In Nigeria, most people consider fencing their property a priority. Apart from helping to secure your property from the menace of land grabbers, a fence also serves as a boundary, provides a level of security, privacy and also adds aesthetic value to your property. In this guide we’ll take a look at the cost of fencing a plot of land in Nigeria. You’ll learn how to calculate the number of blocks needed for a plot in and you’ll be able to answer common questions like – How many blocks can fence a 60 x 100 plot of land?, 50 x 100 plot of land, 100 X 100 and many more.
Types of Fences
Wrought Iron fence: this is mostly used for the fencing of estate entrances. This type of fencing provides aesthetic appeal but requires regular maintenance.
Wood Fence: wood fence is common in the United states and Canada. However, home owners in Nigeria use this type of fence to separate the main building from back yard farms or poultry. It can be a cheap option depending on the height and type of wood.
Aluminium fencing: this type of fencing isn’t common in Nigeria and for obvious reasons. It is not as “strong” in terms of security. It is usually used as a temporary option before a “real fence” is installed.
Chain link / Wire mesh: commonly used to make barriers in parks and across the roads in Nigeria. It is very durable and low maintenance option.
Electric Fence: this type of fencing is used in places that require high level of security. It is commonly used by the elites in buildings where security is a top priority.
Bamboo: bamboo fencing is gradually becoming a trend across developed nations of the world. Bamboo fencing is very durable and offers total privacy (although, it will still take a while before it gets accepted over here)
How many blocks can fence a 60 * 120 plot of land
A standard plot in Nigeria measures 60 feet by 120 feet( although it could be 50 x 100 in some cities). Therefore, we’ll be using this measurement to determine the number of blocks needed for a plot in Nigeria. However, if you have 2 plots of land, all you have to do is multiply the final results in this guide by two. If you have 3 plots of land, multiply the final answer by three. And if your land is half plot, just divide the final results in this guide by half.
This guide contains basic principles of mathematics: addition, multiplication and conversion. Even if you hate mathematics, the guide is pretty easy to follow.
Plot of Land
Firstly, we’ll calculate the perimeter of the land and convert to inches
Since the standard measurement of a plot is 120 ft x 60 ft, this means:
Length = 120ft. The length has two sides ; ( 120 x 2 = 240)
Therefore length of both sides (total length) = 240 ft
Breadth = 60ft. The breadth also has two sides; (60 x 2=120)
Breadth of both sides (total breadth) = 120 ft
From basic mathematics, we know that Perimeter = length + breadth
Perimeter of the plot = 240+120=360ft
Optional: if you’re adding a gate , remove 12ft from the perimeter of the plot
To convert to inches, we use the standard unit of conversion
1ft = 12 inches
Therefore 360ft = (360 x 12) = 4320 inches.
This means, the total length of a plot of land measuring (120ft x 60ft) is 4320 inches
Blocks
There are two standard types of blocks in Nigeria, 9 inch block and 6 inch block. But, don’t be fooled by the names, both the 9 inches and 6 inches block measures 18 inches in length.
Now, we’ve gotten the measurement of the land and block .
Land=4320 inches
Block=18 inches
To get the number of blocks that will go round the whole plot, we’ll divide the land by the block
i.e 4320/18 = 240 blocks
This means 240 blocks will go round a plot of 60 x 120. However, to raise the fence to the desired height, we’ll have to multiply by the number of coaches.
Most home owners usually prefer a fence that’s about 7 feet tall. A 7 feet fence equals 9 coaches.
Therefore, to get the total number of fences for 9 coaches, we’ll multiply the number of coaches by the number of blocks that’ll go round the plot.
This is 240 x 9 = 2160 blocks
How many bags of cement to fence a plot of land
The standard calculation of cement to blocks is – 1 bag of cement to 70 blocks ( please note that the number of blocks can be less that this if you’re using hollow blocks). Therefore, for 2160 blocks, you’ll need 2160/70 = 30.86 bags of cement or approximately 31 bags of cement.
Other costs include
Digging of the fence foundation – ₦30,000 – ₦40,000 ( depending on the city your property is located)
A truck of granite – ₦100,000 – ₦160,000 for 10 tons( for wall foundation)
Sharp sand – ₦65,000 – ₦80,000 for 15 tons
Cost of labour: This may include excavation, leveling, ramming and pegging. Depending on the area and your negotiating power , it can range between ₦40 – ₦50 per block for bricklayers and ₦20 – ₦30 per block for labourers. The cost of fencing a plot of land in Nigeria can be summarized as the addition of the number of blocks , cement and cost of labourers.
If you’re still confused and you’ll like to do a calculation for the cost of fencing another size of land , check out this fence calculator