An honest comparison of price, lifespan, posts, maintenance, privacy, wind and looks, from a contractor that installs both.
| Factor | Timber paling (hardwood posts, treated pine rails and palings) | Colorbond steel |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost (market) | Published guides: about $120 to $190 per metre installed for a standard 1.8m fence. A spec with hardwood posts, three rails and concrete footings usually sits at or above the upper end. | Published guides: about $100 to $180 per metre for a basic installed 1.8m fence, up to about $180 to $260 for a complete system with concrete footings and capping. |
| Posts | Timber posts set in the ground. Hardwood posts set in concrete are our standard; many fencers use H4 treated pine, so ask. See hardwood vs treated pine posts. | Steel posts and rails, normally set in concrete. Steel does not rot at the ground line. |
| Typical lifespan | 15 to 20 years as a typical industry figure, longer with durable posts set in concrete, good drainage and staining. | 20 to 30+ years as a typical industry figure. BlueScope's material warranty is shorter (up to 10 years) and has conditions. |
| Maintenance | Stain or paint every few years to look its best; palings and rails wear over time. | Very little. An occasional hose-down. |
| Privacy | Full privacy; standard butted palings can open small gaps as timber shrinks (lapped and capped avoids this). | Full privacy, gap-free panels. |
| Looks | Natural timber, suits established leafy streets; has a "good side" and a rail side. | Modern, clean, the same on both sides; set factory colour range. |
| Wind & storms | Individual palings can blow off in extreme wind; leaning fences usually fail at the posts. | Panels resist wind well, but load goes to the posts, so spacing and footings matter. |
| If damaged | Single palings or rails can be swapped individually. | Less frequent, but a dented sheet is usually replaced as a whole sheet. |
| Height and permits | 1.8m standard; 2.0m and 2.1m for extra privacy. Over 2m normally needs a building permit. | 1.8m standard; taller options available. Same 2m permit line. |
| Boundary etiquette | Rail side vs paling side to agree with your neighbour. | The same both sides, which makes the neighbour conversation easier. |
| Sustainability | Plantation pine is renewable; treated timber must be disposed of properly at end of life. | Steel is long-lived and recyclable at end of life. |
Price ranges are market ranges from published industry cost guides, not our prices. Each source and date is listed in the cost section below.
Enter your address, draw your boundary on the satellite map, and get a free online instant estimate. Every timber estimate is priced on hardwood posts set in concrete. The on-site measure and written quote are free, with no obligation and no deposit to book.
Timber estimate → Colorbond estimate →Honestly, it depends which Colorbond and which timber. At the budget end the two are similar, and a basic Colorbond job can price close to a basic timber one. Once both are built properly and priced with the same inclusions, a fully inclusive Colorbond fence usually costs more upfront than a timber paling fence. Here is what the published guides say:
| Published guide | Fence | Installed range per metre | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| What's The Damage, Melbourne fencing costs | Timber paling | About $84 to $200, typical $115 | Verified October 2026 |
| Airtasker, fencing cost guide | Timber paling, Melbourne | About $150 to $170, materials and installation | August 2026 |
| Outstanding Fencing, Colorbond fence cost Melbourne | Colorbond 1.8m, basic | About $100 to $180 overall | 2025 guide |
| What's The Damage, Colorbond fencing Melbourne | Colorbond 1.8m standard | About $84 to $140, most suburban jobs $95 to $140 | Verified October 2026 |
| The South East Fencer, Colorbond price calculator | Colorbond 1.8m, complete system (posts, rails, concrete, capping, labour) | About $180 to $260 | Checked October 2026 |
Put together, most published timber figures cluster at about $120 to $190 per metre installed for a standard 1.8m paling fence, while Colorbond runs about $100 to $180 for a basic job, up to about $180 to $260 fully inclusive. These are market ranges, not our rates, and the guides do not all include the same things.
A per-metre number does not say what the fence is built from. A timber quote on hardwood posts, three rails and concrete on every post will usually sit at the upper end of published timber ranges, and sometimes above them, while a low figure can mean pine posts, two rails, wider post spacing, or old fence removal left out. Colorbond quotes vary the same way: sheet thickness, post spacing, footings, plinths, colour and removal. Our how to compare fence quotes guide has a 12-point checklist for lining quotes up spec against spec, and the old fence removal guide covers what taking the old fence away usually involves.
