Fences & Your Neighbours

This can be easy or it can be hard. Boundary fences have long been a bone of contention between neighbours. Be it overhanging trees, plants causing damage to the current fence, or simply the dog from next door ends up in your garden because the fence is damaged.

First things first. If the fence is in bad repair and simply just not doing what it was designed to do, and that is provide you with security, privacy, noise reduction from busy roads, or it's ready to collapse. Then it's time to meet your neighbour if you haven't done so already.

Talking with your neighbour can be the first step to getting the fence replaced. After all, it will benefit them as well. You might like to discuss what type of fence paling or colorbond. If colorbond what colours can you both agree on.

Once you have taken this step it's time to get some quotes. Replacing a fence can be an expensive investment, fortunately, by sharing the cost with your neighbour it becomes a lot more affordable.

Your fencing contractor will make a time to come out and measure your property. They will assess your current fence, look at the things near the fence line and talk to you about fencing material choices. From here they may give you a quote on the spot or take the measurement's back to the office where you will receive your quote via email.

A fencing quote will include costs such as the pull down and removal of your old fence. It may include concrete cuts to remove existing posts or to make room for new posts. Unfortunately there is no avoiding this if you have concrete right up to the old fence. Do you have vegetation, trees or other obstructions right next to the fence. A fencing contractor needs a minimum of 600mm each side of the fence line to be able to work safely. If you need the contractor to remove vegetation etc, this cost can also be found on the quote. Then there is the cost of the replacement fence. This cost includes all the material needed to build your new fence from the nails, posts, rails, palings (Timber Fence), sleepers or plinth boards and lastly concrete. Labour is included in the cost of the new fence. Your quote will be based on how many metres of fence you require. It can be divided amongst the number of neighbours and how many meters you share the fence with each neighbour. You may find a time limit as to how long the quote is valid for. It could be 2 weeks or 30 days. This could be determined by supplies (which are currently in short supply for Timber as at Jan 2022) or due to fluctuating price rises by the suppliers.

Concrete is possibly the most important part of your fence. A fence that is built using either quickset or a slurry (often just mud and water with possibly a little cement powder added ....if your lucky) Will not be strong, will move, distort or simply rot out at the posts and collapse. A fence made using this methods will not stand up to weather and will be a total waste of money. Posts set in concrete, are left for 24 hours to harden, making this a great foundation for your fence. The strength of any fence is in those posts. So if they are done right, you can be assured you are getting a good strong fence that will stand up to the weather extremes and still look good.

Another consideration is do you want plinth boards (standard) or pay a little extra for sleepers.

We have all seen those bulging plinth boards, from plants, or gravel or soil. They look plain untidy.

We highly recommend sleepers instead of the Plinth boards. They are thicker making them stronger and less likely to warp or bulge. However the choice is always yours.

Once you have your quote and you are happy with it, you will need to give a copy to your neighbours. They may agree to it or not. This is something you will have to work out with them. Compromise can be your best friend in this instance.

If your require more information regarding your fence and your neighbours, you will find a link in our menu to Wyndham Council Fencing Forms