If your fence is looking past its best or you just want to increase the security of your home, a fencing contractor can help give you the peace of mind you’re looking for. 

If you’re looking to hire a fencing contractor, but are curious to better understand what exactly it is that they do, or how you can hire the best one for your job - read on for some simple guidance. 

What is a fencing contractor?

A fencing contractor is simply a tradie who works with fences. This includes removing them, repairing them and replacing them. 

When working with a fencing contractor, it’s a good idea to talk them through what you expect from the job, as this will ensure you’re both on the same page. For example, telling your fencing contractor about the purpose of your fencing (such as security or aesthetics) can often dictate the style and material that they think is most appropriate for your home. 

Most popular fencing materials in Australia

Fencing can come in a plethora of different materials, and we get that choices can be overwhelming sometimes. 

To help narrow down your choices, here are a couple of the most popular types of fencing in Aussie homes:

• Bamboo
• Brick 
• Composite
• Concrete
• Electric
• Metal (including aluminium, Colorbond, wrought iron)
• Picket 
• Pool
• Stone 
• Temporary
• Timber 
• PVC/vinyl
• Wire

Depending on the type of fencing you’re installing, you may want your tradie to be well-versed in a specific set of skills. For example, timber fencing may call for your tradie to have carpentry experience, while glazing experience can be preferable in your tradie if you want pool fencing installed. Same story if you want brick or stone fencing, as you may want to look for a tradie with bricklaying and masonry training. 

How to choose your fencing material

Before speaking to a fencing contractor, you need to work out what material you want to build your fence from - a choice which will largely be driven by the purpose of the fence itself. 

If you’re looking for privacy, something like Colorbond is a great choice. It’s high and leaves no gaps, so you won’t feel like your neighbours are peering into your garden. Colorbond is also good for security as it’s robust and difficult to climb due to their lack of footholds on the outside. 

If your fencing serves a largely aesthetic purpose - many prefer timber fencing for its timeless looks, whether it’s hardwood or a classic picket fence. Stone and brick fences also add a touch of class as well as being long-lasting. 

In Australia, wire fences are growing in popularity too. Although they don’t add much in the way of privacy initially, they’re great to encourage community and permaculture living. Use the wire like a trellis to grow passionfruit, chokos or another vine and share the spoils with your neighbours.  

How much does a new fence cost?

Fencing in Australia is charged by the metre, with an average Aussie fence costing between $75 and $350 per metre. 

The main factor in cost is the material you’re building your fence from, but labour also adds onto the bill. Factors like access and how much work is needed to remove the old fence also have an effect. 

To give you a better idea of how much a new fence might cost, here are some average costs per metre for different fencing materials:

• PVC/vinyl: $40 – $90 
• Treated pine paling: $75 – $120 
• Hardwood paling: $80 – $125 
• Colorbond: $85 – $100 
• Wrought iron: $450 – $600 
• Brick or block: $550 – $800 

Fencing regulations in Australia

Aussie homes are subject to a number of standards and legal requirements to keep everything safe and fair. 

There are different standards in place for pool fencing and dividing fencing. 

Pool fencing has very strict guidelines that need to be met. This includes things like the height, child-safe locks and self-closing gates. 

Dividing fencing regulations vary by state and often by different councils within a state. As a general rule, you’ll need to make sure you keep things below two metres and it’s a good idea to have your neighbours on board.  

Your fencing contractor should be able to tell you more so that everything conforms, but you can learn more about Aussie fencing regulations here.

Getting a quote from a fencing contractor

As with any tradie, it’s always a good idea to get multiple quotes so you can get a better idea of how much you should be paying for your job. While this is the case, trying to compare prices you find online can be a long and cumbersome job, especially if the numbers you find are outdated. 

Lucky for you, posting your job on hipages takes the hard work out of getting quotes, as we’ll connect you up with up to three fencing contractors near you. 

From here, you’ll be able to speak to each tradie about your job, find out about their experience and get detailed quotes. This way you can easily compare their pricing, skills and experience - making sure that you end up hiring the best choice for your job. 

Before your tradie starts on the job, we recommend making sure you get a written quote before they go through with the work. Within each quote you should be given the estimates for costs and labour charges and all inclusions – such as whether they’re providing materials or taking away the old fence. 

In some states, fencing contractors need a licence for some types of work. For example, in NSW, any fencing project that costs $5,000 or more (including GST) requires your tradie be licenced. 

In most cases, you should expect to pay a deposit upfront but not the entire fee. 

Questions to ask a fencing contractor

While you’re talking to a tradie about doing work, it’s important to take the time to make sure they’re the right fit for your job. 

Start by asking them about their experience. This includes not just fencing work, but specific questions about the type of fence you’re putting in. As mentioned earlier, it takes a different skillset to build a Colorbond fence than it does to build a white picket fence. 

Like hiring any other tradie, we highly recommend going through the tradies reviews and testimonials - including photos or references from previous jobs. On hipages, you can find all this directly through your tradies profile. 

In addition to this, you should also check what level of insurance they have so, should anything go wrong, you know you’re covered. In a similar vein, you should ask about warranties on the fence and any materials they buy.