Colorbond's counter-argument is lifetime cost: no staining, no painting, no rot, and a lifespan that often outlasts a timber paling fence. If you plan to stay in the home 15+ years and hate maintenance, the premium can be worth it. If you are renovating to sell, timber's lower upfront cost usually makes more sense. Either way, price your actual boundary rather than a rule of thumb: the free online instant estimate prices timber in about two minutes, and Colorbond has its own estimator here. For the wider picture, see the cost of fencing in Melbourne and paling fence cost per metre guides.
A well-built treated pine paling fence typically lasts 15 to 20 years in Melbourne, and the gap between a 12-year fence and a 22-year fence is almost always the basics: durable posts set in concrete, soil and garden beds kept off the palings, decent drainage, and a coat of stain or paint every few years (see how to paint a timber fence so it lasts). For the things that most often cut a fence's life short, see how long does a fence last in Melbourne.
Colorbond is typically a 20 to 30+ year fence with very little upkeep. The colour is bonded to the steel, so there is nothing to repaint, and it will not rot at the base, cannot be eaten by termites, and will not warp in a heatwave. Its main enemies are impact damage (a car, a falling branch) and, near the coast, salt air.
Posts carry the whole fence and sit in damp ground, so on a timber fence they are usually the first part to fail. That is why we build every timber paling fence on hardwood posts set in concrete, with treated pine rails and palings, three rails and a plinth at the base. Many quotes use H4 treated pine posts instead, which are cheaper and common, so ask what is going in the ground. Our hardwood vs treated pine fence posts guide compares the options, including galvanised steel posts for timber fences.
Colorbond fences use steel posts and rails, so ground-line rot is not the issue. The things to check are post spacing, footing depth, and corrosion protection near the bay.
At the same height, both fences give full visual privacy. The difference is over time: standard butted timber palings shrink slightly as they dry and can open thin gaps, while Colorbond panels stay gap-free. If you want timber without the gaps, a lapped fence (palings overlapped) solves it, and lapped and capped adds a top rail that protects the paling ends and lifts the look. See lapped and capped fence: what it is, cost and is it worth it.
Neither fence is a true acoustic wall, but both take the edge off street noise, and a gap-free fence blocks a little more than one with gaps. In high-wind corridors both perform well when properly built. Timber can lose the odd paling in an extreme gust; Colorbond resists gusts as a panel but transfers more load to its posts, which is why post spacing and footings matter. If a storm has already flattened a section, see fence blown down in a storm: who pays and what to do.
Both fences come in the standard 1.8m boundary height, and both go taller. Our paling fence heights and post spacing guide compares 1.8m, 2.0m and 2.1m.
Timber suits established, leafy Melbourne streets and takes stain or paint in any colour, forever changeable. Colorbond has a crisp modern look in a factory-set colour range and, crucially, looks the same from both sides. That matters on a shared boundary: a standard paling fence has a rail side and a paling side, and someone has to take the rails. Colorbond removes that negotiation, which is one reason it is popular for dividing fences between neighbours who are splitting the cost under the Fences Act 1968.
Whichever you choose, you and your neighbour need to agree on the type of fence. Our free Fencing Notice generator puts your proposal in writing, and if the conversation stalls, see neighbour won't pay for the fence: your options in Victoria. For disputes, the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria offers free help.
Get a free online instant estimate for a timber fence, or a Colorbond figure from the Colorbond page, and compare them for your actual boundary. Then book a free, no-obligation on-site measure and itemised written quote. Measures need 24 hours' notice, and there is no deposit to book.
Timber estimate → Colorbond estimate →We build timber paling and Colorbond fences across Melbourne from our base in Heatherton. Pick your area for local details and an instant estimate:
Need a gate in the new fence? See gates, which are priced separately from the fence.
