Fencing FAQ: 22 fence questions Melbourne homeowners ask, answered

A new fence is priced by the linear metre, and your total comes down to a handful of things: the length of the run, the height (a 2.1m privacy fence uses more timber than a 1.8m fence), the style and material, removal of the old fence, sloping ground, access for materials, and the number of gates. As a market guide, published 2025 and 2026 industry cost guides put a standard treated pine paling fence in Melbourne at about $120 to $190 per metre installed. That is a market range, not our price list. Builds at the low end often use treated pine posts, two rails and no plinth board, while hardwood posts, a third rail, a plinth and capping cost more up front and last longer. When you compare quotes, check whether GST, removal of the old fence and the post type are included (our estimates and quotes include GST). Two homes on the same street can still differ by hundreds of dollars, so the accurate way to know your figure is to price your actual fence line: the free online instant estimator does it in about two minutes. More detail in our cost of fencing in Melbourne guide, our paling fence cost guide and our 12-point checklist for comparing fence quotes.

The instant online estimate is calculated from the fence line you draw on a satellite map, plus your choice of height and style and whether there is an old fence to remove. It gives you an accurate ballpark in about two minutes, free, without a site visit. The formal quote is written after an on-site measure, where slope, access, gates and the condition of the old fence are checked in person. At Expanse Fencing the on-site measure and written quote are free, with no obligation to go ahead.

Not for the estimate: the online estimator prices your fence from your address and the line you draw, without anyone visiting. For the on-site measure it helps to be home so gates, boundary lines and special requests can be agreed on the spot, but with access to the fence line it can usually be done without you.

Under the Victorian Fences Act 1968, adjoining owners generally contribute equally to a "sufficient dividing fence". The Victorian Government's fencing guidance gives a 1.8 metre timber paling fence as an example of what might be sufficient between two homes. If one owner wants a higher standard (say, a 2.1m lapped and capped fence where a 1.8m paling fence would do), that owner usually pays the difference. The formal process starts with a Fencing Notice to your neighbour, and our free Fencing Notice generator fills one in from your details. The full process, including what counts as sufficient, is in our who pays for a dividing fence guide, and if your neighbour will not pay, see our neighbour won't pay guide.

Talk first, then give a formal Fencing Notice under the Fences Act 1968; our free Fencing Notice generator helps you get the paperwork right. If your neighbour does not respond within 30 days of receiving the notice, the work can generally go ahead and you can take action in the Magistrates' Court of Victoria to recover their share. If they respond but you cannot agree, the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria offers free help, and either owner can apply to the Magistrates' Court as a last resort. Plenty of owners also simply choose to build and cover the full cost themselves when they want the fence done sooner. Our neighbour won't pay guide walks through each option. Check the current process with the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria before you act.

For a shared dividing fence, the cost of rebuilding after a storm is generally shared equally between the neighbours, the same as for any other dividing fence under the Fences Act 1968. The exception is damage one owner caused deliberately or through negligence: that owner generally pays. Make the area safe, take photos, and check both owners' home insurance, because some building policies cover storm damage to fences and some do not. Where the damage means the fence needs urgent work (for example after a falling tree or branch), the Fences Act lets you go ahead without the usual notice and then give your neighbour an urgent fencing notice to claim their share, but not all fencing work counts as urgent. Our storm damage guide covers each step, and the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria can help if you are unsure.

Only once you have agreed it with your neighbour. A dividing fence is shared by the neighbours on each side, so neither should fix things to it without the other's agreement. That includes shade sails, trellis, screens, shelving, hanging pots and lattice extensions. Heavy loads, and anything that keeps soil or water against the timber, can damage a fence, and an owner who deliberately or negligently damages a dividing fence generally has to pay for the repairs. Lattice or a screen on top also adds to the fence's height, so check the permit rules if it would take the total over 2 metres. If you cannot agree, the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria can help.

Most standard side and rear boundary fences up to 2 metres do not need a building permit. A building permit, and often council report and consent, is generally needed for: a front fence within 3 metres of the street that is over 1.5 metres high (or over 2 metres on a declared road, meaning a freeway or arterial road), a masonry or concrete front fence over 1.2 metres, any fence over 2 metres, a fence over 1 metre within 9 metres of a street corner (to keep driver sight lines clear), and swimming pool and spa barriers, which also have their own safety barrier rules. Your local planning scheme can set different front fence heights. Heritage overlays and estate covenants can add rules even where no permit is needed. Rules vary between councils, so check with your council or a registered building surveyor before building anything unusual; we flag it at the measure. Full rules are in our fence permit guide, with local detail in fence rules in Kingston, Bayside and Glen Eira.

As a general guide under Victoria's Building Regulations 2018: side and rear boundary fences up to 2 metres generally need no building permit. A front fence within 3 metres of the street can generally be up to 1.5 metres, or 2 metres on a declared road (a freeway or arterial road), before a permit and council consent come into it, and lower limits apply near street corners. The common paling heights in Melbourne are 1.8m, 2.0m and 2.1m. A 2.1m fence is over the 2 metre line, so it normally needs a building permit and possibly council consent as well. We flag it before you commit, and you can check with your council or a registered building surveyor. More in our paling fence heights and post spacing guide and our fence permit guide.

A well-built paling fence with treated pine palings typically lasts 15 to 20 years in Melbourne, often longer. Three things matter most. The posts: posts set in concrete (hardwood posts are our standard) last far longer than dirt-set posts. Drainage: soil that stays wet rots posts early. Maintenance: keep garden beds off the palings, and stain or paint to slow weathering. More in our how long does a fence last guide.

Hardwood. Hardwood posts set in concrete footings are our standard on timber paling fences, with treated pine palings, the usual Melbourne paling. Treated pine posts cost less up front and some quotes use them, so when you compare quotes, check which post each one includes. Our hardwood vs treated pine fence posts guide compares the two, and our quote comparison checklist covers what else to check.

The standard paling fence height in Melbourne is 1.8 metres, and the common options are 1.8m, 2.0m and 2.1m. Remember that 2 metres is the general limit for a side or rear boundary fence without a building permit, so a 2.1m fence normally needs one. Posts on a paling fence are typically set about 2.4 metres apart, centre to centre, and sometimes closer on exposed, windy sites. Our standard build uses hardwood posts in concrete, three rails and a plinth board along the base. Full detail is in our paling fence heights and post spacing guide.

Timber paling is Melbourne's most popular boundary fence: cost-effective, natural-looking and easy to fix panel by panel. Colorbond steel costs more up front but will not rot, warp or need painting. If budget is the priority, choose timber; if minimal maintenance is the priority, Colorbond is worth the extra. We compare price, lifespan, looks, privacy and wind performance in our Colorbond vs timber comparison guide.

A premium timber paling fence where the palings overlap (lapped), so no gaps open up as the timber shrinks, and a horizontal capping rail runs along the top. The capping protects the end grain of the palings from rain, which is where standard fences age first. The result is better privacy, a cleaner look and longer life, at a higher price than a standard butted paling fence. What it costs and whether it is worth it are covered in our lapped and capped fence guide.

Yes, and it is one of the best things you can do for its lifespan, but not straight away. New treated pine holds moisture and needs roughly 6 to 12 weeks of drying before coating, or the stain will not absorb properly. After that, a quality exterior stain or paint every 5 or so years keeps it sharp. Full steps are in our fence painting guide.

A typical suburban boundary fence of 20 to 30 metres takes one to two days on site: old fence out and new posts set in concrete on day one, rails and palings once the concrete has taken. Long runs, tight access, rocky ground or extra gates add time. Lead time to start varies with the season: late autumn and winter often have the shortest waits, because demand peaks in spring and before Christmas, and wet weather can push concrete work back a day or two. Your install date is locked in when you accept your written quote and pay the deposit set out in it. The full process, from first estimate to finished fence, is in our fence replacement guide.

Yes. Removal and disposal of the old fence is priced as its own line on your estimate and quote, so you can see exactly what it costs. Old treated pine should never go in green waste; it has to go to an appropriate facility, which is part of why removal has a real cost. Fibro (asbestos cement) fences are different: they need a licensed asbestos removalist, so we flag them at the measure. Do not cut, drill, break or water-blast a fibro fence yourself. More in our old fence removal guide and in WorkSafe Victoria's asbestos guidance.

Yes. On a slope the fence is either stepped (each panel dead level, stepping down the hill, the cleaner look) or raked (rails follow the slope so the bottom of the fence hugs the ground, best for keeping dogs in). Which suits your block depends on the fall and what the fence is for, and it is settled at the on-site measure.

A careful crew works around established gardens, but building a fence does mean digging post holes along the boundary and carrying materials through the yard. Clearing vegetation from the fence line is not included in our price and needs to be done before build day. Tell us what is precious at the measure: beds near the fence line can be protected, individual plants can be covered or temporarily moved as an add-on service, and access paths are agreed before work starts.

At least 24 hours ahead. We need 24 hours' notice for an on-site measure, so we cannot do same-day measures. The measure and written quote are free and no-obligation, and there is no deposit to book. The quickest way is to get your free online instant estimate first and then pick a measure time, or call 0433 938 540.

Yes. Expanse Fencing is the trading name of Expanse Builders Pty Ltd, a registered building practitioner in Victoria (Domestic Builder, Unlimited, registration CDB-U 67771). In Victoria builders are registered rather than licensed, and you can look up any builder's registration on the Building and Plumbing Commission's public register. Every fence we build comes with a 5-year structural warranty, and the business is owner-run: the person who quotes your fence is accountable for the crew that builds it.

All Melbourne metropolitan suburbs, from our base in Heatherton in the south east. See our timber fencing pages for the eastern suburbs, south east Melbourne, the western suburbs and the northern suburbs. The free online instant estimator works for any Melbourne address, and if you are in Kingston, Bayside or Glen Eira, our local fence rules guide covers your council.