Installing a concrete panel fence up to 2.1 m high

A concrete panel fence is built from horizontal panels, often around 50 cm high, which slide down into grooves in the posts. The height therefore goes up in steps, depending on how many panels you stack and whether there is a gravel board at the bottom. A fence up to 2.1 m usually has one more row of panels than the lower version. That single row makes more difference than you might expect.

• Up to 1.8 m: separates the plot and blocks most of the view, but a tall person can still look over it. The posts are shorter and lighter, and the top panel goes in at roughly shoulder height. The work is quicker and usually needs no trestles.
• Up to 2.1 m (this item): a sensible balance between privacy and effort. The posts must be longer, usually around 2.8 to 3 m depending on the manufacturer, and set deeper in the ground. The top panel goes in above head height, so the crew works from trestles or a stable platform, usually with three people. On an exposed side the fence catches noticeably more wind than a 1.8 m one.
• Up to 2.4 m: chosen next to a busy road, beside a neighbour whose ground sits higher or where a view is hard to screen. The posts are longer and heavier still and are often lifted in by machine. The footings are bigger, and the manufacturer may require a reinforced post type for this height. At this point it makes sense to ask a structural engineer.

Not sure whether 1.8 m or 2.1 m is enough? Sit where you usually sit on the patio or by the window. Ask someone to hold a batten on the boundary at 1.8 m and then at 2.1 m. You will see straight away whether the lower fence does the job. Ground levels matter too. If the neighbour's garden or the pavement is higher than yours, a 2.1 m fence will look lower from your side.

The boundary and your neighbour

A fence over two metres high is hard to move once it is up. If you are not sure exactly where your boundary runs, have a surveyor mark it with pegs. In practice an old fence or hedge often does not sit exactly on the line, and the dispute only starts once the posts are concreted in. Agree a few things with your neighbour beforehand. Which way will the decorative face of the panels point? Who will maintain which side? Will the taller fence shade their garden?

Underground services

Post holes go roughly a metre into the ground, so they can easily hit a cable, a water pipe or a gas pipe. Before any digging, find out where the services run. Ask the utility companies or use a local service-locating scheme where one exists. If a gas pipe is damaged during digging or you smell gas, move everyone a safe distance away. Do not use naked flames or switch electrical equipment on or off. Then call the gas emergency line or the local emergency number, 112 in many countries. Any repair is for a qualified, registered gas engineer. Never touch a damaged electricity cable. Call the network operator, and leave any repair to a qualified electrician.

Building rules

Many areas set height limits for boundary fences, especially next to a road, a footpath or a junction where drivers need a clear view. A fence of around two metres can need permission even where a lower one would not. Local plans, conservation areas or estate covenants can also control height and appearance. Do not assume a 2.1 m fence is automatically allowed. Check with your local building or planning authority before you order the panels. If you live in a development with shared grounds, also ask the building management or owners' association.

Access, ground and storage

Panels and posts arrive on pallets, and each piece can weigh tens of kilograms. Pick a spot where a lorry with a crane arm can set the pallets down as close to the fence line as possible, on firm, level ground if you can. Clear shrubs, stones, the old fence and any old footings along the line, or agree in advance who will break them out and take them away. The crew needs a clear strip of roughly a metre on both sides of the fence. Without it they have nowhere to stand when lifting the top panels.

Setting out and post spacing

The installer stretches a string line between the end points and marks the post positions to suit the panel length. The spacing is not exactly two metres. It is the panel length plus the play in the grooves given by the manufacturer. That is why experienced installers mark the spacing with a test panel, not with a tape measure. At this stage they also fix the positions of corner and end posts and leave gaps for any gates.

Holes and footings

Holes are dug with a hand or powered auger, or with a mini digger on a long run or in heavy ground. The footing has to reach below the depth where the ground freezes. In much of central Europe that is roughly 80 cm, in milder climates it is less, so ask locally. For a 2.1 m fence, footings are usually about 80 to 100 cm deep and roughly 30 to 40 cm wide, depending on the soil and the manufacturer's advice. A layer of gravel at the bottom helps water drain away. On a slope or in loose soil, a continuous concrete strip footing often replaces individual pads, so the fence sits on a solid base along its whole length.

Setting the posts

The first post goes into its hole, is levelled with a spirit level in both directions and concreted in. The concrete should be the strength class the fence manufacturer specifies, often around C16/20 to C20/25. The second post goes in with the bottom panel slid between the two, which fixes the spacing exactly. On a 2.1 m fence the posts are usually propped with battens or braces until the concrete sets, because a long post tilts easily in wet concrete. A string line along the whole run keeps the post tops at the right height.

Fitting the panels

Panels slide down into the grooves from above, bottom row first. Two people can fit the lower rows from the ground, but on a 2.1 m fence the last row has to be lifted above head height. The crew works from trestles, uses lifting straps or a panel handler, and has one person on each side of the post. Rubber or plastic spacers often go between the panels to stop them rattling and chipping at the edges. Finally, caps go on the posts to keep rain and frost out of the grooves.

