Colorbond boundary fencing in Wollert

A Colorbond boundary fence in Wollert is usually a side or rear fence between two homes, built from pre-painted steel sheets on steel posts set in concrete. Published installed pricing sits at $85 to $100 per metre, and under the Fences Act 1968 the two neighbouring owners normally share the cost of a sufficient dividing fence. This site takes your enquiry and passes it to an independent local fencer, who measures, quotes and builds the fence; see how the referral works.

When does Colorbond suit a Wollert block?

Most enquiries from Wollert come from owners of recently handed-over homes with a bare boundary, or from owners whose temporary builder’s fencing has just been taken away. Steel sheeting suits those jobs for a few practical reasons. It does not rot, termites do not eat it, and it gives full privacy at the usual 1.8 m height. Colours can be matched to the neighbouring fence so a street of new houses looks consistent. Some estates set fence colours in their design guidelines, so check yours first.

It is a weaker fit where you want a see-through front fence, where a heritage dry stone wall forms part of the boundary, or where the fence must also act as a pool barrier. For pool work read the pool fencing guide, because a solid steel sheet fence has its own climbability rules near a pool.

How does Colorbond compare with other boundary fences?

Published installed ranges for each fence type:

• Colorbond steel, $85 to $100 per metre. Upkeep: wash down now and then. Privacy: full. Good for new estate side and rear boundaries.
• Treated pine paling, $75 to $120 per metre. Upkeep: stain or paint, replace palings over time. Privacy: full once lapped. Good for a lower outlay or matching an existing timber line.
• Hardwood paling, $80 to $125 per metre. Upkeep: weathers grey unless oiled. Privacy: full. Good for matching older timber fences.
• Treated pine slat, $280 to $350 per metre. Upkeep: oil or paint. Privacy: partial to full. Good for feature front fences and screens.

The ranges come from the hipages fencing cost guide, which includes labour and materials. Our Wollert fencing cost guide explains what moves a quote up or down. If you are torn between steel and timber, the timber paling fence page covers the timber side of the decision.

What will a provider check before quoting?

A useful quote starts with a site visit or good photos. Expect a fencer to ask about:

• The boundary line. In a new subdivision the survey pegs may still be visible. If they are gone and the line is in doubt, a licensed land surveyor can re-mark it. A fence is hard to move once the posts are concreted.
• Your title and estate guidelines. Council guidance allows side and back fences to reach 2 m, but a title covenant that limits side boundary heights takes priority. Read your covenant or design guidelines for colour and height rules before you choose.
• What is underground. Stormwater lines, sewer branches and other services often run close to side boundaries. A careful fencer lodges a Before You Dig Australia enquiry and checks plans before drilling post holes.
• Ground conditions. Council describes the Wollert landscape as having many stony rises. Rock in a post hole slows the auger and can add labour, so ask whether the quote allows for it.
• Slope and length. Panels are stepped on sloping ground, and longer runs usually cost less per metre than short ones.
• The old fence. Removal and disposal of an existing fence is normally quoted as a separate line.

What does installing a Colorbond fence involve?

1. Agree the line, height, colour and post spacing with your neighbour, ideally in writing.
2. Set out the run with a string line and mark the post positions.
3. Drill or dig post holes, then set the steel posts plumb in concrete.
4. Fit the bottom and top rails, then slide the sheets into place and fix the capping.
5. Cut and fit end posts and any gate opening, then clean off swarf so the paint does not stain.
6. Remove spoil and offcuts, and walk the finished line with you.

Small fences are often done within a day. A long rear boundary with removal of an old fence can take longer, especially if rock slows the post holes.

Who pays for a dividing fence in Wollert?

The Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria fencing guidance explains that neighbours generally share the cost of a sufficient dividing fence equally. If one owner wants something above that standard, such as a taller fence or a dearer finish, that owner pays the difference unless both agree otherwise. A formal Fencing Notice gives the other owner 30 days to respond. Many neighbours simply sign the agreed quote, although the DSCV warns that without a notice a later dispute falls under contract law rather than the Fences Act.

Which rules apply to a Colorbond fence?

The Building and Plumbing Commission’s landscaping guidance says a building permit is required for most fences. Its listed exemptions include a timber side or rear boundary fence no higher than 2 m, and no higher than 1.5 m within 3 m of a street boundary. Ask your fencer or a building surveyor how the exemption applies to a steel fence on your lot before work starts.

The same BPC page says fencing is generally domestic building work. Once the contract price passes the threshold the BPC publishes, the builder must be registered, and the BPC lists a Domestic Builder class limited to the construction of gates and fences. Larger contracts can also trigger the Home Warranty insurance the BPC now describes for eligible domestic building work.

What a careful fencer will not skip

• Building before both owners have agreed or the Fencing Notice period has run.
• Drilling without checking for services along the boundary.
• Raising a fence above 2 m with lattice or extension sheets without checking whether a permit or siting consent is needed.
• Pouring footings hard against a house slab or over a drainage pit.
• Leaving the rails and framing on a side the neighbour has not agreed to.

Local notes for Wollert

Wollert sits in the City of Whittlesea, which names Wollert, Epping and Donnybrook as the places where it expects the most population growth over the next 20 years. That growth means many fences go up at once along new streets, so fencers are often working next to active building sites. If your rear boundary backs onto a reserve or other council land, council asks owners to contact it for fencing advice before building. Owners in nearby Donnybrook and Epping face similar questions, and the Wollert area page covers the suburb in more detail.

Ready to price your fence?

Measure the run, note the height you want, check your covenant and talk to your neighbour. Then send your Colorbond fence details through the quote form with photos of the boundary.

Send a job enquiry