What removing an old fence involves
Taking out a fence properly is more than knocking the palings off. On a typical suburban job it covers:
- Palings or sheets, then rails. Palings are knocked off the rails. Colorbond sheets lift out once the rails are unfixed from the posts.
- Posts and footings. A dirt-set post levers out. A concrete-set post is dug out with its footing attached: the heaviest, slowest part of the job.
- Fixings. Nails, screws and brackets collected, so nothing is left in the lawn.
- Sorting. Timber, steel and concrete separated, because they go to different places.
- Cleanup and access. The line left clear for the new post holes. Removal usually needs both sides of the boundary, so tell your neighbour the day and keep pets in.
Removal is normally the first part of the build, so the boundary is open for a day or two, not weeks. Our fence replacement guide covers the whole process. If there's an old gate in the run, mention it: new gates are priced separately.
How much does old fence removal cost in Melbourne?
These are market ranges from a published, independent cost guide (What's The Damage, Melbourne fence removal page, verified October 2026). They are not our prices, and your job will land wherever its length, posts and access put it.
| Removal job | Published market range |
|---|---|
| Timber or Colorbond, labour only | About $15 to $30 per metre |
| Timber paling, including disposal and tip fees | About $16 to $47 per metre |
| Removal folded into a full replacement quote | Typically $15 to $40 per metre |
| 20 metre timber or Colorbond fence, with disposal | Around $400 to $800 in total |
| Tip fees and transport for a 20 metre fence | Often $150 to $300 |
| Brick or masonry demolition | About $45 to $90 per metre |
| Asbestos cement (fibro), licensed removal | About $25 to $50+ per metre, with minimum job fees often around $500 to $800 |
The same publisher's national fencing guide lists old fence removal at $15 to $50 per metre, with $30 as typical. Figures are market guides only and change over time.
What moves the removal price
- Length. Removal is priced by the metre.
- How the posts were set. Concrete footings take far longer to dig out, and weigh far more to cart away, than dirt-set posts.
- Access. A clear side path is quick. Carrying every paling and footing through a narrow gap adds hours.
- Tip fees. Mixed timber and concrete is heavy, and transfer station fees vary by council.
- Material. Timber and Colorbond are routine. Brick is demolition, and fibro needs a licensed asbestos removalist.
- Doing it with the new build. The cost guide's worked example shows the same removal costing less inside a replacement quote than as a standalone job.
Cheap removal versus a proper one
Many fencers, us included, price removal per metre as its own line on the quote, so you can see exactly what you're paying and compare like with like. When you line quotes up, check three things. Are the old footings dug out, or are posts cut off at ground level, leaving concrete where the new posts need to go? Are tip fees included, or billed later? Is cleanup included? Our guide to comparing fence quotes has the full checklist, and the cost of fencing in Melbourne guide covers market ranges for the new fence itself.
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Get my instant estimate → Call 0433 938 540Where the old fence goes
- Treated timber: never burn it. Old fence timber is often treated pine, and EPA Victoria warns that burning treated timber releases toxic substances into the air. That rules out the fire pit, wood heater and barbecue. Paint, stain and age make it hard to tell what's treated, so treat old fence timber as treated.
- Keep it out of green waste. EPA Victoria says only untreated timber can be used as mulch. Old fence timber goes to a council transfer station or a landfill that accepts it. Fees and rules vary, so check with your council first.
- Colorbond and steel: recycle it. Sheets, rails and steel posts can go to a scrap metal recycler rather than landfill.
- Concrete footings. Usually to a concrete or rubble recycler, or a transfer station that takes them.
- Fibro. Never in a skip, a household bin or a general load. See below.
When we remove a timber or Colorbond fence, we cart it away and handle disposal as part of the removal line. Going steel this time? See our Colorbond fencing page.