How long it takes and when the fence can take load

Daily progress depends on the ground, the access and the size of the crew. On level ground with good access the work moves much faster than on a stony slope where holes are dug by hand. The posts should stand in their concrete for at least a few days before the upper panels go in. The concrete supplier's guidance and the weather decide the exact time. Concrete sets faster in summer, and you should not pour it at temperatures close to freezing. It usually reaches full strength after roughly 28 days. Until then, do not hang heavy planters on the fence or lean a ladder against it.

At 2.1 m the fence has a large surface, so the look of the panels matters more than on a low fence. Heavier decorative panels are also harder to handle and put more load on the posts.

• Single-sided panels have a pattern on one face only. The back is smooth or rough. They suit places where nobody sees the back, for example along a field.
• Double-sided panels have a pattern on both faces. People choose them along a neighbour's garden or facing the street. They are usually heavier.
• Patterns imitate split stone, brick or timber, or the panels are plain. Plain panels are easier to paint. Textured ones hide small irregularities and dirt better.
• Gravel boards are bottom panels set slightly below ground level. They stop dogs and other animals from digging under the fence. On a slope they also fill the gaps under stepped bays.
• Posts come as intermediate, corner and end posts, depending on how many grooves they have and where. For a 2.1 m fence, ask the manufacturer whether they offer a stronger post for this height.
• Colour can be natural grey, coloured through the mix or painted afterwards. Paint the fence with masonry paint only once it has dried out. Manufacturers usually recommend waiting several weeks.

Concrete fence posts are not made to carry a gate. If you want a gate or a side gate, plan for separate steel or masonry piers with their own footings.

The effort, and therefore the price per linear metre, can vary a lot from one site to another. The work goes faster with:

• Level ground and firm soil without stones
• Access for a lorry with a crane arm right up to the fence line
• A long straight run without corners or changes of direction
• A clear strip along the fence, with the boundary and services already marked

The work takes longer with:

• A slope, where the bays have to be stepped and each one set out separately
• Stony or waterlogged ground, old footings or tree roots along the line
• A narrow passage, so panels have to be carried in by hand
• Many short runs, corners, connections to a neighbour's fence and gate openings
• Work tight against an existing wall or building with no room for trestles

At 2.1 m these factors weigh more than on a lower fence, because every obstacle means more heavy panels lifted above head height.

• Footings too shallow or too narrow. A tall solid fence acts like a sail. Strong wind and frozen ground slowly push the posts over, and after a few years a whole section leans.
• Post spacing measured with a tape instead of a panel. If the posts are too far apart, panels drop out of the grooves. If they are too close, the panels will not go in. Once the concrete has set, the only fix is to break the post out.
• Posts not propped. A long post easily drifts in wet concrete. You see it later as a wavy top line and uneven gaps.
• Upper panels fitted too soon. The concrete in the footings is not yet strong enough, so the post twists or sinks.
• Missing post caps. Water runs into the grooves, freezes in winter and splits the edges of the posts.
• No drainage on a slope. The bottom panel holds back soil and water from the higher ground. The concrete stays damp, turns green and shows white salt deposits. A fence is not a retaining wall and must not hold back an embankment.
• Careless handling. Panels dropped on each other or stood on their edge get chipped corners. On a fence at eye level you can see them from a distance.

A handy DIYer can build a fence up to 2.1 m with at least two strong helpers, trestles and plenty of patience. It is not a one-person job. Panels and posts are heavy, the top row goes in above your head, and a falling panel can cause serious injury. If services run close to the fence line, or you have heavy ground or a slope, leave the job to a crew.

1. Confirm the boundary and have the underground services located and marked.
2. Check with the local authority what permission the fence needs at this height.
3. Stretch a string line and mark the post positions using a test panel.
4. Dig the holes to the depth the manufacturer recommends, usually around 80 to 100 cm, and put gravel in the bottom.
5. Set the first post, level it in both directions, concrete it in and prop it with battens.
6. Slide in the bottom panel, set the second post tight against it, level it and concrete it in.
7. Carry on bay by bay, checking the post tops against the string line as you go.
8. Wait until the concrete has set enough, following the concrete supplier's guidance and the weather.
9. Fit the remaining panels from the bottom up, the top row from trestles, always with two people per panel.
10. Fit the post caps and shape the ground around the footings so water runs away from the fence.

Walk the whole fence on both sides. Look along the top edge from one end. Curves and steps show up most clearly from there.

• Posts are plumb in both directions, checked with a spirit level
• The top line is straight, or stepped evenly to follow the ground
• Panels sit fully in the grooves and do not rattle when pushed
• Posts do not move when you push firmly by hand
• No chipped edges or cracks on the panels or posts
• Every post has its cap fitted
• The decorative face points the way you agreed
• The fence follows the marked boundary and the agreed line
• The ground around the footings is finished so water runs away from the fence
• Gate openings are the right width
• The site is clean, with leftover concrete and packaging removed