Building a new fence: a homeowner's guide to getting it right

What a fencing job actually involves

A fencer sets out the line, digs and concretes the posts, then fixes rails and infill — palings, panels, sheets or pickets — to finish the run. The work you don't see is the part that matters: post depth, spacing and concrete footings are what keep a fence standing straight through a decade of wind and wet ground.

Material sets the character of the job. Timber paling is the suburban default, Colorbond steel is low-maintenance and fast to install, and aluminium, glass or masonry sit at the pricier, more decorative end. Removing an old fence, clearing vegetation and dealing with sloping or rocky ground are separate line items that often surprise people.

How fencing is priced

Fencing is quoted per linear metre installed, so the length of the run and the material together set the band — a standard Colorbond or timber boundary lands in the low thousands for a typical backyard, while feature fencing, tall privacy screens or masonry climb well beyond that. The per-metre rate for premium materials can be several times the budget option.

The ground does the rest. A flat, clear, easy-dig boundary is cheap; sloping sites that need stepped or raked panels, rocky or clay ground that fights the post-hole digger, and removal and disposal of the old fence all push the number up. Treat every figure as indicative until a fencer has walked the actual line — the live prices on this page will give you the starting range.

Choosing a fencer — and squaring it with the neighbour

Fencing sits inside building and landscaping work, so whether a licence is required depends on your state and the size or type of job; retaining and structural elements in particular can tip a fence into licensed territory. Check what your state requires, and look for the usual marks of a good operator — recent local jobs, a written quote that states post depth and material grade, and public liability insurance.

The neighbour part is genuinely important. A dividing fence on a common boundary is usually a shared cost under state fencing law, and the polite — and legally cleaner — path is to agree the material and contribution in writing before work starts. Serving a formal fencing notice is the backstop if a neighbour won't engage, but a friendly chat and two quotes usually does it.

Mistakes to avoid

Most fencing disputes aren't about the fence at all — they're about a neighbour who found out about a shared-cost job after it was already booked, or a quote that quietly left out the demolition.

• Building on a shared boundary without agreeing the material and cost split with the neighbour first
• Assuming old-fence removal and rubbish disposal are included — ask, because they're often extra
• Ignoring the ground: slope, rock and clay all cost more and should be quoted, not discovered
• Skimping on post depth or footings to save money — it's the first thing to fail
• Overlooking council height or pool-barrier rules that apply to some boundaries
• Comparing per-metre rates without checking the material grade and post spacing behind them