Fibro fences and asbestos
Asbestos cement sheeting was used in fencing for decades. Victoria's official asbestos website lists fences among the exterior materials that can contain asbestos, and advises that if a home was built or renovated before 1990, it likely contains asbestos. All forms of asbestos were banned in Australia from 31 December 2003, but the ban didn't remove what was already built.
How to find out
You can't tell by looking. Victoria's asbestos website says only laboratory testing of a sample can confirm it, and advises having the property assessed by a qualified professional, such as an occupational hygienist or asbestos surveyor, who can have samples tested by a NATA-accredited laboratory. Until you know, treat it as asbestos and leave it undisturbed.
Who removes it
Victorian law allows homeowners to remove only very small amounts of asbestos in limited circumstances, and the state's asbestos website recommends a licensed asbestos removalist for any amount. It also notes builders and trades generally aren't licensed to remove asbestos, and fencers are no exception. Find one in WorkSafe Victoria's asbestos removalists directory. Asbestos waste can't go in skips or household bins, can't be buried, and can only go to a landfill authorised to take it. Ask your removalist for the Waste Tracker record showing it got there.
How we handle a fibro fence
We don't remove fibro or asbestos cement fences ourselves. If your old fence looks like fibro at the free measure, we'll flag it and leave it alone: no cutting, no breaking, no sample-taking. A licensed asbestos removalist takes it out first and quotes you directly, then we build the new fence on a clear line. On a shared boundary, agree the removalist's quote with your neighbour in writing before work starts.
Who pays to remove a shared fence?
The Victorian Government's Fencing in Victoria guidance lists removing the existing fence and clearing the land so a fence can be built among the costs neighbours may need to share, alongside the usual 50/50 split of a sufficient new fence.
- Agree before work starts. You need your neighbour's consent, or to have followed the Fencing Notice process, first. If they don't respond to a Fencing Notice within 30 days, the work can go ahead.
- Put removal in the notice. Attach a quote that shows removal as its own line. Our free Fencing Notice generator fills the notice in for you.
- Urgent damage is different. After a falling tree, fire or flood, urgent works can go ahead without notice first. See fence blown down in a storm.
The full rules are in our who pays for a dividing fence guide. If you can't agree, the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria offers free dispute resolution services.
Can I remove the old fence myself?
A timber or Colorbond fence, yes, with care. A few things catch people out:
- Your neighbour comes first. Get their agreement before a single paling comes off.
- Check for underground services. Before digging out posts, lodge a free enquiry with Before You Dig Australia.
- Pools change everything. If the old fence is part of a pool or spa barrier, taking it down leaves the pool unfenced. Arrange a compliant temporary barrier first and check with your council. Our fence permit guide covers pool barriers.
- Protect yourself. Gloves, boots and eye protection. Palings split, nails hide in the grass, and cut Colorbond edges are sharp.
- Footings are the hard part. Leave broken concrete in the ground and the new posts may not go where they need to.
- Plan the disposal. Several trailer loads, tip fees, and no green waste bins.
Doing the removal yourself? Tell us at the measure. We'll quote the build only and agree up front what "removed" means: posts and footings out, line clear. And one firm rule: never DIY a fibro fence.
Clearing the fence line before build day
Vegetation removal and plant protection are not included in our price, so clear the line before build day: creepers off the old fence, shrubs cut back, and anything stored against it moved. Take down whatever is attached to it too, such as shade sail fixings, hooks, lights and irrigation.
If a tree on or near the line might be protected, check with your council first. Bayside City Council, for example, requires a local law permit to remove or heavily prune some trees on private land, including those on its Significant Tree Register (its rules are changing from 1 November 2026, so check the current version). That matters in leafy suburbs like Beaumaris and Sandringham. In flatter suburbs such as Oakleigh, it's usually just a matter of clearing side access.
Common questions
How much does it cost to remove an old fence in Melbourne?
