A 12-point checklist for lining up Melbourne fence quotes, so you compare the fence and not just the total.
Get a free online instant estimate: draw your fence line on a satellite map, about 2 minutes.
Get my instant estimate →When two quotes for the same boundary are far apart, it usually comes down to four things:
Published cost guides show how wide the market is (third-party market ranges, not our pricing):
| Published guide | Melbourne figure (per metre, installed) | Updated |
|---|---|---|
| What's The Damage: timber paling | About $84 to $200, typical $115 | October 2026 |
| What's The Damage: 1.8m hardwood paling | About $105 to $200, typical $135 | October 2026 |
| Airtasker: timber paling, Melbourne | About $150 to $170, materials and installation | August 2026 |
| What's The Damage: removing an old paling fence | About $16 to $47, including disposal | October 2026 |
The top of that range is more than double the bottom for what sounds like the same fence. The gap is mostly spec and inclusions, which the checklist below lines up. For a breakdown by height and style, see our timber paling fence cost per metre guide and the wider cost of fencing in Melbourne.
Put your quotes side by side and work down the list. Anything a quote leaves out, ask for in writing.
| Line | What a complete quote states | Why it matters | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Posts | Material (hardwood, H4 treated pine or steel), size and length | Posts sit in damp ground and usually fail first. See hardwood vs treated pine posts. | What are the posts, and how much is in the ground? |
| 2. Post spacing | Distance between post centres | Wider spacing means fewer posts, a lower price and longer rail spans that can sag. | What spacing are the posts at? |
| 3. Footings | Hole depth, and concrete on every post | Shallow or dirt-set posts are a common cause of early leaning. | How deep are the holes, and is every post concreted? |
| 4. Rails | Number and size of rails | Three rails is standard on 1.8m and taller in our builds. Two rails cost less and can let palings bow. | How many rails, and what size? |
| 5. Palings | Butted, lapped, or lapped and capped | Butted palings shrink and open gaps; lapped palings overlap for privacy. See lapped and capped fences. | Are the palings butted or lapped? |
| 6. Plinth and capping | Whether a plinth (kickboard) and capping are included | A plinth keeps palings off the soil; capping protects the end grain. Both are often extras. | Is the plinth included? Is capping? |
| 7. Finished height | Height including plinth and capping | A plinth lifts a 1.8m fence toward the 2m line where a fence permit can apply. See heights and post spacing. | What will the finished height be? |
| 8. Old fence removal | Removal and disposal as its own line, tip fees included | Leaving it off makes a quote look cheaper. Fibro (possible asbestos) should be flagged. See old fence removal. | Is removal and disposal included? |
| 9. Gates | Each gate as a separate line, with hardware | A fixed add-on that one quote may include and another may not. See gates. | Are gates included, and which hardware? |
| 10. Site prep and exclusions | What is not included: vegetation clearing, plant protection, slopes and steps, retaining | Surprise costs hide here. A good quote says what it does not cover. | What is excluded, and what could cost extra? |
| 11. Price, GST and payments | One total price, whether GST is included, and when payments fall due | A price plus GST is 10 per cent more than it looks. | Is the total GST-inclusive? When do I pay? |
| 12. Warranty, insurance and paperwork | Written warranty (what it covers, how long), public liability insurance, a written contract | It is what you rely on if something goes wrong. Check any registration claim on the BPC register. | Can I see your insurance certificate and written warranty? |
Consumer Affairs Victoria makes the same point: the cheapest quote may leave items out, so know exactly what each one covers.
This is an example layout, not a price. On a real quote, each line carries its own figure.
| Line | What it says (example) |
|---|---|
| Property and boundary | Rear boundary, shared with the neighbour behind |
| Length and height | 28 linear metres, 1.8m palings on a plinth, finished height stated |
| Posts and concrete | Hardwood posts, size, count and spacing stated; every post concreted to a stated depth |
| Rails and palings | Three rails, size stated; paling style stated (butted, lapped, or lapped and capped) |
| Plinth and capping | Plinth included; capping shown as an option or inclusion |
| Removal and disposal | Remove the existing 28m fence, disposal and tip fees included |
| Gates | One pedestrian gate, priced as a separate line |
| Exclusions | Vegetation clearing, plant protection, retaining |
| GST and total | GST shown, single total price including GST |
| Owner split | Total split between both owners, ready to send with a Fencing Notice |
| Validity and warranty | Date the quote is valid until, and written warranty terms |
A one-line quote ("supply and install 28m paling fence") may still be a fair price, but you cannot compare it. Ask for it broken into lines like these.
