Fencing costs
Published 2026 market ranges, what a basic and a fully inclusive Colorbond job include, worked examples with half-share figures, and what moves the price up or down.
Updated every quarter: the Melbourne Fence Cost Index. What it really costs to build a lasting fence in Melbourne, line by line, from dated public prices, with a CSV you can cite. See the Melbourne Fence Cost Index.
Colorbond is priced per metre installed, like timber. The spread in published figures comes almost entirely from what is included, so read the scope before you compare a number.
| Source | What it covers | Published range per metre | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| What's The Damage, Colorbond fencing Melbourne | 1.8m standard Colorbond | About $84 to $140, most suburban jobs $95 to $140 | October 2026 |
| Outstanding Fencing, Colorbond fence cost Melbourne | 1.8m, basic install | About $100 to $180 | 2025 guide |
| The South East Fencer, Colorbond price calculator | 1.8m complete system: posts, rails, panels, concrete, capping, labour | About $180 to $260 | October 2026 |
Market ranges from published third-party guides, not Expanse Fencing prices. We do not publish per-metre rates; the instant estimate prices your actual boundary.
A Colorbond fence is a kit: steel posts, top and bottom rails, and infill sheets rolled from COLORBOND steel, sold as systems by several manufacturers (Stratco's Good Neighbour range is one common example). The kit price is similar everywhere. What separates a $110 per metre figure from a $240 one is the work around it.
These use the published ranges above to show the order of magnitude. Removal, gates, slope and access are extra.
| Boundary | Basic install ($100 to $180/m) | Fully inclusive ($180 to $260/m) | Your half share (fully inclusive) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15m side fence | $1,500 to $2,700 | $2,700 to $3,900 | $1,350 to $1,950 |
| 20m backyard boundary | $2,000 to $3,600 | $3,600 to $5,200 | $1,800 to $2,600 |
| 30m long side | $3,000 to $5,400 | $5,400 to $7,800 | $2,700 to $3,900 |
| 45m L-shaped rear and side | $4,500 to $8,100 | $8,100 to $11,700 | $4,050 to $5,850 |
Short runs cost more per metre than long ones because setup, travel and the end posts are spread over fewer metres. That is why a 10 metre job rarely comes in at the bottom of any range.
Enter your address, draw the fence line on a satellite map and get a free online instant estimate. The on-site measure and written quote are free, with no obligation and no deposit to book.
Get my Colorbond estimate →Height is the biggest single step. What's The Damage's Melbourne guide (updated November 2026) puts a 1.8m Colorbond fence at about $84 to $200 per metre and a 2.1m fence at about $125 to $260 per metre. A 2.1m fence on a side or rear boundary also goes over the 2m line, so it generally needs a building permit first.
Panel widths, heights, profiles and the colour range are covered in our Colorbond fence sizes guide.
Under the Fences Act 1968 (Vic), neighbours generally share the cost of a sufficient dividing fence equally. If one neighbour wants Colorbond where a standard timber paling fence would be sufficient, they may need to cover the difference unless both agree. Colour is part of that conversation too: the fence faces both yards, so agree on it in writing before anything is ordered. Our guides on who pays for a dividing fence and what to do when a neighbour won't pay walk through the Fencing Notice process, and our free Fencing Notice generator fills one in for you.
Steel does not rot or attract termites, which is why Colorbond suits low-maintenance blocks. Its weak points are impact damage and, close to salt water, corrosion. In bayside suburbs such as Brighton, Hampton, Sandringham, Black Rock, Beaumaris, Mentone, Mordialloc, Aspendale, Edithvale, Chelsea and Carrum, ask your supplier how far your property is from salt water and whether the manufacturer's warranty applies at that distance. Any manufacturer warranty is a separate promise with its own conditions, so read the terms rather than relying on a sales sheet.
A properly built 1.8 m timber paling fence costs at least $189 a metre to deliver in Melbourne, GST included, per the Melbourne Fence Cost Index (November 2026). Published Colorbond figures are market quotes rather than a like-for-like build-up, so compare inclusions, not just the per-metre number. A complete Colorbond system usually costs more upfront than a well-built paling fence, but needs almost no upkeep. Timber looks warmer, is easier to repair a section at a time and can be stained or painted. The full comparison is in Colorbond vs timber fencing, and the timber side of the ledger is in our paling fence cost guide.
Our 12-point quote checklist covers each line in detail.
We are based in Heatherton and install Colorbond across south east Melbourne, including Heatherton, Cheltenham, Moorabbin, Highett, Dingley Village, Clarinda, Keysborough and Bentleigh East, as well as the eastern suburbs. Timber paling with hardwood posts is our core product; Colorbond is there when low maintenance matters more than looks.
Published 2026 Melbourne cost guides put a 1.8m Colorbond fence at about $100 to $180 per metre for a basic install, and about $180 to $260 per metre for a complete system with concrete footings, capping and labour. These are market ranges, not our prices. Old fence removal, gates, slope and access are usually extra.
Using published market ranges, a 20 metre 1.8m Colorbond fence comes to about $2,000 to $3,600 for a basic install, or about $3,600 to $5,200 fully inclusive. Shared equally with a neighbour, each half is roughly $1,800 to $2,600 at the fully inclusive end. Your own figure depends on removal, slope, access and gates.
Not usually, once you compare like with like. A properly built 1.8 m timber paling fence costs at least $189 a metre to deliver in Melbourne, GST included, per the Melbourne Fence Cost Index (November 2026). A complete Colorbond system with footings and capping (about $180 to $260 per metre in published guides) usually costs more upfront than that, while much cheaper Colorbond or timber quotes usually leave something out, such as footings, GST or a written warranty. Colorbond needs almost no maintenance, which is where it earns its price back.
Under the Fences Act 1968 (Vic), neighbours generally share the cost of a sufficient dividing fence equally. If you want Colorbond where a standard timber fence would be sufficient, you may need to pay the difference unless your neighbour agrees. Agree the material, height and colour in writing, and use a Fencing Notice if you cannot agree.
Not for most side and rear boundary fences up to 2 metres in Victoria. A front fence above the allowed height, a fence over 2 metres, a fence near a street corner, a pool barrier or land with a planning overlay can need a permit or council consent. Check your council's page and your VicPlan property report.
It can be, but salt air is steel's main enemy. Close to the bay, ask your supplier how far the property is from salt water and whether the manufacturer's warranty still applies at that distance. Rinse salt and dirt off the panels occasionally and keep garden beds and mulch from piling against the bottom rail.
What's The Damage's Melbourne guide (November 2026) puts a 2.1m Colorbond fence at about $125 to $260 per metre, against about $84 to $200 for 1.8m. A 2.1m side or rear fence also generally needs a building permit. These are market ranges, not our prices.
Yes, a lattice or slat top costs more than a plain panel, and the finished height is what council measures, so a 1.8m fence with a 300mm top is a 2.1m fence for permit purposes.
Start with a free online instant estimate: draw your boundary on a satellite map and see a figure in about 2 minutes. Then book a free, no-obligation on-site measure and written quote. We need 24 hours' notice and there is no deposit to book.
Get my instant estimate → Call (03) 4328 3068General information only, current at October 2026. Price ranges are from the published third-party guides named above and change over time; they are not Expanse Fencing prices. Sources: What's The Damage (Colorbond fencing Melbourne, checked October 2026; Melbourne fencing cost guide, updated November 2026); Lysaght fencing and screening brochure (January 2026); Outstanding Fencing (Colorbond fence cost Melbourne, 2025); The South East Fencer (Colorbond price calculator, checked October 2026); Fences Act 1968 (Vic).