What a properly built paling fence really costs, what moves the price by height and style, and how to get a real figure for your own boundary in about 2 minutes.
Updated every quarter: the Melbourne Fence Cost Index. What it really costs to build a lasting fence in Melbourne, line by line, from dated public prices, with a CSV you can cite. See the Melbourne Fence Cost Index.
Enter your address, draw the boundary on a satellite map and get a free online instant estimate in about 2 minutes. No phone call needed.
Get my instant estimate →The Melbourne Fence Cost Index rebuilds the cost of one fixed specification line by line from dated public prices. Other styles start from that figure and add to it.
| Height and style | Cost to deliver (per metre, GST included) | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Standard 1.8m paling, hardwood posts in concrete, three rails, plinth | At least $189 | The index specification (November 2026): materials, labour, site costs, business costs, margin and GST |
| 2.0m or 2.1m paling | More than $189 | Longer posts, more timber and more labour. Over 2m usually needs a building permit |
| Lapped and capped | More than $189 | More palings to close the gaps, plus a capping rail |
| Hardwood palings as well as posts | More than $189 | Hardwood palings cost more than treated pine palings |
| Quotes well under $189 | Usually a different fence | Cheaper treated pine posts, fewer rails, no plinth, GST left off, no registered builder or no written warranty |
Taller fences use longer posts, more timber and more labour, so expect them to sit above the 1.8m figure, and remember that a boundary fence over 2m normally needs a building permit in Victoria.
Removing the old fence is usually extra, and the cost varies with the fence, its condition and access; the free online instant estimate prices it for your boundary. The index is refreshed every quarter. For Colorbond and other materials, see fence cost in Melbourne by type.
Lower per-metre figures you may see online are usually not describing the same fence. They often assume treated pine posts, a short list of inclusions on an easy site, prices before GST, or a builder who is not registered and gives no written warranty. $189 a metre is the floor for a properly built fence, not a quote for your boundary.
In broad terms, this is what tends to separate a quote well under $189 a metre from one at or above it:
Often treated pine posts, wider post spacing or two rails, butted palings with no plinth, and old fence removal or gates left off or added later. Can suit a short, sheltered run. Check what it leaves out.
H4 treated pine or hardwood posts, three rails, posts concreted, butted palings, with a plinth sometimes included. Removal and gates are usually listed as extras.
Hardwood posts concreted at a stated depth, three rails, a plinth, removal and gates itemised, the finished height and exclusions in writing, GST included, a registered builder and a written warranty. At least $189 a metre for 1.8m.
The extra at the full-spec end goes into the parts that decide how long the fence stands: the posts, the footings and the rails. For the full line-by-line list, use our 12-point checklist for comparing fence quotes.
| Driver | How it moves the price |
|---|---|
| 1. Length | The biggest driver. Fences are priced per linear metre, and setting out, delivery and travel are spread across the run, so short runs cost more per metre. |
| 2. Height | We build 1.8m, 2.0m and 2.1m. 1.8m is the Melbourne standard; taller means longer posts, more timber and more labour per metre. 2.1m is over the 2m line where a building permit is normally needed in Victoria. See paling fence heights and post spacing and do you need a permit for a fence. |
| 3. Posts and footings | Post material and size, hole depth and concrete on every post. Posts sit in damp ground and usually fail first, so this is where cheaper quotes most often differ. |
| 4. Rails | Three rails is the standard for a full-height paling fence; the middle rail stops palings bowing as the timber dries. A two-rail quote is not a like-for-like price. |
| 5. Lapped and capped | Lapping overlaps the palings to close the gaps; capping covers the paling tops. A per-metre premium for privacy and a finished look. See lapped and capped fences. |
| 6. Old fence removal | Demolition and disposal are real costs. Some quotes include them and many list them separately; we price removal as its own line. See old fence removal. |
| 7. Access and slope | Tight side access, stepped fencing on sloping blocks and hand digging near services all add labour. |
| 8. Gates | Each gate is a fixed add-on: posts, hardware and fitting. Priced separately; see gates. |
A per-metre figure assumes a straightforward job. Even the Melbourne Fence Cost Index minimum assumes a run of about 25 metres on flat ground with clear access; short runs, slopes, rocky ground, restricted access and premium hardware push the price higher. Most guides also do not say which posts, how many rails or how deep the footings are.
