Cost to install an electric fence

Whether you’re keeping sheep, cows or even dogs, an electric fence is a great alternative to a chain link fence. It’s cost-effective, less imposing and, if you’re after an electric fence for your pets, can even be invisible. Here, we’ll take a look at the typical cost to install an electric fence.

How much does it cost to install an electric fence?

The cost to install an electric fence can vary hugely depending on a number of factors. These include:

• What the fence is for: For instance, is it for pets or for livestock?
• Its longevity: Electric fences can be either permanent or temporary.
• Whether or not it’s visible: Invisible electric fences, which only affect the animals you’re trying to keep in, are popular for dogs and cats.
• The number of pets: If you’ve opted for an invisible fence, it’ll come with a special collar. The cost will depend on how many pets you need collars for.
• The size of the area: The larger the amount of land you want to enclose, the more fencing you’ll need and the more the project will cost.
• Your land’s conditions: The shape of the boundaries and the soil structure can both affect the overall cost of electric fence installation.
• The amount of shock: Different kinds of animals will need different levels of electric shock to act as a deterrent.
• How it’s powered: Electric fences can be electric grid powered, battery powered or solar powered.

Electric fence cost calculator

To install an electric pet fence, you can expect to pay on average between £360 – £1,200 in total. If, on the other hand, you’re installing a typical three-line electric fence for sheep or cattle, the electric fence cost per acre will usually be a lot lower.

To work out the total cost of your electric fence, you’ll need to factor in three things: the cost of materials, the cost of installation and the cost of running it.

Cost of electric fence per metre

First things first, you’ll need to consider the cost of your electric fence itself.

Cost of electric fence for livestock

The cost of an electric fence for livestock will normally be between 40p – 60p per metre, assuming it’s a typical three-line electric fence for sheep or cattle. This works out at around 12p – 19p per foot. 

Electric fencing of this kind can be around half the cost of traditional fencing with barbed wire when it comes to both building and maintaining it.

Average cost of electric fence for dogs

The cost of an electric dog fence is typically more expensive and comes in kits. An electric dog fence usually costs between £1 – £2.30 per metre, depending on how much land you need to enclose (if you need to purchase a large kit to cover a large number of acres, your cost per metre will usually go down). The cost per acre is normally around £300 – £520. Prices at the higher end of the range will usually assume an invisible electric fence for several dogs.

Electric fence installation cost

Next, you’ll need to factor in the cost of electric fence installation. If you’re installing a standard three-line electric fence for sheep or cattle, you can expect to pay around £15 per hour for labour. A 600-metre-long system is likely to take between just 30 minutes and an hour to install.

If you’re after an electric pet fence, you could reduce your installation cost by purchasing a kit you can install yourself. However, getting a professional to install it for you will be much quicker and easier and you can be safe in the knowledge that it’s been done properly. Electric pet fences typically start at around £3.50 per metre including both materials and installation.

How much does an electric fence cost to run?

Finally, when you’re deciding whether an electric fence is right for you, don’t forget to consider the cost of running it. To work out how much you’ll be spending on electricity, you’ll need to find out how many watts your energiser uses and how much your energy supplier charges you per kilowatt.

Most energisers used for containing livestock range from 1 watt to over 25 watts. If you run a 4.5-watt energiser continuously for a year and you pay around 23p per kilowatt-hour for your electricity, you’ll end up spending just under £9 per year.

Key takeaways

• Electric fences are often cheaper than traditional fences will barbed wire.
• You’ll need to factor in the cost of materials, labour and running your electric fence.
• Your total cost will depend on what your fence will be used for and how long it needs to be.