Published Melbourne cost guides put old fence removal at roughly $15 to $50 per metre as at October 2026. Labour alone is about $15 to $30 per metre for timber or Colorbond, and a 20 metre run with disposal and tip fees is about $400 to $800. Concrete-set posts, tight access, brick and asbestos cement push it higher. Many fencers price removal per metre as its own line on the quote, so ask what that line includes.
Is my fibro fence asbestos?
It may be, and you can't tell by looking. Victoria's asbestos website says a home built or renovated before 1990 likely contains asbestos, it lists fences among the exterior materials that can contain it, and only laboratory testing of a sample can confirm it. Until it is tested, treat a fibro fence as asbestos: don't drill, cut, sand, break or use high-pressure water on it.
Can I remove a fibro fence myself in Victoria?
We strongly advise against it. Victorian law only allows homeowners to remove very small amounts of asbestos in limited circumstances, and the state's asbestos website recommends a licensed removalist for any amount. Asbestos waste can't go in skips or household bins either. Find a licensed removalist through WorkSafe Victoria's asbestos removalists directory, and have them take the old fence out before the new one is built.
Who pays to remove a dividing fence?
On a shared boundary, the Victorian Government's fencing guidance lists removing the existing fence and clearing the land among the costs neighbours may need to share, alongside the usual 50/50 split of a sufficient new fence. Agree it with your neighbour, or include removal in the quote attached to a Fencing Notice, before any work starts. If you can't agree, the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria can help.
Do you take the old fence away?
Yes, for timber and Colorbond fences. Removal is priced per metre as its own line on your quote, and it covers taking out the palings or sheets, rails, posts and their concrete footings, then carting it all away for disposal. We don't remove fibro or asbestos cement fences: a licensed asbestos removalist does that first, then we build. Vegetation removal and plant protection are not included.
Can the old timber be reused or burned?
Don't burn it. Old fence timber is often treated, and EPA Victoria warns that burning treated timber releases toxic substances into the air. EPA Victoria also says only untreated timber can be used as mulch, so keep old palings out of green waste bins. A few sound palings can be reused for garden projects, and the rest should go to a council transfer station or landfill that accepts it.
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Draw your boundary on a satellite map for a free online instant estimate that includes removal of an old timber or Colorbond fence. Then book your free, no-obligation on-site measure and written quote, with removal itemised as its own line. New fences are built on hardwood posts as standard. We just need 24 hours' notice, and there's no deposit to book.
Get my instant estimate → Call 0433 938 540Related guides and tools
- Cost of fencing in MelbourneMarket price ranges for a new fence
- Replacing a fence: the full processFrom quote to build day
- Who pays for a dividing fence?The Fences Act 50/50 rules
- How to compare fence quotesWhat to check line by line
- Fence blown down in a storm?Who pays and what to do (Victoria)
- Free Fencing Notice generatorFill in, print and serve, no signup
Areas we serve
Timber paling fencing by region: Eastern suburbs · South East Melbourne · Western suburbs · Northern suburbs
Colorbond fencing by region: Eastern suburbs · South East Melbourne · Western suburbs · Northern suburbs
Close to home in the south-east: Heatherton · Mentone · Bentleigh · Beaumaris · Sandringham · Oakleigh · Fencing contractors Brighton · Fencing contractors Cheltenham
General information only, current at October 2026. Asbestos, waste and fencing rules change, and costs vary by job. For asbestos, follow WorkSafe Victoria and Victoria's asbestos website and use a licensed removalist. For disposal, check with your council and EPA Victoria. For a shared fence, check the current guidance at vic.gov.au or contact the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria.
Sources: Asbestos in Victoria: homeowners and renovators, where asbestos is found, safe removal and disposal; WorkSafe Victoria: asbestos and its removalists directory; Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency (2003 national ban); EPA Victoria on treated timber waste, managing treated timber and disposing of asbestos waste; Fencing in Victoria (vic.gov.au); market removal ranges from What's The Damage: fence removal cost Melbourne and fencing cost per metre (both verified October 2026). This guide is general information, not legal advice.