Most new fences in Walsall are back-garden runs behind semis in Aldridge, Streetly, Rushall and Park Hall, or a first proper boundary on an open-plan front in Bloxwich or Beechdale. The fencing itself is routine. What catches people out here is the line and the paperwork: two conservation areas where the council controls fences far more tightly than usual, grass verges that belong to the council rather than to the house, and ground that changes from clay to stone across the borough.
Ground and Gate doesn't do the work. We pass your enquiry to one local fencing specialist who covers WS1 to WS9, and they confirm a fixed price with you directly.
What a new fence costs in Walsall
Rates are per metre, supply and fit, waste included, indicative for the West Midlands.
| Style | Under 1m | About 1.2m | About 1.8m |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overlap panels | £36–£54 | £48–£72 | £60–£90 |
| Featheredge / closeboard | £57–£81 | £76–£108 | £95–£135 |
| Slatted / contemporary | £78–£114 | £104–£152 | £130–£190 |
| Post and rail | £24–£39 | £32–£52 | £40–£65 |
| Extra | Per metre |
|---|---|
| Concrete posts instead of timber | about £10 |
| Removing and taking away the old fence | £8–£15 |
These are the same ranges used across the West Midlands. The typical Walsall job is a 15 to 25 metre rear boundary at 1.8m. That runs from about £900 for 15 metres of lap panels on timber posts, with nothing to remove, to about £4,000 for 25 metres of featheredge on concrete posts with the old fence taken away. Low front boundaries on the estates use the under-1m column, so even a long run there stays modest. The fence cost per metre guide has worked examples.
What pushes the price up here
- Taking the old fence away. Removal adds £8–£15 per metre. Walsall's tips do not accept business waste, so the specialist has to dispose of it through their own licensed route, and that cost sits in the price.
- The ground. Most of the borough is glacial till over mudstone, sandstone and coal measures, and the clay-rich till is slow to dig. Around Aldridge the bedrock is limestone and sandstone. Ask how posts will be set if a hole meets stone.
- Height near a road. Anything over 1m next to a road or its pavement, or over 2m anywhere, goes to a site visit and usually a planning application.
- Concrete posts. About £10 a metre more than timber, and usually worth it on wet clay.
- Access. Terraces in Caldmore, Pleck and Birchills often have no side way, so panels and posts are carried through the house. That adds 15–20%.
Article 4: where Walsall controls fences outright
Walsall has 18 conservation areas. Most of them leave an ordinary garden fence under the normal height limits alone. Two have Article 4 directions that the council still lists as current, and both reach fences directly.
- Highgate. The 1991 direction covers part of the Highgate conservation area. It removes permitted development rights for putting up, altering or demolishing any fence, wall or gate to the front or sides of a house, or fronting a public road or path. Inside the area on its plan, even a low front fence needs planning permission.
- Great Barr. The 1991 direction for the Great Barr conservation area goes further. It covers any fence, wall, gate or other means of enclosure, with no front-or-side limit, so a back-garden fence can need permission there too.
Both directions are local land charges, so they should show on the search when a house changes hands. The council's list also has directions on a few single properties in the town centre. If you are anywhere near Highgate or Great Barr, check the plan and speak to the conservation officer before you order panels.
Trees matter too. Walsall needs six weeks' notice before work on a tree in any conservation area, which can include cutting back branches or roots along a new fence line.
Verges, corners and council land
Walsall's own dropped-kerb guide notes that several grass verges in the borough are owned by the council's Asset Management Team, not by the householder, and crossing one needs an easement. If your side fence runs beside a verge, keep the new fence on the old line. Moving it out to take in the grass can enclose council land or highway that you have no right to fence in. Check your title plan first; our guide to who owns the fence shows how.
On a corner plot, the 1m limit applies along every boundary that faces a road used by vehicles, not just the front. A 1.8m fence down the side road needs planning permission. See the 1m rule next to a road.
Getting rid of an old fence yourself
If you take the old fence down yourself to save the removal charge, both Walsall tips take it. Fryers Road in Bloxwich (WS2 7LZ) lists wood among accepted items, and Middlemore Lane in Aldridge takes lengths of timber for reuse, recycling or disposal. You must live in Walsall and bring proof of address.
The van rules are strict. Vans and trailers must be booked in advance, with no same-day bookings, and you can visit only one site a month with one. The weight limit is 2.5 tonnes gross, and vehicles over 6 metres long are turned away. A car full of cut-up panels needs no booking.
What the job involves
- Checks. The specialist confirms the line, who owns it, and whether Highgate or Great Barr rules apply.
- Clearing. The old fence comes down and old post footings are broken out where they sit on the new line.
- Posts. Posts are set in concrete, with gravel boards to keep timber off the wet clay.
- Finishing. Panels or boards go up, capping is fitted, and the waste leaves with the crew.
For a gate in the same run, see side gates. The Walsall fencing page covers walls and decking.
Questions about new fences in Walsall
Do I need planning permission for a back fence in the Great Barr conservation area?
Quite possibly. The Great Barr Article 4 direction removes permitted development rights for any fence, wall or gate, wherever it sits on the plot, for the properties inside the area on its plan. Check the plan on the council's Article 4 page and ask the conservation officer before you start.
Does the Highgate Article 4 direction cover a rear fence in Walsall?
Usually not, unless the rear fence faces a road or path. The Highgate direction covers fences, walls and gates to the front or sides of a house, or fronting a public road. A fence between two back gardens falls outside it, but a side fence along a street does not.
Can I take my old fence panels to the Fryers Road tip in Bloxwich?
Yes, if you live in Walsall and bring proof of address. Wood is on its list of accepted items. In a van or trailer you must book in advance, and same-day bookings are not taken. A fencing firm cannot tip your old fence there, because business waste is refused.
Who owns the grass verge beside my fence in Walsall?
Not necessarily you, and not always the highway either. Walsall says several verges belong to its Asset Management Team. Check your title plan before moving a fence line, and ask the council if the plan is unclear.