How much does fencing cost per metre in Australia?

Fencing is usually quoted per metre, which makes it sound simple, until you add gates, a sloping yard, removal of the old fence, and a jump from a 1.8 m boundary fence to a 2.4 m privacy screen. This guide gives you honest 2026 per-metre rates for the common materials, then shows what moves the number.

All figures are estimates for Australian residential work, GST inclusive.

Fencing cost per metre by material

| Fence type | Installed cost (per linear metre) | | --- | --- | | Colorbond (1.8m standard) | $75-$120 | | Timber paling (1.8m) | $80-$150 | | Colorbond / timber (2.1m-2.4m, premium metro) | $120-$180 | | Glass pool fencing (AS 1926.1) | $300-$900+ |

These bands reflect current Australian guides putting general fencing anywhere from $75 to $300/lm, with pool glass running several times higher (TradieVerify, Airtasker, Pentagon Fencing).

What drives the price

• Height. Going from 1.8 m to 2.1 m or 2.4 m needs taller sheets or palings and deeper, stronger posts. Materials don't scale linearly. A 2.4 m fence can cost 30%+ more per metre than the same 1.8 m run.
• Posts and footings. Post count is set by spacing (Colorbond posts ~2.4 m apart), and each post is concreted in. Hard ground, rock, or cyclonic-zone footing depths add labour and concrete.
• Gates. Every gate is its own little project, with a frame, hinges, latch, and install time. Pool gates must meet AS 1926.1's self-closing and self-latching rules, which adds cost.
• Site and access. Slopes mean stepped or raked panels (more cutting). A backyard you can only reach through the house slows everything down.
• Removal. Tearing out and disposing of an old fence, especially concrete-set posts or asbestos sheeting, is a separate, sometimes significant, cost.

Pool fencing and AS 1926.1

Pool fencing is in a different league for a reason. AS 1926.1 (the pool safety standard) governs panel gaps, the 1.2 m minimum height, the non-climbable zone, and gate self-closing and self-latching. Toughened glass panels, stainless spigots, precise levelling and that compliance burden are why glass pool fencing runs 3-4× the per-metre cost of Colorbond. It's also why this is not a job to cut corners on. A non-compliant pool fence is a safety and legal problem.

A worked example

A common job: 30 m of 1.8 m Colorbond with one pedestrian gate, on flat ground, replacing an existing timber fence.

| Line item | Estimate | | --- | --- | | 30 m Colorbond @ ~$95/lm (sheets, posts, footings) | $2,850 | | 1 pedestrian gate + hardware + install | $650 | | Remove + dispose of old fence (30 m + tip fee) | $1,000 | | Total (inc GST) | ≈ $4,500 |

That's about $150/lm all-in once the gate and removal are included, a reminder that the bare per-metre rate isn't the whole story. Skip the removal and it drops toward $115/lm; swap in a 2.4 m fence and add a driveway gate and it climbs well past $6,000.

How prices vary across Australia

Fencing labour follows the usual pattern, dearer in Sydney and Melbourne, a little cheaper in Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, and variable in regional areas depending on travel and how busy local fencers are. Colorbond sheet and post prices are fairly national, so most of the regional swing is in labour and footings. Cyclonic zones in northern Australia are the exception: deeper, stronger footings are mandatory there, which adds concrete and labour to every post.

Ground conditions do more to the price than postcode in many cases. Rock, reactive clay, or a steep slope can add hundreds to a run regardless of which city you're in, because every post hole becomes harder work.

How to keep fencing costs sensible

• Confirm the boundary. Sharing the cost with your neighbour (often a legal entitlement for a "sufficient dividing fence") can halve your bill. Talk to them before you commit.
• Bundle the work. Doing all your runs and gates in one visit is cheaper than staging it.
• Don't compromise on pool fencing. AS 1926.1 compliance is non-negotiable; price it properly.

Questions worth asking before you commit

• Is removal of the old fence included? It's often a separate line, so confirm it and the tip fees.
• What footing depth is quoted, and is it right for my zone? Coastal and cyclonic sites need deeper footings.
• Are gates included or extra? Each gate is priced separately; make sure they're in the quote.
• Who confirms the boundary? A fence on the wrong line is an expensive mistake to undo.
• For pool fencing, is it certified to AS 1926.1? Ask for compliance documentation. You'll need it for the pool safety certificate.

If you share a boundary, raise the cost with your neighbour early. In most states there's a legal framework for splitting the cost of a sufficient dividing fence, and a quick conversation can halve your bill.

Get a real number

A per-metre average can't see your slope, your gates, or the old fence that needs removing. Enter your run length, height, material and gates into Karven's fencing calculator and get an itemised, fixed-price quote in minutes.