14 | Sector Market Update: Fencing & Pallets
SUMMARY
■ The dry summer was generally good news for fencing sales
■Fencing demand has slowed earlier than usual
■Sawmills have reduced pallet wood production
■The Christmas uplift in pallet demand had failed to appear by mid-October
■ TIMCON reports that pallet reuse is growing
PRODUCES FRUITFUL FENCING SEASON
DRY WEATHER
This year’s fencing season was generally positive, but it seems to have come to an earlier end than usual. The pallet sector has also been quieter than expected in the run-up to Christmas. Keren Fallwell reports
As the days shorten and the weather dampens, the UK fencing sector is slowing down after what, for most, was a positive summer.
After last winter’s prolonged wet weather, the fencing season had a strong start in spring this year and the dry, warm summer meant demand continued. “We have enjoyed a buoyant summer and would put that down to the good weather we had. It was a surprise, especially as the spring was good for sales as well,” one trader said. Demand perhaps dipped in August but that is to be expected in the school holidays. He added that it was “slightly better than a normal season”, although was quick to point out that with the fencing frenzy during the Covid pandemic and the continued rain last year it was difficult to remember the last normal year.
A fencing contractor had a similar experience.
“The spring and summer months were busy, with our lead time to install fences running at a consistent six to eight weeks for the duration,” he said.
While the dry summer weather helped to sustain a satisfying level of demand, little of it seemed to be related to people moving or buying new houses.
“The housing market being quite slow has meant people aren’t wanting us to fence their gardens once they’ve recently moved. Instead, it’s been returning customers looking to upgrade or renew,” said one contractor. He, too, noticed a “massive drop-off” in enquiries during the summer holidays, which suggested people were prioritising summer holidays over spending on garden projects. “It was back to pre-Covid times when the demand for our services follows school term dates,” he said.
One supplier reported his sales were up 5% on last year, which helped to pay for the increase in employer’s NI contributions and the trebling in his electricity costs when his supply contract ended.
Another manufacturer and supplier also noted the impact of the higher National Insurance bill. “We haven’t made the pay awards we would have done if National Insurance hadn’t gone up,” he said.
He was less positive than other contacts about this year’s fencing season and felt the UK’s economic climate made people more mindful of where they spent their money. Although the fencing season was below expectations for his company, he continued to carry three to four months’ stock to be
TTJ | November/December 2025 |
www.ttjonline.com prepared for any upturn.
“It’s money that could be in the bank but if I have it and can sell it, it’s better than the interest rate I would get from the bank. And you can’t sell what you don’t have,” he said. One product area that continued to do well for him was rustic post and rail chestnut fencing, which he sold to customers throughout the UK. He had trouble keeping up with demand, however, because of several issues with supply.
The first was that the wet weather last winter meant many landowners were reluctant to have extraction equipment in their woodlands. Harvesting is limited to between October and the end of February the sap starts rising, making the timber less durable.
Another factor is the availability of labour to fell the chestnut by hand, and the lack of new blood coming into the industry. “Chestnut doesn’t grow uniformly so it’s a physically and mentally demanding job. Youngsters don’t want that sort of work now,” he said.
The average age of coppicers was rising and he worried about the security of supply over the next 10-15 years.
Another issue is that subsidised payments for biomass make felling timber for fuel more
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