How To Specify An Aluminium Fencing Order

Whether you install fencing for homeowners, landscape gardens or supply the trade from a builders' merchant, the quickest route to an accurate quote for aluminium fencing is a clear specification. The more of it we have at the start, the fewer questions go back and forth, and the closer the first quotation is to the final order. This checklist covers what to include, section by section. Not every detail has to be decided before you get in touch, but each one you can share makes the quote sharper.

Start With The Layout

Send a site plan, a sketch or a drawing with each run of fence marked and measured. Photos of the site help too, especially where the ground or the boundary is not straightforward.

• Run lengths: measured along the line of the fence, run by run.
• Corners: every change of direction, so the right number of posts and fixings can be allowed for.
• Slopes: whether the fence should step down in level sections or follow the ground.
• Ends: where runs finish against a wall, a building or an existing fence.

Height, Style And Privacy

Give the finished height for each run. In England, most fences need planning permission above 2 metres, or above 1 metre next to a road, so it is worth checking the limits before the specification is fixed.

Planning Basics: See Our Aluminium Or Timber Fencing Guide

Then choose the style. Slatted fencing leaves gaps between the slats for light and airflow; full privacy fencing closes them for a solid screen. If you have a preferred slat width or gap, include it. If you don't, describe the look you are after and we'll discuss the options available through our manufacturing network. If one of the designs on our Aluminium Fencing page is close to what you need, quote its reference number.

Posts And Fixings

How the posts are fixed decides which posts and components go into the order. Tell us, for each run, whether posts will be set into the ground, bolted down to a slab or wall with base plates, or fixed to an existing structure, and what the ground or surface is.

Exposed and high sites deserve particular care. How a fence copes with the wind depends on its design, its height and how it is installed, so your installer should confirm the arrangement for the site. We supply the products; installation is carried out by you or your chosen installer.

Gates

• Number: how many gates, and where they sit in each run.
• Type: pedestrian or driveway, single or double leaf, swinging or sliding.
• Opening: the clear width each gate needs to give.
• Match: whether the gates should follow the fence style and finish exactly.
• Automation: if a gate will be automated, say so at the start so the design can allow for it.

Finish And Colour

For a powder coated finish, give the RAL colour and the gloss level you want: matt, satin or gloss. Anthracite grey (RAL 7016) and black are popular for contemporary schemes, but any RAL colour can be quoted. For a woodgrain finish, name the look you want, from light oak to darker walnut.

If the site is near the coast or otherwise exposed, mention the location so the powder coating specification and pretreatment can be considered from the start. And if a project will be delivered in phases, tell us about the later phases now: ordering the finish for the whole project together helps keep it consistent from the first run to the last.

Profiles Only Or A Complete Kit

Decide how much of the system you need. Some installers want profiles and components only, to use with fixings and methods they already trust. Others prefer a complete project kit, with slats, posts, caps, brackets and fixings coming together for each job.

If you sell your own fencing system, we can source profiles made to your drawing. Before a new die is made, we check our partners' die libraries for an existing match, which can save the cost and wait of a new one; if your profile does need a new die, its cost is shown separately in the quote.

Quantities, Delivery And Timing

Each profile is produced in a minimum production run of 300 kg per order. For a larger project or an ongoing supply, tell us the volumes you expect and whether deliveries can be phased, so the order can be planned around them. If you like to hold spare slats for repairs or late changes, include them in the quantities.

For delivery, give the postcode, any access limits for a large vehicle, and whether there is a forklift or other means of offloading on site. Profiles are packed to protect their finish and labelled for easy stock control. Add the date you need everything by, and any dates that are fixed.

Quotes are valid for seven days, and our prices follow the aluminium market price (LME), so for a project that is still some weeks away the price is confirmed in writing before production begins.

Your Quote Checklist

• Layout: a plan or sketch with run lengths, corners, slopes and ends.
• Height: the finished height for each run.
• Style: slatted or full privacy, with any preferred slat size or a gallery reference.
• Fixing: how the posts will be fixed, and the ground or surface.
• Gates: number, type and clear opening widths.
• Finish: RAL colour and gloss level, or the woodgrain you want, plus any coastal exposure.
• Supply: profiles and components only, or a complete project kit.
• Quantities: volumes, phases and any spares.
• Delivery: postcode, site access and the date you need everything by.

When you request a quote and tick Aluminium Fencing, the form opens a short Fencing Details section for exactly these points, and you can attach drawings or photos. Not every detail decided? Send us what you have, and we'll put together a competitive quotation for the agreed products, preparation and delivery.