How much does ClearVu fencing cost in South Africa?

Pricing a 30 m street frontage, step by step

Say you're replacing an old precast wall along a 30 m street boundary with 358 mesh, plus one pedestrian gate and spikes along the top. Using the ranges above:

• Fence at 1.8 m: 30 m × R1,000 to R1,400 = R30,000 to R42,000.
• Pedestrian gate: R2,500 to R8,500.
• Spikes: 30 m × R20 to R75 = R600 to R2,250.
• Total at 1.8 m: about R33,100 to R52,750, before removing the old wall.
• Same job at 2.4 m: 30 m × R1,300 to R1,700 = R39,000 to R51,000 for the fence alone, so about R42,100 to R61,750 with the gate and spikes, plus plan and approval costs.

Height, aperture and wire: reading the specification

Mesh panels are commonly made at 1.2 m, 1.8 m, 2.1 m, 2.4 m and 3 m. Each step up adds steel per metre and usually a longer, heavier post, so the jump in price is not linear. Three-metre panels are mostly used on commercial and estate perimeters and are priced per project.

358 refers to an aperture of 3 inches by 0.5 inch (about 76.2 mm by 12.7 mm) with 8-gauge wire, around 4 mm. Economy "clearview" panels with a 100 mm by 50 mm or 75 mm by 25 mm opening look similar from the street but give a foothold. That's why the cheapest per-metre quote is often not 358 at all.

Posts, footings and fixings

Posts carry the fence, and most hidden cost sits in the ground. One Gauteng contractor describes footing holes of about 300 mm diameter, 600 mm to 800 mm deep, filled with concrete that needs 24 to 48 hours to cure before panels are hung. Rock that needs breaking or a slope that needs stepped panels adds time.

Check whether the quote includes the post caps, clamp bars and tamper-resistant bolts, or only the panels and posts.

Galvanised, powder-coated or PVC-coated

Plain galvanised panels are the base price. A powder coat, usually black or green, or a PVC coating adds roughly 10 to 30% depending on the supplier. Near the coast, that extra layer over galvanising is usually worth the money, because rust at the welds is what ends a mesh fence's life early. Ask whether the panels were galvanised before or after welding, and what the coating guarantee covers.

Lines to look for on a mesh fencing quote

• Metres of fence, panel height and aperture (358 or otherwise), with wire thickness.
• Post type and spacing, footing depth and concrete.
• Finish: galvanised only, powder-coated or PVC, and the colour.
• Each gate separately, with lock, hinges or track, and any motor.
• Toppings: spikes, razor wire or electric strands, priced per metre.
• Removal of the old boundary, rubble disposal and any surcharge for rock.
• Whether VAT is included.