Is Colorbond cheaper than a timber fence?

No. In Melbourne a treated pine timber paling fence is normally the cheaper option per metre installed. Industry cost guides put Colorbond at roughly $120 to $180 per metre for materials alone and around $180 to $260 per metre fully installed for a standard 1.8m fence, with terrain and access pushing it higher. Timber wins on upfront price; Colorbond argues its case on zero maintenance over its life.

How long does a Colorbond fence last compared to timber?

A Colorbond steel fence typically lasts 20 to 30+ years with essentially no maintenance because steel does not rot, warp or attract termites. A treated pine paling fence typically lasts 15 to 20 years, and longer when it is concrete-set, well drained and stained or painted. Over one Colorbond lifespan you may build a timber fence twice.

Which is better for privacy and noise, Colorbond or timber?

Both give full privacy at the same height. Colorbond panels have no gaps ever, while standard butted timber palings can open small gaps as the timber shrinks (a lapped timber fence avoids this). For noise, neither is a true acoustic barrier, but the solid continuous surface of Colorbond reflects a little more sound while timber absorbs a little; in practice the difference at a boundary is minor.

Can I have one side timber and my neighbour's side Colorbond?

Not on the same shared fence: a dividing fence is one structure, so adjoining owners need to agree on the material under the Fences Act 1968. Colorbond looks identical from both sides, which often helps that conversation, whereas a standard paling fence has a rail side and a paling side to negotiate. If you cannot agree, the Act's process (Fencing Notice, then dispute resolution) settles it.

Colorbond vs timber fencing: which is better for your Melbourne home?

An honest comparison of price, lifespan, maintenance, privacy, wind and looks, from a contractor that installs both.

Expanse Fencing › Guides › Colorbond vs timber

Quick answer Choose timber paling if upfront cost matters most, you like a natural look, or you want easy panel-by-panel repairs. Choose Colorbond steel if you want decades of zero maintenance, a modern uniform look on both sides, and no rot, warping or termites, and you are happy to pay a premium for it. Both give full privacy and both are built to the same boundary rules.

The comparison at a glance

Factor	Timber paling (treated pine)	Colorbond steel
Upfront cost	Lower. Melbourne's most cost-effective boundary fence.	Higher. Industry guides put materials at roughly $120 to $180 per metre and installed prices around $180 to $260 per metre for a standard 1.8m fence, depending on terrain and access.
Typical lifespan	15 to 20 years, longer with concrete-set posts, good drainage and staining.	20 to 30+ years. Steel does not rot, warp or attract termites.
Maintenance	Stain or paint every ~5 years to look its best; occasional paling or rail replacement.	Essentially none. An occasional hose-down.
Privacy	Full privacy; standard butted palings can open small gaps as timber shrinks (lapped and capped avoids this).	Full privacy, permanently gap-free panels.
Looks	Natural timber, suits established leafy streets; has a "good side" and a rail side unless built lapped both ways.	Modern, clean, identical on both sides; wide colour range.
Wind & storms	Individual palings can blow off in extreme wind but are cheap to replace one by one.	Panels resist wind well, but a badly damaged panel is replaced as a whole sheet.
Repairs	Easy and cheap: single palings, rails or posts swapped individually.	Less frequent but dearer: whole panels or posts.
Boundary etiquette	Rail side vs paling side to agree with your neighbour.	Identical 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.

Cost: timber wins upfront, Colorbond argues lifetime value

On day one, a treated pine paling fence is the cheaper build per metre in Melbourne. Colorbond sits at the premium end: industry cost guides for Victoria put the materials alone at roughly $120 to $180 per metre, and fully installed prices around $180 to $260 per metre for a standard 1.8m fence, with sloping blocks and tight access pushing totals higher.

Colorbond's counter-argument is lifetime cost: no staining, no painting, no rot, and a lifespan that can see out two timber fences. 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 estimator prices timber in about two minutes, and Colorbond has its own estimator here.

Lifespan and maintenance

A well-built treated pine fence 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: posts set in concrete, soil and garden beds kept off the palings, decent drainage, and a coat of stain or paint every five or so years (see how to paint a timber fence so it lasts).

Colorbond is a 20 to 30+ year fence with essentially no upkeep. The finish is bonded to the steel, so there is nothing to repaint. 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 spray, for which marine-grade options exist.

Privacy, noise and wind

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 forever. 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.

Neither fence is a true acoustic wall, but both take the edge off street noise. In high-wind corridors both perform well when properly built; timber loses the odd paling in an extreme gust (a cheap fix), Colorbond resists gusts as a panel but transfers more load to its posts, which is why post spacing and footings matter.

Looks and the neighbour question

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 identical 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 entirely, which is one reason it is popular for dividing fences between neighbours who are splitting the cost under the Fences Act 1968.

So which should you choose?

Choose timber paling if: upfront budget leads, you like the natural look, you want cheap easy repairs, or the rest of the street is timber and you want the fence to blend in.
Choose Colorbond if: you never want to maintain a fence again, you want a modern look that is identical on both sides, termites or rot have killed fences here before, or you are building once for the next 25 years.
Either way: the boundary rules are the same. Side and rear fences up to 2m generally need no permit in Victoria, shared fences are split under the Fences Act, and the real price depends on your length, height, slope and access.

Price both in minutes, decide with real numbers

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. No sales calls.

Timber estimate → Colorbond estimate →

General information only, current at July 2026. Market price ranges are from published Victorian industry cost guides and vary with site conditions; your figure comes from your fence line. Colorbond is a registered trade mark of BlueScope Steel Limited.