Timber fencing and gates in BrisbaneQuotes from QBCC-licensed carpenters for timber fences, fence repairs and gates

Timber fences and gates for Brisbane homes

Most Brisbane back and side fences are timber: treated-pine or hardwood posts concreted into the ground, two or three rails, and palings nailed or screwed to them. Termites, rot at ground level and storms are what bring them down, usually one post or one panel at a time.

Paling fences

Palings butted side by side on rails. The simplest timber fence and the quickest to repair: broken palings are swapped one at a time.

Lapped-and-capped fences

Palings overlapped on both sides of the rails so there are no gaps, with a capping board along the top and a plinth board at the bottom. It gives more privacy and lasts better, and it's the common upgrade from plain palings.

Fence repairs

A leaning or snapped post is dug out and replaced, broken rails are spliced or replaced, and loose or missing palings refixed. Repairs are often cheaper than a new fence when most of the run is sound.

Timber gates and side gates

Gates framed and braced so they don't sag, hung on heavy hinges from a solid post, with a latch or drop bolt that lines up. A sagging gate is usually rehung on a new post when the old one has rotted at ground level.

Batten screens and front fences

Horizontal or vertical timber battens for a front fence, a bin screen or privacy along a deck. A front fence on a character house has its own question (below).

How much does timber fencing cost in Brisbane?

Fencing is priced per metre once the carpenter has seen the run. The length and height, plain palings or lapped-and-capped, treated pine or hardwood, the number of gates, whether the old fence comes out first, and the slope and access along the boundary set the price. Repairs are priced by the post, panel or gate.

Published carpenter hourly and call-out rates are on the carpenter rates page. If a fence job comes to more than $3,300, counting labour, materials and GST, the work needs a QBCC-licensed contractor and a written contract.

Fences shared with a neighbour

A side or back fence on a shared boundary is usually a conversation with the neighbour before it's a carpentry job, because Queensland's dividing fence law sets out how adjoining owners share the work and the cost. Agree what's being built and who pays before work starts, and send the quote to both owners if you're sharing it.

If you're not sure where the boundary is, a surveyor can mark it. A dividing fence normally runs along the boundary, so it's worth knowing before the old posts come out.

Old fibro fences and asbestos

Some older Brisbane fences aren't timber at all. The Queensland Government says asbestos cement products were used for fencing, car ports and sheds as well as houses, and that "It is illegal to use a high pressure water blaster on asbestos cement roofs, fences and walls".

An old flat or corrugated fibro fence is assumed to contain asbestos until it's tested. Removing more than 10 m² of it needs a licensed removalist or a homeowner certificate, so it comes out before the new timber fence goes in. See asbestos before renovating.

Front fences on character houses

Brisbane City Council says its Traditional building character overlay is intended to maintain the "pre-1947 streetscape", and a front fence is part of the street. If your house is in a character overlay, ask Council about a new front fence before work starts. The Queenslander renovation guide shows how to check the overlays for your address.

What to send with your enquiry

• The length and height of the fence, and photos of it
• What's there now: palings, lapped-and-capped, fibro or nothing
• Whether it's a side, back or front fence, and if it's shared with a neighbour
• How many gates, and how wide
• Whether the old fence needs to be taken out first
• The slope along the boundary and access for materials

Questions about timber fences and gates in Brisbane