Closeboard panels vs composite fencing: which should you choose?
The two fence styles we’re asked about most often in SW London now are closeboard panels and composite. They both look smart, they both last well when fitted properly, and they sit at very different price points. Here’s how we help clients decide between them.
What they are
Closeboard panels are pre-made timber panels: overlapping vertical featheredge boards on horizontal rails, built in sections roughly 6 foot wide. They slot between concrete posts on site. Solid timber, paintable, and they weather to a silver grey if left alone.
Composite fencing uses boards made from a blend of wood fibre and recycled plastic. They go into aluminium or composite posts, often with composite gravel boards too. The colour is mixed into the material, so it doesn’t fade noticeably or need a top coat.
The honest comparison
| Closeboard panels | Composite |
|---|---|
| £120 to £160 per linear metre | £200 to £280 per linear metre |
| Solid timber, will weather to grey | Colour stays consistent for 15 plus years |
| Re-stain every 2 to 3 years to keep one colour | No painting, staining or oiling, ever |
| Boards last 10 to 15 years | Boards last 15 to 25 years |
| Single panel can be swapped if damaged | Boards slot into posts, individual replacement is straightforward |
| Traditional look, suits older houses | Contemporary look, suits newer builds and refurbs |
| Lower up-front cost | Higher up-front, lower lifetime cost |
When closeboard panels win
If you want a traditional timber look, the kind that softens into a quiet grey-brown over a few summers, closeboard panels are the right answer. They suit Victorian and Edwardian gardens, which is most of SW London.
The up-front cost is roughly half of composite, so for longer boundaries it’s a meaningful saving. A 20 metre rear-garden fence comes out at £2,400 to £3,200 in closeboard panels.
If you’re someone who enjoys garden upkeep, or you’ve already got an outside tap and a tin of stain in the shed, the maintenance is a non-issue.
When composite wins
If you don’t want to think about the fence again for fifteen years, composite is hard to beat. No rot, no warping, no annual decision about whether to re-stain. A hose-down every spring and that’s it.
It’s also the right answer for exposed boundaries where the wind hits hard. The boards don’t move against the posts because the system is designed to interlock cleanly, so there’s no flex point to fail.
A few clients pick composite specifically for the colour: graphite greys and warm oak tones that the painted-timber route can match for about two seasons before fading.
What we always recommend regardless of fence type
These are non-negotiable on every fence we fit:
- Concrete posts for timber fencing, never wooden posts. Wooden posts in the ground rot at the base in five to seven years and fail in a storm. Composite systems use aluminium or composite posts that won’t rot either.
- Concrete gravel boards at the bottom of any timber fence. They take all the soil contact, so the wooden boards above them don’t.
- Cap rails along the top of timber fences. They protect the end grain of the boards from rain.
These three things turn a fence that lasts seven years into a fence that lasts twenty.
Costs in SW London for 2026
Fitted, with concrete or aluminium posts and gravel boards as appropriate:
- Closeboard panels, 1.8m: £120 to £160 per linear metre
- Composite, 1.8m: £200 to £280 per linear metre
A typical 20 metre rear-garden run is therefore £2,400 to £3,200 in closeboard panels or £4,000 to £5,600 in composite.
What about featheredge built on site, or Venetian slatted?
Featheredge built on site (rather than as pre-made panels) is the strongest timber option, sits between closeboard panels and composite on price, and lets you swap individual boards over the years. Venetian slatted gives a contemporary look with a little airflow through the boundary. Both are options we’re happy to quote.
To recap
- Traditional look, lower up-front, comfortable with light maintenance: closeboard panels.
- Modern look, zero maintenance, longer lifespan, willing to spend more up front: composite.
- In doubt and money is no object: composite. The lifetime cost works out close to even and you’ll never paint a fence again.
For a quote on either, see the fencing page or get in touch.