15 July 2026 · 3 min read
When most people in Leeds plan a new fence, they think about the panels first: horizontal slats, close-board, the colour of the treated timber. That's understandable, because the panels are what you see. But the part that decides whether a fence lasts five years or fifteen is usually hidden below ground. The posts, and how they're fixed, do the real work.
We see this often across gardens in Headingley, Roundhay, Horsforth and the surrounding parts of West Yorkshire. A fence looks smart the day it goes up, then a couple of wet winters later the posts start to lean, wobble, or rot at the base. Nine times out of ten the panels were fine. The problem started with the footing.
Depth and post mix
A fence post needs to sit deep enough to resist the leverage that wind puts on it. As a rule, roughly a quarter to a third of the post should be below ground, which usually means digging down around 600mm for a standard domestic fence. Skimp on depth and you're relying on the panels to hold everything steady, which they were never designed to do.
We use a proper post mix and give it time to set before loading the posts with panels. It's tempting to rush this on a tight weekend, but concrete that hasn't cured properly is soft, and a soft footing is a leaning fence in the making. On a recent job you may have seen on our photos, the bag of post mix and the mixer weren't there for show. That base work is where a fence earns its lifespan.
Timber, concrete or a mix
Timber posts look right with timber panels, especially the horizontal slatted style that's popular in Leeds gardens at the moment. They can last well when they're properly treated and fixed with a small gap or gravel board at the base so the wood isn't sitting in standing water. Concrete posts last longer against rot but can look heavier, so it's a trade-off between appearance and longevity.
We often talk this through on site, because it depends on your soil, your budget and how the fence sits against walls or patios. Some of our recent installs run new timber panels straight above an existing breeze block or brick coping wall. That works well, but the posts still need a solid, independent fixing rather than just being pinned to the old wall.
Ground that needs prep first
Not every garden is ready for a fence on day one. Overgrown borders, old shrubs and uneven ground all need clearing before posts go in, otherwise you're fighting the site the whole way. Getting the levels and the line right at the start makes a noticeable difference to how straight and clean the finished run looks, particularly alongside a porcelain patio where any wobble in the fence line shows up immediately.
A few honest checks before you commit
If you're getting quotes for a fence in Leeds, ask how deep the posts go, what's used to fix them, and how long the footings are left before panels are hung. Ask whether gravel boards or a base gap are included to keep timber off the wet ground. The answers tell you a lot about how long the fence will actually stand.
At CLM Projects we handle fencing alongside patios, block paving and wider garden work across Leeds and West Yorkshire, so we can look at the whole space rather than one part of it. If you're planning new fencing or replacing a run that's started to lean, we're happy to come and take a look and give you a straightforward quote.