Most fences land between about $180 and $400 a metre supplied and installed, treated pine at the bottom, Colorbond in the middle, tubular and glass pool fencing higher. The levers that move the number, and why an honest quote prices by the metre after a measure.
A fence is one of the few trades you can price before anyone visits. The cost is linear: metres, by
height, by material, plus a few add-ons. So you do not have to wait for a measure to learn a rough
number. Here is where the figures sit on the Coast, supplied and installed, in 2026.
What a fence costs per metre
Cheap quote.knocked-in posts, look-alike steel, no breakdown$120 to $170/m
Timber paling.treated pine to hardwood, concreted posts, 1.8m$180 to $260/m
Colorbond steel.genuine Colorbond by BlueScope, 1.8m$220 to $330/m
Aluminium and pool.powder-coated aluminium to frameless glass$260 to $600/m
Tubular and security.powder-coated steel, security spec at the top$300 to $480/m
These are a guide only, not a quote. The cheap-quote row is in red for a reason. A number that low
usually means posts knocked into the dirt, look-alike steel with no brand, and old-fence removal left
off. It is cheap because of what it leaves out.
What moves the number
Material and height. The two biggest levers. Timber paling sits at the bottom, then Colorbond, aluminium, tubular and frameless glass pool fencing at the top. And a 2.1m fence is more material and labour than a 1.2m one, metre for metre.
Linear metres. Cost is close to linear in length, so the run is the single biggest number on the quote. A short side and a full acreage boundary are not the same job, which is why we price by the metre after a measure.
Posts, footings and soil. Reactive clay, sand and sloping or exposed ground all mean deeper footings and more concrete to hold the posts. The footing depth is set for the soil, and it is the part a cheap quote quietly skimps on.
Gates and automation. Each gate adds hardware and labour, and an automated driveway gate adds the motor, the safety beams and the wiring. We price a standard gate on the quote and cost automation separately once we see the opening and the power.
Old-fence removal and access. Taking down and carting away the old fence and its footings is a real cost, as is tight or restricted access that keeps the machine off the line. Both are itemised, never a surprise at the end.
Compliance. Pool and spa fencing must be set out to AS 1926.1 with compliant hardware and the paperwork the certifier needs. Doing it right the first time costs a little more than a fence that fails on a gate latch.
The honest comparison is not which quote is cheapest. It is which quotes price the same material, the
same height, and the same footing depth. Line those up and the gap usually explains itself.
Why the posts decide the real cost
The part you pay for twice is the part you cannot see. A fence that leans is a post problem, not a
paling problem. We dig the footings to the right depth for the soil and the height, then set the posts
in concrete. That costs a little more than a knocked-in post, and it is the reason the fence is still
standing straight in ten years.
Ask this, exactly
“Can you send the quote broken down by metres, height and material, with the post type, the footing depth, and the gates and removal each on their own line?”
A working fencer prices by the metre and states the footing depth. A flat round number with nothing behind it hides where the corners were cut.
How we price at Postline
Our estimator gives you a real by-the-metre range in under a minute, before you book anyone. Then the
free measure pins the exact figure on site, itemised line by line, with the Colorbond colour or timber
type named. You can lay it next to any other quote and see, line for line, where the difference sits.
Watch
What a fence really costs per metre
A short walkthrough of the levers that move a fence price, so you can read a quote and tell a fair number from a vague one before you sign.
Common questions
How much does a new fence cost per metre?
As a guide most fences land between about $180 and $400 a metre supplied and installed. Treated pine paling sits at the lower end, Colorbond in the middle, and aluminium, tubular and glass pool fencing higher. Rural post-and-rail can be less per metre but runs long. The material and the height are the two biggest levers.
Why are two fencing quotes so far apart?
Usually because they are not the same fence. One concretes the posts and names genuine Colorbond. The other knocks the posts in and fits look-alike steel. The gap hides in the footing depth, the post type, and whether removal and gates are itemised. Read the lines, not the total.
Can you give me a price without visiting?
We can give you an honest by-the-metre range on screen, and a tighter number from a photo. The fixed price comes after a free measure, because the ground and the slope change the footings. We do not price a fence properly over the phone.
Postline Fencing Co.