Local fencing guide
Monash is a short drive from our Heatherton base. Here is what matters for a new fence in its streets, from council's front fence and boundary rules to clay soils and townhouse neighbours.
Monash runs from Oakleigh and Hughesdale in the west to Glen Waverley, Wheelers Hill and Mulgrave in the east. It was largely built out after the war, so many streets still have original 1950s to 1970s houses next to new townhouses. For fencing it splits into three groups:
| Area | Suburbs | What shapes the fence |
|---|---|---|
| West: older rail suburbs | Oakleigh, Oakleigh East, Hughesdale, Huntingdale, Chadstone | Interwar and post-war homes, some heritage areas around Oakleigh, small blocks and units near the stations |
| Middle: university and rebuild belt | Clayton, Notting Hill, part of Oakleigh South | Post-war brick veneers giving way to dual occupancies and student housing, so new boundaries and several neighbours per fence |
| East: leafy family suburbs | Mount Waverley, Glen Waverley, Ashwood, Wheelers Hill, Mulgrave | Larger 1960s and 70s blocks on clay, gentle slopes, established gardens and long original fences due for replacement |
Oakleigh South is split between Monash and Kingston, and Hughesdale borders Glen Eira. Your rates notice or VicPlan report says which council applies.
Monash follows the state rules in Part 5 of the Building Regulations 2018. Council's fences page, checked 8 November 2026, says:
For a taller front fence, council's report and consent guideline (BLD0259) says consent will generally only be given where more than 25% of properties in the immediate neighbourhood already have a front fence, so a tall solid front fence on an open street is hard to get approved. Pool and spa barriers have their own permit rules. For fence questions, contact Monash council through its fences page. The council-by-council comparison is in fence rules by council, and the state picture is in do you need a permit for a fence in Victoria.
Monash is unusually direct about this. Its fences page warns not to assume your boundary is at the edge of the footpath or along a neighbour's fence, and says a structure built on the road reserve by mistake has to be removed and rebuilt inside your property. Council cannot visit to locate boundaries, so where the line is in doubt a land surveyor is the right call. Under the Fences Act, the cost of a boundary survey can be shared too. Old fences in Monash have often drifted over decades of patching, so a new fence is a good moment to check.
Most of Monash sits on clay rather than the sand of the bayside suburbs. Clay holds a post firmly once it is set in concrete, but it is slow to dig, it swells when wet and shrinks in a dry summer, and it holds water at the base of a post. That is why so many original Glen Waverley and Mount Waverley fences lean on posts that rotted at ground level. On clay we look at:
Our hardwood vs treated pine posts and height and post spacing guides go into the detail.
Monash is a short drive north east of our Heatherton base. Trace your boundary on a satellite map for a free online instant estimate, then book a free on-site measure and written quote with 24 hours' notice and no deposit.
Get my instant estimate →Clayton, Oakleigh and Notting Hill have seen a lot of dual occupancy and unit development, and planning controls around the Suburban Rail Loop precincts at Clayton and Glen Waverley are changing as well. When one old back fence becomes three or four shared boundaries, each adjoining owner generally pays half of the stretch they share. Serve a separate Fencing Notice on each owner with the length and cost of their section. If you cannot find an owner, the Fences Act lets council release the owner's name and address for the purpose of giving a fencing notice, and Monash's page confirms it can do this. Where units share common property, the owners corporation can be the owner for fencing purposes, and its rules may set out how fences are shared.
Monash's tree controls page describes planning controls rather than a council local law. In residential zones, a planning permit is generally needed to remove, destroy or lop a canopy tree at least 5m tall with a canopy at least 4m wide, within 6m of the front boundary or 4.5m of the rear boundary in certain cases. Some areas are also in a Vegetation Protection Overlay. A permit usually comes with a condition to plant a replacement tree. Work out with your neighbour what happens to any tree on the line before the fence is priced, and check your VicPlan report for a VPO. Vegetation removal and plant protection are not part of our fence price.
The Fences Act 1968 (Vic) applies in Monash as everywhere in Victoria. Council's page says neighbours usually share the cost of a standard paling fence up to 2m high, and that disputes about cost or construction are a civil matter for the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria or a legal adviser. Our Fences Act toolkit sets out every step, and the free Fencing Notice generator handles the paperwork.
If your fence backs onto a council park, playground or council building, Monash's shared fencing guidelines say council may contribute up to half the cost of a standard timber paling fence up to 1.95m, at its discretion and with approval before work starts. It does not contribute along roads, drainage reserves, laneways, walkways or land managed by other authorities such as Melbourne Water, and you pay any extra for height or other materials. The guidelines also note that a gate onto a council reserve needs its own permit.
We build new timber paling fences, Colorbond, aluminium slat and gates across Monash. Pete Kendall is a registered building practitioner (CDB-U 67771). We do not take repair-only work, and every job starts with a free, no-obligation measure and written quote. Nearby we also cover Bentleigh East, Clarinda, Springvale, Rowville, Vermont, Glen Iris and the rest of south east Melbourne.
Usually not for a side or rear fence up to 2m. Monash says a front fence within 3m of the front title boundary can be no higher than your planning zone allows, a fence within 9m of an intersection is limited to the zone height or 1m, fences over 2m may need a building permit, and a block under 300m² always needs a planning permit to build.
It depends on your planning zone. Monash says a front fence within 3m of the front title boundary must be no higher than the zone allows, and anything taller needs council's report and consent. Council's guideline says consent is generally only given where more than 25% of nearby properties already have a front fence. Ask council to confirm the limit for your property.
It may. Monash's shared fencing guidelines say council may contribute up to half the cost of a standard timber paling fence up to 1.95m next to council parks, playgrounds and buildings, with approval before work starts. It does not contribute along roads, drainage reserves, laneways or walkways.
For fencing, yes. The Fences Act 1968 lets a council release an owner's name and address for the purpose of giving a fencing notice, and Monash's fences page says it can do this. Disputes about cost or construction are still a civil matter.
Mostly rotten posts. Much of Monash sits on clay that holds water at the base of a post and moves between wet winters and dry summers. Original treated pine or untreated posts often rot at ground level. Hardwood posts set in concrete, a plinth and good drainage at the base help a new fence stay straight.
Check before you rebuild. Monash warns that a fence built on the road reserve by mistake has to come out and be rebuilt inside your property, and council cannot locate boundaries for you. A land surveyor can, and the Fences Act has a process for sharing the cost of a boundary survey.
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 8 November 2026. Council rules, zones and overlays change, so check with Monash City Council or a registered building surveyor before you build. Sources: Monash City Council, Fences; Monash report and consent guideline BLD0259; Monash shared fencing guidelines; Monash tree controls; VicPlan; Building Regulations 2018 (Vic); Fences Act 1968 (Vic); Fencing in Victoria (Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria).