Fitting anti-climb spikes is a screwdriver job most people finish in an afternoon. Each strip is 2mm galvanised steel in a 1.2-metre length with pre-drilled holes: mark your line along the wall or fence top, drill and plug where you hit masonry, then drive a screw through each hole. Wear gloves, keep the spikes clear of anyone with a lawful reason to be near the boundary, and check your local rules before you start.
How do you install anti-climb spikes?
Fitting anti-climb spikes is a screwdriver job most people finish in an afternoon. Each strip is 2mm galvanised steel in a 1.2-metre length with pre-drilled holes: mark your line along the wall or fence top, drill and plug where you hit masonry, then drive a screw through each hole. Wear gloves and check your local rules first.
The strips overlap end to end along the run, so the deterrent is continuous with no gap to grip. There are no moving parts and nothing to maintain afterwards — once the last screw is in, the job is done for years. The three things worth getting right are the fixing (matched to what you are screwing into), the coverage (enough lengths for the run) and the placement (out of reach of anyone with a lawful reason to be near the boundary). The sections below take each in turn.
How do you fit anti-climb spikes to a brick wall?
Hold a strip on top of the wall, mark through its pre-drilled holes, then drill each mark with a masonry bit and tap in a wall plug. Line the strip back up and drive a screw into each plug until it sits firm. Fix into the brick face, not the weathered mortar line, where you can.
Work one strip at a time along the run, butting each new length against the last so the coverage stays unbroken. On a coping stone or a rounded wall top where a screw fixing is awkward, that is exactly the surface an anti-climb paint or a clamp-on topper suits better — our anti-climb fence topper guide covers those cases. For a straightforward brick or block wall, the large anti climb spikes are the usual choice.
How do you fit anti-climb spikes to a timber or metal fence?
On a timber fence, screw straight through the pre-drilled holes into a solid rail or the fence top with outdoor wood screws — no plug needed. On a metal fence or railing, use self-tapping screws sized to the section, or clamp the strip where drilling isn’t an option. Either way, fix into something solid.
A fence flexes more than a wall, so make sure each strip lands on a rail or post rather than spanning a gap, and add a screw at any point that feels springy. The medium anti-climb fence spikes are sized for timber fence rails; for taller boundaries and walls the large security spikes give more height. Delivery is £19 flat per UK order (£22 to the Republic of Ireland) however many lengths you fit.
What screws or fixings do you need?
Match the fixing to the surface: masonry plugs and screws for brick, block or stone; outdoor wood screws for timber; self-tapping screws for metal. Use galvanised or stainless fixings so they last outdoors as long as the galvanised strips do, and pick a length that bites well into solid material — not just the capping.
The strips arrive with the fixing holes already drilled, so there is no measuring out of hole positions — the strip is its own template. Beyond the screws you need only a drill, the right bit for your surface, a screwdriver or driver bit, a pencil and a pair of gloves. The wall spikes and the other strips all fix the same way, so the toolkit does not change with the product.
How many anti-climb spikes do I need?
Each length covers 1.2 metres, so divide the run you want to protect by 1.2 and round up to the next whole strip. A 6-metre wall needs 5 lengths, a 10-metre run needs 9, and a 20-metre boundary needs 17. Measure every separate run — front wall, side return, gate posts — and add them together.
Worked through, that is 6 ÷ 1.2 = 5, 10 ÷ 1.2 = 8.3 (round up to 9), 20 ÷ 1.2 = 16.7 (round up to 17). Round up rather than down: it is better to trim the last strip to length than to leave a climbable gap at the end of a run, and cutting is easy with a hacksaw or an angle grinder. Browse the full fence spikes range once you know your total. Note that returns cover uncut, unused spikes only, so buy to your measured run and cut once fitted.
What safety gear should I wear to fit anti-climb spikes?
Wear sturdy gloves whenever you handle the strips — the points are sharp by design — and eye protection while drilling masonry. If any part of the run is above shoulder height, work from a stable step-up or tower rather than a wobbly ladder, and have someone foot it. Keep children and pets away from the offcuts.
None of this is specialist kit — gloves, goggles and a steady platform cover it — but the spikes are meant to be unpleasant to grab, so treat them with the same respect during fitting that you want them to command afterwards. Store any cut-off ends points-down until you can dispose of them.
Do I need to tell anyone or put up a warning sign?
There is no UK-wide law that bans anti-climb spikes on your own boundary, but rules differ by country and council, so check your local rules — the judgment is yours. As good practice, put a warning sign on every approach, and keep spikes out of places where lawful passers-by could reasonably come into contact with them.
Two things are worth settling before you drill. First, height and planning: in England a wall, fence or gate normally needs planning permission above 1 metre where it borders a highway or its footway, and above 2 metres elsewhere — and listed buildings, conservation areas and Article 4 directions can change that, so planningportal.co.uk or a quick word with your council settles it. Second, who could foreseeably reach the boundary: where children are foreseeable, the real question is whether spikes belong there at all, not just whether to add a sign.
Our A4 metal anti-climb warning sign and CCTV in-operation sign are restocking — check availability, and put one on every approach the day they arrive. More buying questions are answered on our FAQ page.
Fast dispatch, measured — not promised. Measured across 180 days of orders (Feb–Aug 2026): 83% of mainland UK orders dispatched within 1 working day; 92% within 2. Median dispatch 0.91 days.
Ready to fit yours?
Measure your runs, round each up to the next 1.2-metre length, and pick the strip for the surface: the large anti climb spikes for brick walls and high boundaries, the medium wall spikes for lower walls, and the medium anti-climb fence spikes for timber fence rails. 2mm galvanised steel, £19 flat UK delivery however much you order, fitted with a screwdriver in an afternoon.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Laws and local rules differ across the UK and beyond, and every property is different — when in doubt, check with your local council.