Close Board Fencing in Devon

Close board fencing, built board by board

Close board is the fence most people picture when they think of a proper garden boundary: vertical feather edge boards, overlapped and nailed one at a time onto horizontal rails, with posts set firmly in the ground. Because it is built on site rather than dropped in as a ready-made panel, it follows slopes, awkward corners and uneven plots far better, which matters on the hilly streets around Dawlish, Teignmouth and the Teign estuary.

Who it suits

Gardens that need full privacy from a road, footpath or neighbour
Exposed plots near the coast where wind would rattle a lightweight panel
Sloping gardens where the fence has to step or rake with the ground
Long boundaries where a consistent, solid line looks best

At a glance

Typical job: one to three days for an average back garden run
Included: survey, setting out, posts, rails, boards, gravel boards where needed, clear-up and old fencing taken away
Area: Dawlish, Teignmouth, Newton Abbot, Exeter and across South Devon
Price: given after a free site visit

Done properly versus done cheaply

A close board fence lasts as long as its posts. The cheap version uses short posts barely sunk into the soil, untreated rails and boards that sit straight on the ground, so the bottoms rot within a few winters. We set posts deep enough for the height and the exposure, keep timber off the soil with a gravel board, use treated rails and galvanised fixings, and check the line and level as we go so the finished run is straight and true.

The small parts that decide how long it lasts

Rails: a taller fence wants three, because two leave the boards free to bow in the middle. Triangular arris rails also shed water from their top edges instead of holding it.
Nailing: feather edge moves with the weather. Fixing through a single board at each rail, not through the one lapped beneath it, lets them shift slightly without splitting.
Capping: rain runs into the exposed tops of the boards. A capping strip along the upper edge keeps out much of it and gives the finished fence a tidier line.
The base: a gravel board takes the splash and the soil, and when one eventually gives up, you change that board on its own and leave the run standing.

Close board on Devon’s clay, stone and sloping ground

What’s under the turf changes how a post goes in. Heavy clay around Newton Abbot and Kingsteignton holds water through winter and can shrink back in a dry summer, which slowly loosens any post without enough depth. Red ground nearer the coast usually drains better, but can be loose when you dig it, so a hole may need more care to stay clean. Towards the moor you can meet stone a short way down, and the position of a post sometimes has to shift to suit what the digging finds.

Old boundaries bring their own surprises. Devon gardens often have a bank, a hedge line or the remains of an old wall running exactly where the new fence should go, and it’s rare for a long run to be straight once you put a string on it. We’d sooner find that out while setting out than half way along. If the line has moved over the years, settle it with next door before any posts go in, because a solid fence is a lot of work to shift afterwards.

From first visit to the last board

We visit, measure and talk through height, post type and finish
You get a clear written quote
We set out the line, remove the old fence if there is one, and fit posts and rails
Boards go on and are checked for spacing and plumb
We tidy up, take the waste away and walk the finished fence with you

Close board questions we hear most

Can you build close board on top of a wall or bank?

Often, yes. It depends on the condition of the wall and how the posts can be fixed. We’ll look at it on the visit and tell you honestly whether it will hold.

Timber posts or concrete posts?

Both have their place. Concrete lasts longer in the ground; timber looks softer and is easier on awkward lines. We’ll recommend what suits your garden, not what is quickest for us.

Do I need to tell my neighbour?

It is always worth a conversation, especially if the fence sits on a shared boundary. We can work from either side once access is agreed.

Should the fence step down the slope or follow it?

Close board can do either. Raking keeps the top parallel with the ground, which often suits a steady slope. Stepping keeps the rails level, and may look better on steep or uneven plots. We’ll show you what each means on your line.

Which way round should the boards face?

By custom, the smoother board side faces the neighbour, with rails and posts on the owner’s side. It’s a habit, not a law, so if you’d prefer otherwise, talk it through with next door first.

What if a tree or hedge sits on the fence line?

We’d usually move a post or run around it rather than cut through big roots. Some trees have legal protection, so ask the planning team before any roots or branches are touched, as there can be penalties for getting it wrong.

Close board in a seaside town brings its own questions, from salt on the fixings to steep plots. We have written them up for close board fencing in Dawlish and for close board fencing in Teignmouth.

Planning a close board fence? Tell us about your boundary: its rough length and whether an old fence has to come out, with a picture or two, and we’ll book a time to look at it. For local work, fencing in Dawlish and fencing in Teignmouth are a good next read.