timber posts? Both are common. Concrete posts do not rot, which matters most where the post meets the ground. They are heavy, grey and made with slots or holes to take the rails or gravel boards, so they need careful setting out because they cannot be trimmed on site. Timber posts match the boards and can be cut and adjusted as the fence goes up. Because they sit in the ground, the base of a timber post is the part most at risk of rot over time. ## What are gravel boards for? A gravel board is the board along the bottom of the fence, between the posts. It keeps the fence boards off the soil, where they would stay damp, and it is easier to replace one bottom board than a whole fence. Gravel boards come in timber or concrete; concrete ones slot into concrete posts. Concrete gravel boards are also sold as base panels. On a sloping garden the fence can either step down from post to post or follow the slope, and the gravel boards are set to close the gap underneath as the ground falls. ## Do you need permission for a new fence? Usually not. Under the Planning Portal’s rules a fence can be up to 2 metres high from ground level without planning permission, or up to 1 metre next to a highway used by vehicles or its footpath. Listed buildings, Article 4 directions and planning conditions change that, so check with your council if any of those apply. The [height rules guide](https://brick2brick.co.uk/guides/garden-wall-and-fence-height-rules/) has the detail. Wooden fences are not party walls, so the Party Wall Act does not apply. Citizens Advice notes that some freeholds carry covenants about boundary fences, so it is worth checking your deeds. ## What happens on the day a close-board fence goes in? The usual order of work: - the line of the fence is agreed and any old fence is taken down and cleared away - post holes are dug and the posts set in concrete, lined up and plumb - the gravel boards go in between the posts - the close-board sections go in between the posts, each board overlapping the next - on site-built close-board, rails are fixed into the posts and the boards nailed on one at a time - the site is cleared and the waste taken away ## Where has Fence2Fence UK put up fences? On a Worcestershire job finished in September 2026, Fence2Fence UK put up the fence as the last stage, after Brick2Brick UK had built the extension and the multi-level patio: see [the extension, patio and fence](https://brick2brick.co.uk/projects/worcestershire-extension-patio-and-fence/). The fence is close-board on concrete posts with concrete gravel boards. Fences come into insurance work too: in January 2024, before Fence2Fence UK was set up, the team reinstated a fence on the Old Birmingham Road after a car crashed into it, and rebuilt the wall too. ## How do you look after a close-board fence? Keep soil, compost and plants off the boards and clear leaves from the bottom so the timber can dry out. Follow the timber supplier’s advice on treatment. After a storm, check the posts and rails for movement, and replace a broken board or gravel board before the damage spreads. ## Questions Can I put up a 6 ft fence without planning permission? Usually. 6 ft is about 1.83 metres, under the 2 metre limit, so away from a road it normally needs no planning permission. Next to a highway used by vehicles the limit is 1 metre, and listed buildings or Article 4 directions can change the rules. What is the difference between close-board and feather-edge fencing? Feather-edge describes the boards, which are thicker on one edge. Close-board is the fence built from them: the boards overlap so there are no gaps. Are concrete fence posts better than timber? They do different jobs. Concrete posts do not rot at the base; timber posts can be cut on site and match the boards. Fence2Fence UK’s fences use concrete posts. Does the Party Wall Act apply to a new fence? Not to a wooden fence. gov.uk says wooden fences are not party walls. Sources 1. [Planning Portal: Fences, gates and garden walls, planning permission](https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/fences-gates-and-garden-walls/planning-permission) (checked 16 Oct 2026) 2. [GOV.UK: Party walls and building work](https://www.gov.uk/party-walls-building-works) (checked 16 Oct 2026) 3. [Citizens Advice: Before you get work done on your home](https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/before-you-get-building-work-done/) (checked 16 Oct 2026) ## Related work and jobs - [**Fencing**Close-board with concrete posts](https://brick2brick.co.uk/fencing/) - [**Patios & landscaping**Porcelain and sandstone patios, lawns](https://brick2brick.co.uk/patios-and-landscaping/) - [**Insurance work**Fire, flood, storm and vehicle damage](https://brick2brick.co.uk/insurance-work/) - [**Extension, patio and fence, Worcestershire**Project](https://brick2brick.co.uk/projects/worcestershire-extension-patio-and-fence/) ## Talk to Liam about the job Call or WhatsApp 07805 010927, or send the quote form. Photos of the job help: send them on WhatsApp. [Call Liam 07805 010927](tel:+447805010927) [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/447805010927) [Ask for a quote](https://brick2brick.co.uk/contact/?side=fencing#quote) --- ## Contact - Phone and WhatsApp: 07805 010927 (+447805010927) - Email: bricktobrickuk@gmail.com - Areas: Worcester, Bromsgrove, south Birmingham and across the West Midlands. Insurance work across the wider Midlands. - Brick2Brick UK: trading name of Brick2BrickUK Ltd, company number 15473508 (England and Wales) - Fence2Fence UK: trading name of Fence 2 Fence Ltd, company number 17037489 (England and Wales) - Insurance: Brick2Brick UK is insured up to £10 million - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089740392506 (100% recommend on Facebook · 13 reviews)