Real boundaries add things: an old fence to take away, a slope, a gate, a tree line, a short run. So the reliable number for your property comes from your actual fence line. That is why we offer a free online instant estimate instead of a published rate card: it prices your measured length, and the written quote is confirmed at a free on-site measure.
Posts are the part of a paling fence that sits in damp ground, and they are usually what fails first. H4 treated pine posts are cheaper and very common, and can give good service. Durable hardwood posts are generally stronger and stiffer, and cost more. Which lasts longer on your boundary depends on the species or treatment, the soil, drainage and how well the post is set. We use hardwood posts as standard on every timber fence. Our guide to hardwood vs treated pine fence posts compares them in detail.
Each separately priced item is its own line on the written quote, and the price shown is the total price. Old fibro fences can contain asbestos and are handled differently; our old fence removal guide explains why. Comparing quotes? Line the inclusions up side by side before comparing totals. A cheaper total with two rails, dirt-set posts and no removal is not the same fence.
Choose 1.8m, 2.0m or 2.1m, 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 →On a shared boundary, the Fences Act 1968 generally has Victorian neighbours sharing the cost of a sufficient dividing fence equally. The Victorian Government's fencing guidance sets out the formal step, a Fencing Notice, and your neighbour then has 30 days to respond. Our free Fencing Notice tool helps you prepare it, and our quotes can be split across both owners from the start. The full process is in our who pays for a dividing fence guide; if the conversation stalls, see neighbour won't pay for the fence. If your fence came down in wild weather, start with fence blown down in a storm. Rules can change and every situation differs, so check with the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria, which offers free help, if you are unsure.
We build timber paling fences across Melbourne from our base in Heatherton:
A properly built 1.8 m timber paling fence costs at least $189 a metre to deliver in Melbourne, GST included, per the Melbourne Fence Cost Index (November 2026). That means hardwood posts set in concrete, three rails and a plinth, built by a GST-registered business using a registered building practitioner. Quotes well below that usually leave something out: cheaper treated pine posts, no GST, no registered builder or no written warranty. Lapped and capped, hardwood palings, taller fences, old fence removal, slopes and gates all add to that figure.
Few published cost guides price 2.1m on its own, so treat any single figure with care. A 2.1m fence uses longer posts, more timber and more labour than a 1.8m fence, so expect it to cost more than the $189 a metre minimum the Melbourne Fence Cost Index (November 2026) sets for a properly built 1.8 m fence. A 2.1m boundary fence is also over the 2m height where a building permit is normally needed in Victoria, so check with your council or a registered building surveyor before you build. Our free online instant estimate prices 1.8m, 2.0m and 2.1m for your exact fence line.
More than a standard fence. A properly built 1.8 m timber paling fence costs at least $189 a metre to deliver in Melbourne, GST included, per the Melbourne Fence Cost Index (November 2026). Lapped and capped uses more palings and a capping rail, so it costs more than that minimum. Lapping overlaps the palings to close the gaps, and capping covers the tops of the palings.
The Melbourne Fence Cost Index (November 2026) already assumes hardwood posts set in concrete: at least $189 a metre for a properly built 1.8 m fence, GST included. Hardwood palings as well as posts cost more again. Ask every quote which parts are hardwood: the posts, the palings, or both.
Our paling fence price includes hardwood posts set in concrete, three rails, treated pine palings, a plinth, fixings, labour and cleanup of the build. Old fence removal, gates, the lapped and capped upgrade, slopes or difficult access, and short runs are priced separately on the quote. Vegetation removal and plant protection are not included. The price shown is the total price.
Usually, on a shared boundary in Victoria. Under the Fences Act 1968, neighbours generally share the cost of a sufficient dividing fence equally, and an owner who wants something above that standard usually pays the difference. The formal step is a Fencing Notice, and your neighbour has 30 days to respond. If you cannot agree, the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria offers free help.
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 and gates are their own lines, 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 (03) 4328 3068General information only, current at November 2026. The $189 figure is the Melbourne Fence Cost Index minimum for a fixed specification, refreshed every quarter; it is not our price. Every boundary is different: the estimator prices your measured length and the figure is formalised at the free on-site measure. Permit and dividing fence rules can change, so check with your council or the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria for your situation. This guide is general information, not legal advice.
Sources: cost figure from the Melbourne Fence Cost Index (November 2026 edition), which lists its own dated public sources and methodology. Fencing rules: vic.gov.au: Fencing in Victoria and Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria.