Prepare a fence replacement quote
In short
Fence replacement cost depends on the measured length, height, material, posts and footings, slope, access, old-fence removal and gates. A price per metre is useful only when its inclusions match your job. We have not verified current independent evidence for a national installed price range. Ask for a written site-specific total, including GST where applicable, and agree any shared-boundary contribution before authorising work. Your neighbour's share depends on the rules in your state or territory and the circumstances; it is not automatically half of any fence you choose.
Step 1
Measure the run and list the work to price
Measure each fence run in metres and mark gates separately on a simple sketch. Tell the contractor whether the measurement includes the gate opening. Record the proposed height and photograph both sides where you have permission to access them. Ask the contractor to confirm the measurements and ground conditions on site.
Request the same material, height and scope from each contractor. If you want to compare timber and steel, ask each company to price both options against that brief rather than comparing unrelated advertised rates.
Details that change the total
| Cost factor | What to specify in your brief |
|---|---|
| Length and height | Metres for each run, fence height, corners and whether gate openings are included in the measurement. |
| Material and finish | Timber type or steel fencing system, panel or paling style, colour, coating and any painting or staining. |
| Posts and footings | Whether existing posts can be retained, new post material, concrete removal and the proposed footing work. |
| Slope and ground | Photos of the slope, retaining walls and ground changes; ask how the fence will follow the ground and how difficult excavation is priced. |
| Access | Side-path width, stairs, parking and permission needed to work from the neighbouring property. |
| Removal and disposal | Old panels, posts and concrete to remove; waste transport, disposal fees and any hazardous-material assessment. |
| Gates | Opening width, gate material, posts, hinges, latch and lock; identify automation as a separate scope if wanted. |
Step 2
Resolve the boundary and neighbour contribution
Speak with the adjoining property owner before ordering a shared fence. Put the proposed location, material, height, contractor, removal work and each owner's contribution in writing. An existing fence does not settle a disputed legal boundary; ask about a boundary survey if its position is uncertain.
In NSW, neighbours generally share the cost of a sufficient dividing fence, meaning a fence appropriate to the circumstances. A more expensive choice may leave the person requesting it paying the extra. Legal Aid NSW explains exceptions and the fencing notice process. Queensland's QCAT guidance also distinguishes the sufficient fence from an upgrade and explains its notice to contribute process. Neither example establishes the rule for another state or territory.
Victoria has its own Fencing Notice procedure, including a separate process for urgent work. Elsewhere, check your jurisdiction's official dividing-fence guidance or obtain legal advice about a disputed contribution. If there is no agreement, follow that process before proceeding; arranging the work first can affect recovering costs. A damaged or unsafe fence may require a different urgent-work procedure.
Step 3
Check approvals and removal risks before demolition
Ask your council or relevant building authority whether the proposed fence needs approval. Give them the location, height, material, road frontage and details of any retaining wall. NSW's exempt-development rules, for example, set different conditions for front, side and rear fences and particular land zones. Exempt development means work that can proceed without planning approval only when all applicable conditions are met. Those NSW conditions are not national fence limits.
Flag any fence that forms part of a pool barrier and confirm the applicable pool safety requirements before changing it. Ask who will maintain required barriers and site security while the fence is removed. A retaining wall needs its own assessment; do not assume a fence quote includes repairing it.
Older cement-sheet fences may contain asbestos, and similar-looking newer sheets may not. NSW Government guidance identifies corrugated cement fencing as a possible source. Do not cut, drill or break suspected material to inspect it. Arrange assessment and, if needed, appropriate removal and disposal before demolition, with those costs identified separately.
Step 4
Send one worked brief to each contractor
Example brief, with illustrative dimensions rather than a price estimate: replace a 24 m rear boundary run, measured including one 1 m pedestrian gate opening. Quote a proposed 1.8 m steel fence and matching gate, subject to approval and neighbour agreement. The existing fence is timber. Remove the panels, posts and old concrete, take away waste and install new posts and footings. The final 6 m slopes down; please inspect and describe how the panels will follow that slope. Side access is 900 mm wide. Confirm measurements and the boundary position before installation.
Ask for the fence installation, gate, removal and disposal to be identified separately, with any access allowance, approvals or survey costs included or excluded explicitly. In this example, the opening leaves 23 m of fence outside the gate, but the contractor should confirm how their rate treats gates, posts and corners. Multiplying 24 m by a fence-only rate could double-count the gate or omit its hardware.
Step 5
Compare the full amount and agree changes in writing
Compare the total for the same scope, then ask each contractor to explain differences in materials, removal, footings and gates. A supply-only panel price cannot establish the installed replacement cost. Confirm whether the offer is a fixed quote or an estimate, and identify provisional allowances: amounts set aside for work whose final cost is still uncertain.
Consumer prices must include GST where applicable and unavoidable charges that can be calculated. Ask what happens if excavation finds rock, buried concrete or other unexpected conditions, and require an agreed written scope and price before approving extra work. Check the relevant licence and contract requirements in your jurisdiction for the proposed work.
Before booking, record payment stages, expected dates, access arrangements and who makes good disturbed paving or gardens. At handover, check the agreed fence line, finish and gate operation against the quote, and record any work still to be completed.
Sources and useful links
Sources checked 6 October 2026
- Legal Aid NSW: fence rights and obligations
Checked 6 October 2026. NSW guidance on sufficient fences, cost contributions, exceptions and notices; not a national rule or a determination of an individual dispute.
- QCAT: dividing fence disputes
Queensland tribunal guidance on agreements, sufficient fences, upgrades and notices, checked 6 October 2026 through its indexed official text. Applies to Queensland.
- Victorian Government: fencing in Victoria
Checked 6 October 2026. Victorian notice and agreement procedures, including urgent work. Does not establish approval requirements or prices nationally.
- NSW Planning Portal: fences
Checked 6 October 2026. NSW exempt-development conditions vary with location, material and land zoning. Confirm the rules for the actual property.
- NSW Government: corrugated cement sheet and asbestos
Official guidance identifying possible asbestos in cement-sheet fencing and the limits of visual identification; checked 6 October 2026.
- ACCC: price displays
National consumer price guidance, checked 6 October 2026. Supports total-price and GST advice, not a fence installation price range. No current independent national cost dataset was verified for this guide.