Not usually, once you compare like with like. At the budget end the published Melbourne ranges overlap: about $100 to $180 per metre for a basic installed 1.8m Colorbond fence (Outstanding Fencing, 2025) against about $120 to $190 per metre for a standard timber paling fence (2025 to 2026 guides from What's The Damage, Airtasker and Melbourne contractors). A complete Colorbond system with concrete footings and capping runs about $180 to $260 per metre (The South East Fencer, checked October 2026), which usually costs more upfront than timber paling. These are market ranges, not a quote: length, height, slope, access, old fence removal and gates all change the total.
Usually not upfront. A standard timber paling fence typically costs about the same as a basic Colorbond job and less than a fully inclusive Colorbond fence. Timber can cost more over time, because it needs staining or painting every few years and usually needs replacing sooner. A well-built timber fence on hardwood posts, with three rails and concrete footings, usually sits at or above the upper end of published timber ranges, so compare the spec on each quote, not just the total.
For a standard 1.8m boundary fence in Melbourne, a timber paling fence is usually the cheaper or similar upfront choice, and a fully inclusive Colorbond steel fence usually costs more. Basic steel and timber jobs overlap in published cost guides, so height, slope, access, old fence removal and gates often decide it. Over 20 or more years, steel's low maintenance narrows the gap.
A standard butted timber paling fence at 1.8m is the usual lower-cost alternative, with the same full privacy at the same height. If you want a gap-free look in timber, lapped palings cost more than butted ones, so price both. Steel panels sold as Colorbond-style are not always made from COLORBOND steel, so check the brand, sheet thickness and warranty before choosing on price alone.
A Colorbond steel fence typically lasts 20 to 30 or more years with very little maintenance, because steel does not rot, warp or attract termites. That is a typical industry figure, not a guarantee: BlueScope's material warranty for fencing made from COLORBOND steel is up to 10 years, applies to fences more than 1km from a marine environment, and must be applied for online. A treated pine paling fence typically lasts 15 to 20 years, and longer with durable posts set in concrete, good drainage and a stain or paint every few years.
Both give full privacy at the same height. Colorbond panels stay gap-free, while standard butted palings can open small gaps as the timber shrinks; a lapped timber fence avoids this. Neither is a true acoustic barrier. A solid, gap-free fence blocks a little more noise than one with gaps, but at a typical boundary the difference is minor.
Not on the same shared fence. A dividing fence is one structure, so you and your neighbour need to agree on the type of fence. Under the Fences Act 1968 (Vic), neighbours generally share the cost of a sufficient dividing fence, and an owner who wants a more expensive fence generally pays the extra. Colorbond looks the same from both sides, which often helps that conversation, whereas a standard paling fence has a rail side and a paling side. If you cannot agree, the usual path is a written Fencing Notice under the Act, free help from the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria, and, as a last resort, the Magistrates' Court.
Usually yes. In Victoria a side or rear boundary fence up to 2m generally needs no building permit, so a 2.1m fence in either material is normally over the exemption and needs one. Front fences and corner blocks have lower limits, and planning overlays can add rules. Check with your council or a registered building surveyor before ordering.
Get a free online instant estimate now: enter your address and draw your boundary on the satellite map, in about 2 minutes. Then book a free, no-obligation on-site measure and written quote. Measures need 24 hours' notice, and there is no deposit to book.
Get my instant estimate → Call 0433 938 540General information only, current at October 2026. Price ranges are from published industry cost guides, not our rates, and vary with site conditions; your figure comes from your fence line. Lifespans are typical industry figures, not a guarantee; warranty terms are set by BlueScope and can change, so check them for your address. For shared fences, check your Fences Act 1968 (Vic) rights with the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria, and check with your council about permits, overlays and pool barriers. COLORBOND® is a registered trade mark of BlueScope Steel Limited.
Sources: market ranges from What's The Damage, Melbourne fencing costs (verified October 2026), What's The Damage, Colorbond fencing Melbourne (verified October 2026), Airtasker, fencing cost guide (August 2026), Outstanding Fencing, Colorbond fence cost Melbourne (2025) and The South East Fencer, Colorbond fence price calculator (checked October 2026); warranty from BlueScope warranty information, COLORBOND® steel warranty and COLORBOND® steel fencing; vic.gov.au: Fencing in Victoria; Fences Act 1968 (Vic); Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria. This guide is general information, not legal advice.