Choosing a fence: wood, metal or mesh panel

Timber fencing: a warm look that asks for upkeep

Wooden fencing remains popular around Tallinn and Harju county partly because it suits both a 1930s wooden house in Nõmme and a newer plot, and partly because it is the easiest material to adjust yourself — cutting a board to length or swapping a broken post needs nothing more than a saw and a spirit level. Pressure-treated pine boards or picket panels typically run from around 30–60 € per running metre installed, depending on height and how solid the frame is.

The trade-off is maintenance. Untreated or poorly finished timber greys and starts to rot at ground contact within a few years, especially where snow sits against the base of the posts over winter. A fence that is oiled or stained every two to three years, with posts set in concrete and kept clear of soil contact, will hold up far better than one left to fend for itself.

Wood is a reasonable choice for a garden divider or a side boundary where the look matters more than security, but it is worth being honest about the time it will ask for. If you are not planning to treat it regularly, it is a false economy to choose timber purely because the initial price looks lowest.

Metal fencing: more upfront, less worry later

Welded steel panels, profiled sheet fencing, or a metal frame infilled with wood or composite cost more to install — commonly 60–120 € per running metre depending on the design, coating and how much custom welding is involved — but they ask very little afterwards. A properly galvanised and powder-coated fence does not rot, does not need annual treatment, and holds its line even where the ground shifts slightly with frost.

The main risk with metal is at the joints and cut edges: if a panel is cut or welded on site and the exposed steel is not properly primed and coated, rust will start there first, often within a season. This is where the quality of the installation matters as much as the material itself.

For a fence that has to look sharp for years with minimal attention — a street-facing boundary, a driveway gate, a plot where nobody wants to be out staining boards every spring — metal is usually the better long-term buy, even though the invoice at the start is bigger.

Mesh and chain-link: the cheapest option, but not for everything

Welded mesh panels or chain-link on posts are the least expensive way to mark a boundary, typically from around 15–35 € per running metre depending on height and mesh gauge. They go up quickly, need almost no maintenance beyond checking post stability, and let light and air through, which suits a side or rear boundary between gardens.

What mesh does not offer is privacy or a strong visual statement, and cheaper chain-link can sag or distort over time if the posts are not set deep enough or the tension wire is skipped. Galvanised mesh copes with the Estonian climate well enough, but a cut edge left unfinished will still rust faster than the rest of the run.

Mesh suits a plot boundary where the point is simply to define the edge — marking where your land ends, keeping a dog in, separating one garden from the next — rather than a fence meant to be looked at from the street or to block a view.

A street-facing fence and a garden divider are different jobs

A fence along the street or a shared driveway does more work than an internal boundary: it sets the first impression of the house, often has to match or complement an existing gate, and needs to be sturdy enough to take knocks from bins, deliveries and passing traffic. This is usually where the extra cost of solid timber panels or a metal design earns its keep.

A garden divider between two properties, or a line marking the back of the plot, rarely needs the same visual weight. Mesh or a simpler timber picket does the job of defining the boundary without the expense of a fully screened, street-grade fence.

It is worth deciding early which category each stretch of your boundary falls into, since mixing materials — a solid front fence with lighter mesh along the sides — is a normal and sensible way to control the budget rather than a compromise.

What to check before you order

Before committing to a material, a few practical points decide whether the fence performs as expected. Boundary lines in particular are worth confirming precisely, since a fence built even a little over the line can become a dispute with a neighbour later, especially in older Harju county developments where original surveys are not always exact.

Ground conditions also matter: heavy clay or a high water table calls for deeper post footings and good drainage around the base, regardless of which material sits on top. If a change to a shared or roadside fence needs planning permission or a neighbour's agreement, check with the local municipality or the building register rather than assuming.

• Confirm the exact boundary line before setting any posts
• Check soil type and drainage where posts will be footed
• Decide street-facing sections separately from garden dividers
• Ask whether a permit or neighbour's consent is needed for the boundary in question
• Get a fixed quote for the full run rather than pricing it panel by panel

When it makes sense to call in a welder or metalworker

A simple timber or mesh fence on a flat, accessible plot is often manageable as a do-it-yourself project if you have the time and the right tools. Once the design involves a metal frame, custom gates, or steel posts set into concrete on uneven ground, the work benefits from proper welding equipment and experience with coatings that will actually hold up outdoors.

We handle fence repair and installation from 45 € per hour, and welding work — custom brackets, gate frames, repairs to an existing metal fence — from 55 € per hour. For a full steel fence or gate structure built to a specific design, we can usually give a fixed quote from 250 € once we have seen the plot or your drawings.

If you are choosing between materials and want a realistic sense of what a particular design would cost installed on your plot, sending a few photos and the approximate length of the boundary is usually enough for us to work out a fixed price.