The short answer: short runs cost more per metre, and freestanding costs more than wall-top
Published price guides put a wall-top electric fence at roughly R300 to R400 per metre installed (ProCompare, checked 16 Oct 2026).
Real quotes for short fences come out much higher per metre, because the energiser, earthing, siren and signs cost about the same whether you fence 20 m or 200 m. Freestanding fences cost more per metre than wall-top fences.
For an exact price, see what goes into our electric fencing or WhatsApp us your wall length and a few photos.
Published guides say R300 to R400 a metre, but real quotes for short fences come out higher
These are not Saxmoore prices. They’re what you’ll find when you search, so you know what the numbers mean.
| Source (checked 16 Oct 2026) | What it says | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| ProCompare price guide | R300 to R400 per metre installed on a wall (average about R300). Another table on the same site gives R200 to R300 per metre. | The guide is undated. It’s a national average, not a quote. |
| ProCompare job requests, Johannesburg | 25 m for about R18,000 (about R720/m). 70 m on a wall for about R35,000 (about R500/m). 100 m for about R45,000 (about R450/m). 300 m with a gate motor for about R135,000. | These are estimates attached to customer requests, not finished jobs. They show how the per-metre price drops as the fence gets longer. |
| ProCompare job requests, Walkerville | 377 m at 1.8 m high, estimated at about R135,000. 400 m at 2.4 m high with a sliding gate, estimated at about R320,000. | Large freestanding perimeters on Midvaal smallholdings. Estimates, not finished jobs. |
| Other lead-generation sites (Snupit, Kandua, LocalPros) | Per-metre figures from about R95 to about R407. Snupit adds R1,600 to R2,000 on top of its R150 to R300 per metre. | Wide ranges, and what’s included varies. Check whether the energiser, gates and certificate are in the price. |
Why the spread? Short runs, freestanding fences, more strands and difficult walls all push the price up. Long, simple wall-top runs bring it down.
A short fence costs more per metre because the energiser, earthing and signs are fixed costs
Every electric fence has fixed parts that don’t change much with length:
- the energiser and its battery
- the siren or strobe and the alarm wiring
- earth spikes and lightning protection
- the warning signs, at least at the gate and corners
- the electric fence certificate
- getting a team and a vehicle to site
On a 25 m townhouse wall, those fixed costs are spread over very few metres, so the per-metre price looks high. On a 200 m boundary, they almost disappear into the total.
→ WhatsApp us your wall length and a few photos for a price · or see our electric fencing service
Wall-top fences cost less per metre than freestanding ones
Wall-top fences sit on brackets fixed to an existing wall. You’re paying for the brackets, wire, insulators, energiser and labour. This is the most common home fence, and it costs the least per metre if the wall is sound and high enough.
Freestanding fences stand on their own posts in the ground, with no wall. They need more height, more strands and concrete footings, so they cost more per metre. They suit open boundaries, smallholdings and business yards.
Farm and game fences are a different job again: long lines, different energisers and wire, priced per kilometre. See farm and game fencing.
Business and industrial sites are priced per site after a survey. See commercial and industrial electric fencing.
Every extra strand adds wire, insulators and bracket length to the price
More strands mean more wire, more insulators and longer brackets or posts, so the price climbs with every strand.
More strands also make a fence harder to climb through, so it’s a trade-off between price and how hard you want the fence to be to get past.
Energiser size, gates, corners, the wall and the ground all move the price
- Energiser size and zones. A bigger property or a longer fence needs a stronger energiser (measured in joules). Splitting the fence into zones costs a bit more but tells you exactly where a fault is.
- Brackets. Straight brackets cost less than angled ones. Angled brackets must lean inwards at no more than 45°, never over the neighbour without consent.
- Wire. Aluminium, stainless steel and the newer options in between differ in price and lifespan. Our electric fence wire guide compares them.
- Gates. Gate contacts or a gate alarm add cost, but stop the gate from being the weak spot.
- Corners and height changes. Each corner and step needs strainer brackets and more labour.
- The wall itself. A cracked or low wall may need repairs first. Next to a public pavement, the first live wire must be at least 1.5 m above the ground or behind a barrier, which can mean extra height.
- Earthing. Rocky or dry ground needs more earth spikes to earth properly.
- Lightning protection. Lightning diverters and surge protection cost a little up front and can save an energiser after a Highveld storm.
- Battery backup. A bigger battery keeps the fence working longer in a power cut.
- App alerts. A 4G or Wi-Fi gateway sends alarms to your phone. Nemtek says its Connect app is free for the first three years, then there’s an annual subscription.
- Removing an old fence before the new one goes up.
→ WhatsApp us your wall length and a few photos for a price · or see our electric fencing service
Budget for batteries, maintenance and a certificate when you sell
- Batteries. The backup battery wears out, faster when there are lots of power cuts.
- Repairs. Storm damage, a cut wire or a dead energiser. See electric fence repairs.
- App subscription after any free period, if you use one.
- A certificate when you sell, if the fence has changed since the last one. See our electric fence COC guide.
A cheap quote often leaves out the certificate, the signs or the earthing
A low per-metre price can hide what’s missing. Ask about it if a quote:
- doesn’t include the electric fence certificate
- leaves out the warning signs or the earth spikes
- connects razor or barbed wire to the fence (that’s not allowed)
- uses an energiser without a SANS 60335-2-76 test certificate
- isn’t itemised, or isn’t in writing
- comes from someone who can’t give you an electric fence installer registration number
A fence that fails its certificate inspection when you sell costs more to fix than doing it properly the first time.
→ WhatsApp us your wall length and a few photos for a price · or see our electric fencing service
Send five things on WhatsApp and get a ballpark fast
- Your suburb.
- The length of wall or boundary. Google Maps’ “Measure distance” tool is close enough.
- Photos of the wall, including the corners and the gate.
- The wall height, roughly.
- Whether you have an old fence to remove.
We don’t go over it without your OK.
Get a real price for your fence, in writing, before any work starts
WhatsApp us your length and photos, call 083 659 0957, or see our electric fencing service.
Sources
- ProCompare, “Fences prices” guide and electric fence request pages (checked 16 Oct 2026)
- Snupit, Kandua and LocalPros electric fencing price pages (checked 16 Oct 2026)
- Nemtek, Nemtek Connect product page (subscription terms)
- SANS 10222-3 summaries: BusinessTech (Feb 2025), King Price
(Build: link each source to the URLs in 03 §3.1 / §8 and 01 §5. Re-check the figures on the day of publishing.)
Third-party prices are shown to explain the market. They aren’t quotes, and they aren’t Saxmoore’s prices. Prices include VAT unless stated.
Questions people ask
Why is a short electric fence more expensive per metre?
Because the energiser, battery, siren, earth spikes, signs and certificate cost about the same on a 20 m fence as on a 200 m fence. On a short run, those fixed costs are spread over fewer metres.
Is a freestanding electric fence more expensive than a wall-top fence?
Yes, per metre. A freestanding fence needs its own posts, concrete footings, more height and usually more strands. A wall-top fence uses the wall you already have.