Enter your address, draw the fence line, and get a free online instant estimate. Your on-site measure and written quote are free, with no obligation and no deposit to book.
Get my instant estimate →The Victorian Government's guide to finding a practitioner and getting quotes lists similar warning signs: too cheap, promising too much, lacking detail, or pushing you to accept.
Yes, when it matches the others line for line and comes from an insured builder with a written warranty.
Where it goes wrong is whole-of-life cost. Fences fail from the ground up: posts at ground level take the moisture and rot first, then the rails and palings follow. A cheaper post, shallower footing or missing rail saves money on day one and can cost a new fence years earlier. Our guides on how long a fence lasts and hardwood vs treated pine posts explain why. We use hardwood posts as standard on every timber fence for that reason.
Most residential fencers do not quote a day rate. They price per metre or per job, because materials, concrete, removal and the site make up most of the cost and change from one boundary to the next. An hourly figure is labour only: Airtasker's 2026 fencing cost guide lists Melbourne labour at about $39 to $45 per hour, with materials, concrete and disposal on top. For whole-job market figures, see the cost of fencing in Melbourne guide.
On a shared boundary, the Fences Act 1968 generally has neighbours sharing the cost of a sufficient dividing fence equally. The Victorian Government's fencing guidance says to get quotes and send them to your neighbour with a Fencing Notice; they then have 30 days to respond. We can split the written quote across both owners, and our free Fencing Notice tool helps you prepare the notice. The full process is in our who pays for a dividing fence guide.
DIY saves on labour. It also takes a post hole auger, concrete, a free Before You Dig Australia enquiry, a way to dispose of the old fence, and a couple of weekends. Post spacing, footing depth and height matter more than the palings, so read our paling fence height and post spacing guide first.
We build timber paling and Colorbond fences across Melbourne from our base in Heatherton:
A complete fence quote states the post material, size and spacing, footing depth and concrete, rail count, paling style, plinth and capping, finished height, old fence removal and disposal, gates, exclusions, a single total price with GST, payment terms and the warranty. If a line is missing, ask for it in writing before comparing totals.
Victorian Government building guidance suggests getting at least three quotes for the same job and specifications, and asking for each one to be itemised. For a fence, that means asking every fencer to price the same length, height, paling style, removal and gates, so the totals are genuinely comparable.
Usually because it describes a different fence or fewer inclusions: cheaper or smaller posts, wider spacing, two rails instead of three, no plinth or capping, removal or gates left out, or GST added on top. If the cheaper quote matches line for line, from an insured builder with a written warranty, it is simply a good price.
Most residential fencers price per metre or per job rather than by the hour. As a market guide, published 2026 cost guides put a standard 1.8m Melbourne timber paling fence at about $120 to $190 per metre installed, with budget jobs from under $100 and hardwood, lapped and capped or taller fences reaching about $200 or more. Old fence removal and gates are often priced as extras. These are market ranges, not any one fencer's price. The reliable figure is a measured, itemised quote for your own boundary.
It should be obvious either way. Under Australian Consumer Law, a business that quotes part of a price must also clearly show the single total price, including taxes such as GST. A price plus GST is 10 per cent more than it first looks. A business not registered for GST should not charge it, and you can check an ABN's GST status on ABN Lookup.
It depends on the job. Whether domestic building work needs a registered practitioner in Victoria depends on the type and value of the work, so ask the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC) or Consumer Affairs Victoria if you are unsure. If a fencer says they are registered, check them on the BPC's Find and check a practitioner register before you sign.
Start with a free online instant estimate, then book a free, no-obligation on-site measure and an itemised written quote. Hardwood posts are standard, old fence removal is its own line, gates are priced separately, and exclusions such as vegetation removal and plant protection are stated up front. 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. Cost guide figures are third-party market ranges and change over time; they are not our prices. Fencing Notice, dividing fence and registration rules can change, so check with your council, the Building and Plumbing Commission, Consumer Affairs Victoria or the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria for your situation.
Sources: vic.gov.au: Fencing in Victoria (updated February 2026); building.vic.gov.au: Finding a practitioner and getting quotes; Consumer Affairs Victoria: Getting quotes; Building and Plumbing Commission: Find and check a practitioner; ACCC: Price displays; ACCC: Consumer rights and guarantees; ABN Lookup; Before You Dig Australia; asbestos.vic.gov.au; market ranges from What's The Damage, Melbourne fencing costs (October 2026) and Airtasker, fencing cost guide (August 2026). This guide is general information, not legal advice.