Fencing in the City of Glen Eira: Bentleigh, Caulfield, Elsternwick and nearby

By Pete Kendall, registered building practitioner CDB-U 67771 · Updated 19 October 2026

The City of Glen Eira for fencing

Glen Eira runs from Caulfield in the north to Bentleigh East in the south. Blocks are compact, most fences are shared with two or more neighbours, and many streets are mid-rebuild. Grouped by what we see on the ground:

A few streets of Brighton East and St Kilda East fall in Glen Eira, and Hughesdale is split with Monash. Your rates notice says which council applies.

What Glen Eira council says about fence heights

Council's fencing regulations page, checked October 2026, sets out the rules in plain terms:

• Side and rear fences: no permit up to 1.5m high within 3m of the street, or up to 2m high further back. Above 2m you may need a permit, and council asks you to email a sketch of the proposed fence to its Building Compliance team at mail@gleneira.vic.gov.au for advice.
• Front fences within 3m of the street: a building permit is needed for brick, stone or masonry over 1.2m, or timber or steel over 1.5m. Height is measured from footpath level. On a declared main road, council consent is needed above 2m.
• Corners: within 9m of an intersection the maximum is 1m. Anything taller needs council consent and a building permit.
• Gates, screens and roller doors come under the same fencing rules, so a tall gate or a screen on top of a fence counts toward the height.
• Pools and spas: a barrier always needs a building permit.

For how Glen Eira compares with Kingston, Bayside, Monash and Stonnington, see fence rules by council, and for the state-wide picture, do you need a permit for a fence.

Heritage overlays in Caulfield and Elsternwick

Council's fencing page does not deal with planning overlays, but several precincts in Caulfield, Caulfield North and Elsternwick sit under a Heritage Overlay. Where an overlay applies, a new or altered front fence can need a planning permit even when it is well under the building height limits, and council may expect a style that suits the era of the house. Check before you remove an original front fence. Your free VicPlan property report lists every overlay on your land; if a heritage overlay shows up, call council planning on 03 9524 3333 first.

Interwar, post-war and rebuild blocks

Glen Eira's housing tells you a lot about the fence you are replacing. Interwar bungalows in Ormond, McKinnon and Carnegie often have long side boundaries with paling fences patched for decades. Post-war brick veneers in Bentleigh and Bentleigh East commonly have fences leaning on posts rotted at ground level. When a fence like that goes, we replace the whole run, with hardwood posts set in concrete as standard.

The bigger change is redevelopment. When a block next door is knocked down and rebuilt as two townhouses, the builder often removes the old fence and leaves temporary hoarding. Three things help:

1. Agree the boundary line early. If a survey has been done for the new build, use its pegs.
2. Talk to every new owner. One old back fence can become two or three shared sections, each with a different owner who pays their half.
3. Time the fence after the heavy work. Excavators and concrete trucks are hard on a new fence, so a fencing date after slab and frame is usually wiser.

Sharing the cost with a neighbour

The Fences Act 1968 (Vic) applies in Glen Eira as everywhere in the state. Adjoining owners generally split the cost of a sufficient dividing fence equally, and if you cannot agree informally, you serve a Fencing Notice and your neighbour has 30 days to respond. Council does not referee private fence disputes. The Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria offers free help, and the Magistrates' Court is the last step. Our free Fencing Notice generator handles the paperwork, and the guides on who pays for a dividing fence and a neighbour who won't pay go further.

If your back fence adjoins a council park or reserve, council's page says it may share the cost 50/50 of a standard 1.9m paling replacement. Extras such as extra height, lattice or a gate are yours to fund, council does not contribute along laneways, road reserves or walkways, and it asks you to contact it first with at least one quote.

Fence costs in Glen Eira

Published 2026 Melbourne cost guides put a 1.8m timber paling fence at about $120 to $190 per metre installed and a 2.1m privacy fence at about $150 to $250. Colorbond sits at about $100 to $180 for a basic install, or $180 to $260 fully inclusive. On a typical Glen Eira side boundary of 25 to 35 metres, a paling fence at those ranges comes to roughly $3,000 to $6,650 before removal and gates, or about half each when shared. These are market ranges, not our prices. Narrow access and old asbestos sheet fences can add to the job. The paling fence cost guide and old fence removal guide explain what moves the number.

Who builds fences in Glen Eira

We build new timber paling fences, Colorbond, aluminium slat and gates across Glen Eira and the neighbouring suburbs. Pete Kendall is a registered building practitioner (CDB-U 67771). We do not take repair-only work, and every job starts with a free measure and written quote. Nearby we also cover Moorabbin, Highett, Brighton, Malvern, Oakleigh, Heatherton and the rest of south east Melbourne.

Common questions

Do I need a permit for a back fence in Glen Eira?

Usually not. Glen Eira's fencing page says no permit is needed for a side or rear fence up to 2m high once you are more than 3m from the street, or up to 1.5m within that first 3m. Above 2m you may need one, and council asks you to email a sketch to mail@gleneira.vic.gov.au so its Building Compliance team can advise.

How high can a front fence be in Bentleigh, Caulfield or Elsternwick?

Within 3m of the street, Glen Eira requires a building permit for a masonry front fence over 1.2m or a timber or steel one over 1.5m, measured from footpath level. Within 9m of a corner the limit is 1m. A heritage overlay, common in parts of Caulfield and Elsternwick, can also require a planning permit, so check VicPlan.

Does a gate or screen count toward fence height in Glen Eira?

Yes. Council's fencing page says gates, screens and roller doors are covered by the same fencing provisions, so the same height and permit limits apply to them as to the fence itself.

Will Glen Eira council pay for half my fence next to a park?

It may. Council says it can share the cost 50/50 of basic repair or replacement of a standard 1.9m timber paling fence where your property adjoins a council building, park or reserve. Extras such as lattice, extra height or a gate are at your cost, and it does not contribute along road reserves, laneways or walkways. Contact council first.

How much does a new fence cost in Glen Eira?

Published 2026 Melbourne guides put a 1.8m timber paling fence at about $120 to $190 per metre installed and Colorbond at about $100 to $180 for a basic install. A 25 to 35 metre side boundary in paling lands roughly $3,000 to $6,650 before removal and gates, or about half each when shared. These are market ranges, not our prices.

Who pays for the fence when the house next door is rebuilt?

The Fences Act 1968 (Vic) applies as usual: adjoining owners generally share the cost of a sufficient dividing fence equally. If the block becomes townhouses, each new owner shares the section that adjoins their lot. If the builder damaged or removed the old fence, raise that with the owner before the new fence is priced.

General information only, current at October 2026. Council rules and overlays change, so check with Glen Eira City Council or a registered building surveyor before you build. Sources: Glen Eira City Council, Fencing regulations; VicPlan; Fences Act 1968 (Vic); Building Regulations 2018 (Vic); Fencing in Victoria (Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria). Price ranges are from the published guides cited in our fence cost guide.