Event fence rental: what temporary event fencing costs to hire

What suppliers publish, and what they do not

How to get an accurate fencing quote

1. Measure the run, not the area. Fencing is quoted per metre of boundary. Walk the line you want enclosed and measure it, including the gaps you intend to leave as entrances.
2. Say what it is for. Crowd separation, site security overnight and a visual screen are different products. Heras panels, barriers and screened fencing are priced differently.
3. Get the dates including build and break. Hire runs from delivery to collection, not from the first guest to the last. A Friday build and a Monday collection is a four day hire.
4. Ask about ground conditions. Fixing method depends on the surface. Feet, blocks or driven stakes change both price and what the landowner will allow.

Why a wedding needs fencing at all

Almost every wedding that needs event fencing is a wedding on land that is not a venue. Marquee weddings in fields, receptions in a private garden that backs onto a public path, and events on hired ground all reach a point where somebody has to decide where the event stops. Once there is a bar, that boundary stops being decorative: licensing conditions frequently require a defined and supervised area.

The other common driver is overnight security. A marquee full of hired equipment sitting in a field on the Friday night is a real risk, and a fenced compound is usually cheaper than an overnight guard. Suppliers will quote both, and the comparison is worth making explicitly rather than assuming fencing is the answer.

What the quote should separate

A fencing quote that gives you one number is hiding the levers. Hire of the panels, delivery, installation, collection and any out-of-hours labour should each be visible, because that is where two quotes actually differ. A supplier delivering to a site an hour away on a Saturday morning is selling you something quite different from one dropping panels midweek from ten minutes down the road.

Ask what happens if the dates move. Weather changes marquee builds more often than anything else at an outdoor wedding, and a supplier who will shift a delivery by a day without a charge is worth more than a slightly lower headline figure.

Questions organisers ask before they book

How is event fencing priced?

By the metre of boundary and by the duration of the hire, with delivery, installation and collection quoted separately. Measure your boundary line before you ask, because it is the number every supplier will want first.

Do I need it for a marquee wedding?

Not always, and often yes once there is a bar or the site is open to a public route. Ask the venue or the landowner what their licence and insurance require before deciding it is optional.

How long is a typical hire?

Longer than the wedding. Hire runs from delivery to collection, so a Saturday wedding with a Thursday marquee build and a Monday collection is usually charged as four or five days.

Can I put fencing on grass?

Usually, with weighted feet or blocks rather than driven stakes, and the supplier will ask about the ground before quoting. Landowners often specify the fixing method, so ask them first.

What this costs where you are marrying

• What a wedding costs in the UK, from published supplier prices