Gravel Boards

A concrete gravel board is a piece of concrete that goes under your fence panels and sits on top of the ground beneath to protect your fence against wet soil, debris, and insect damage.

Concrete lasts longer, wood costs less and looks better. A smooth concrete gravel board starts at £16.26 and will never rot, so it is the better choice where the ground stays wet or you want the fence to outlast the panels. Our wooden boards start at £1.78, match a timber fence visually, and are easy to cut and fix, but will eventually need replacing. 

Yes. A gravel board sits on the soil so that it takes the damp, rather than the fence panel, and it closes the gap at the bottom of the fence. What matters is which material touches the ground: concrete can sit directly on soil indefinitely, while a wooden board in permanent contact with wet earth will rot in time. Set wooden boards on firm, free-draining ground rather than bedding them into a hollow where water collects. 

Keep water moving away from them. Make sure the ground along the fence line drains rather than holding puddles, and clear soil, mulch and leaf litter that piles up against the board and keeps it permanently wet. Brush a preservative end-grain treatment onto any cut ends, as that is where rot usually starts. A thicker board lasts longer than a thin one. Where ground stays wet year round, concrete is the best option.

The usual method is a gravel board bracket, screwed to the post with the board then fixed into the bracket. This holds the board clear of the post face and makes replacement straightforward later. The alternative is a short timber cleat screwed to each post for the board to sit against. Either way, use exterior-grade screws, and fix the board before the panel so the panel sits on top of it. 

Yes. A slotted concrete post holds the panel in a channel, but without a board at the bottom the panel itself sits against the soil and rots from the base upwards. The gravel board slides into the same slot below the panel and takes that contact instead. It also raises the panel to the right height and closes the gap underneath, so a slotted post system is designed around having one. 

22mm suits most domestic fences and is what the majority of people buy, in 75mm, 100mm or 150mm depths from £1.78 to £3.26. The 47 x 150mm board at £14.38 is a much heavier section, worth it where the board is retaining a step in ground level, holding back soil or a bark bed, or where the fence line sees knocks from vehicles or livestock. For a standard panel fence on level ground, 22mm is enough. 

A row of bricks or blocks laid along the fence line works, as does a concrete haunch cast between the posts, and both raise the panel clear of the soil in the same way. Our sleepers also do the job where you want to retain a change in level at the same time. 

Wooden boards start at £1.78 for 22 x 75mm, rising to £3.26 for 22 x 150mm and £14.38 for the heavy 47 x 150mm section. Concrete boards are £16.26 for smooth and £36.78 for rock faced. Brackets are £2.17 each. Pricing varies by postcode, so enter yours on the product page for an accurate figure, and delivery is charged by pallet.