Need a new fence in Highett? Draw your fence line on a map (or type the metres) and get an instant estimate in 2 minutes, no waiting for callbacks, no pushy sales visits. Timber paling fences on hardwood posts set in concrete, supply and install. Your written quote is confirmed at a free, no-obligation on-site measure.
Expanse Fencing installs quality timber paling and privacy fences (picket fences on request) right across Highett and Melbourne's south-east. Every job includes treated pine rails and palings, hardwood posts set in concrete and a 5-year structural warranty. You deal with the owner, Pete, from quote to handover.
The difference? You don't wait days for a price. Get an instant Highett estimate online in 2 minutes, then book a free, no-obligation on-site measure for your written quote. No surprises, no sales pressure.
Highett straddles two councils, Bayside and Kingston, and it has changed quickly: former industrial and research land has been redeveloped into new housing, alongside original post-war homes on their full blocks. New townhouse developments mean new boundaries, and older homes next door often end up sharing a fence with a building site. Where an existing dividing fence needs replacing, the Fences Act 1968 splits the cost of a sufficient fence between neighbours, and our free Fencing Notice tool helps start that conversation. Nearby, we also cover Cheltenham, Moorabbin and Hampton.
Highett is split between Bayside and Kingston, and the line does not follow anything obvious on the ground. The two councils word their fence guidance differently (Bayside counts trellis toward fence height and protects larger trees, Kingston sets a lower front fence figure), so the first job is confirming which council your rates notice comes from.
Large former industrial and research sites, including the old CSIRO land near the station, are being turned into new housing in stages. Combined with ongoing townhouse subdivisions on single blocks, plenty of Highett owners now have a building site on one boundary, and the original paling fence often does not survive the works.
Highett sits on the sandy soils typical of this side of Melbourne, and many established gardens have large trees close to the fence line. Sand digs easily but needs solid concrete around each post, and roots near a boundary can mean shifting a post position. On the Bayside side, a big tree may also be protected, so we check before any root or branch work.
On the Bayside side, council’s fences page says the Building Regulations also cover privacy screens and trellis added to an existing fence, so trellis on top counts toward height, and a building permit can be needed where a fence is higher than average, over 2m, or could block sight lines near an intersection. Bayside’s Local Law generally needs a permit to remove a tree with a trunk circumference over 155cm at 1m above ground. On the Kingston side, a timber or steel side or rear fence under 2m, set back more than 3m from the street, needs no building permit, front fences under 1.2m need no permit, and fences over 1m within 9m of a street corner need a permit and consent. Check with your council, and look up overlays on VicPlan, before you build.
Read the council’s own page before you design: Bayside City Council and City of Kingston (split suburb) fencing information. You can also look up your address, zone and any overlays with a free VicPlan property report. Rules change and every lot is different, so please check with council before you build. We flag height, corner and overlay questions at the on-site measure.
Sharing the cost with your neighbour. Under the Fences Act 1968, owners generally share the cost of a sufficient dividing fence equally, and you start by giving your neighbour a Fencing Notice (our free Fencing Notice generator does this). Where a townhouse development next door damages your fence through negligence, the builder or owner responsible is generally liable. Where an ageing shared fence simply needs replacing, the Fences Act 1968 usually splits the cost of a sufficient fence, whichever council you are in.
Highett is roughly 7 km from our Heatherton base, a short run across via the local main roads, so measures here are easy to fit in. We are based in Heatherton (we do not run a shopfront), and service Highett as part of our wider run across Bayside and south east Melbourne.
It depends on the street. Highett is shared between Bayside City Council and the City of Kingston, so check your rates notice or a free VicPlan property report. The council matters because the fence guidance, tree rules and contact details differ.
Possibly, but on the Bayside side trellis on top of a fence counts toward its total height, so a 1.8m fence plus trellis can push past 2m and into permit territory. Check with council first. Often a 2.1m lapped and capped paling fence is the cleaner way to get the same privacy.
Usually after the heavy works are finished, so the new fence is not damaged by machinery. Talk to the builder early about protecting or temporarily removing the old fence, and agree in writing who pays for what. We can measure once the boundary is clear.
Usually yes, by adjusting post positions around major roots. If the tree is on the Bayside side and large, it may be protected, so check with council before any pruning or removal. We flag trees at the free on-site measure, which needs 24 hours notice.
Treated pine rails and palings on hardwood posts set in concrete. 1.8m, 2.0m or 2.1m high. Built to last 15 to 20 years.
Tall 2.1m treated pine for maximum privacy and noise reduction, keep the yard yours.
Lapped and capped finishes, plus classic timber picket fences on request, to lift your street appeal.