Timber paling fences in Wollert
Treated pine and hardwood paling fences for Wollert boundaries: published prices per metre, post and rail choices and neighbour cost sharing.
A timber paling fence is the standard Victorian dividing fence: palings nailed to horizontal rails between timber posts set in the ground. Published installed pricing is $75 to $120 per metre for treated pine and $80 to $125 per metre for hardwood. The independent fencer you are referred to sets the scope and the price, not this website, and our about page explains the referral steps.
Why choose timber over steel?
For residential land, the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria uses a timber paling fence 1.8 metres high as its example of a sufficient dividing fence. That matters when you and a neighbour are splitting the bill, because the person who wants something above that standard usually pays the difference. Timber is also easier to patch one paling at a time, it can be stained to suit the house, and it matches the older boundaries found in parts of Epping and Craigieburn.
The trade-off is upkeep. Pine left raw weathers and moves, palings shrink and gaps open, and posts in wet ground eventually fail. If you want a fence you can mostly ignore, compare it with Colorbond steel fencing before you decide.
Paling, lapped or slat: which style?
| Style | How it is built | Published installed range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treated pine paling, butted | Palings side by side on two or three rails | $75 to $120 per metre | Gaps appear as timber dries |
| Hardwood paling | Hardwood palings, often on pine rails | $80 to $125 per metre | Greys off unless oiled |
| Lapped and capped paling | Palings overlapped, with a capping rail and plinth | Usually above plain paling | Better privacy, neater top line |
| Treated pine slat | Horizontal or vertical machined slats | $280 to $350 per metre | Common for front and feature fences |
These per metre figures are taken from the hipages fencing cost guide and cover supply and installation. They are national guide figures, so local quotes can land outside them. The cost guide for Wollert fencing lists what pushes a quote higher.
What goes into a well-built paling fence?
Posts. Posts carry the whole fence and sit in damp soil, so ask whether the timber is treated and rated for in-ground contact. Steel posts are another option where timber posts rot out quickly. Ask what post size and spacing the quote uses and whether posts are concreted.
Rails. Two rails suit lower fences; a 1.8 m fence normally has three. Rails should run level or step evenly with the ground.
Plinth. A treated plinth board along the bottom keeps palings off the soil, which slows rot and stops soil spilling between yards when one side is higher.
Fixings. Galvanised nails or other corrosion resistant fixings stop black streaks running down the palings.
Capping. A capping rail sheds water off the top of the palings and stiffens the fence.
What will the fencer need from you?
- The length of each run and the height you want.
- Whether an old fence has to come down, and what it is made of. If the house or fence was built before 1990, the Victorian Asbestos Hub says it may contain asbestos, and fences are on its list of places to check.
- Which side the rails will face. Between two homes where the owners cannot agree, DSCV guidance puts the rails and framing on whichever side they sit on the current fence.
- Access for barrows and a post hole auger, including gates, side paths and any locked yards.
- Whether there are garden beds, retaining edges or a slope along the line.
How is a timber fence built?
- Mark the line and post spacing with string, checked against the boundary.
- Dig or auger post holes, avoiding services found through a Before You Dig Australia search.
- Stand and brace the posts, then set them in concrete and let it firm up.
- Notch or bracket the rails onto the posts and fix the plinth.
- Fix palings with a consistent gap or overlap, then fit the capping.
- Clean up offcuts and spoil and confirm any staining or painting is in or out of scope.
Cost sharing and the Fencing Notice
Under the Fences Act 1968 neighbours generally pay equal shares towards a sufficient dividing fence. The DSCV also says some costs outside the build can be split, including a boundary survey, taking down the old fence and clearing the fence line. If your neighbour does not agree informally, you can serve a Fencing Notice, which gives them 30 days to respond. Renters generally do not pay towards fencing, so you need the owner, and the City of Whittlesea accepts applications for the adjoining owner’s contact details when a fence is being planned.
Permits and practitioner registration
The Building and Plumbing Commission says most fences need a building permit, with exemptions that include a timber side or rear boundary fence up to 2 m high, and up to 1.5 m high within 3 m of a street boundary. Anything taller, or on a corner block, needs checking first. Its guidance on landscaping work also explains when the contract price makes registration compulsory, and you can confirm a fencer’s status on the BPC practitioner search.
What a careful fencer will refuse
- Pulling down a shared fence before the neighbour has agreed or the notice period has passed.
- Breaking up an old fibro fence on the assumption it is safe.
- Burying palings in soil to save on a plinth.
- Reusing rotten posts under new palings and calling the result a new fence.
- Building on a guessed line when the pegs are gone and the neighbour disputes the boundary.
Timber fences around Wollert
Wollert has a mix of new estate lots and older rural holdings, and council’s heritage pages note many kilometres of historic dry stone walls in the City of Whittlesea that are protected by the planning scheme. If an old basalt wall runs along your boundary, a new paling fence goes beside it, not through it, unless a permit allows otherwise. The Wollert suburb guide has more on local conditions, and timber repairs and replacement covers fixing an existing fence instead of starting again.
Getting a timber fence quoted
Note the length, height, style and the condition of any old fence, and photograph both sides if you can. Then request a timber paling fence quote and mention whether your neighbour has agreed to share the cost.
Frequently asked questions
- Is treated pine or hardwood better for palings?
Treated pine is cheaper and more uniform; hardwood is denser and weathers to grey. Both last longer with a plinth, capping and a protective finish. Matching an existing fence often decides the choice.
- Why do gaps appear between new palings?
Timber shrinks as it dries after installation, so butted palings can open small gaps. A lapped or overlapped layout hides most of this movement and gives more privacy.
- Should timber fence posts be concreted?
Most fencers concrete posts for stability, using timber rated for in-ground use. Ask how deep the holes will be and whether the concrete is shaped to shed water away from the post.
- Can I paint or stain a new treated pine fence?
Yes. Many owners wait until the timber has dried out before applying a stain or paint. Ask the fencer or the product label how long to wait for the timber you are using.
- Is a timber paling fence a sufficient dividing fence?
The Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria uses a 1.8 metre timber paling fence as an example of a sufficient dividing fence between homes, which makes it a common starting point when neighbours split costs.