Picture yourself a dream house. More often than not, when you imagine the house of your dreams, it always comes with a yard and a white picket fence enclosing the area. And why not? After all, fences are an excellent way to enhance your home’s appearance, boost curb appeal, and provide security and privacy to its residents.
While the white picket fence has evolved into many different types depending on function and aesthetics, no one can deny just how crucial a fence is.
Read ahead if you’re thinking of adding a fence to your property. We have written everything you need to know about fencing installation.
Why install a fence?
Are you on the fence about installing a fence? Here we’ve listed the most common reasons homeowners install fencing around their houses. If you relate to some of them, maybe it’s time to contact your local fence contractor!
Improve Curb Appeal
A fence is a great addition whether you’re a new homeowner who just moved into the neighbourhood or an old resident looking to spruce up your property. Beautifully crafted expert fence installers can add charm and character to your place. The right fence can turn your basic suburban house into a modern, sophisticated, and classy abode.
The fence can replicate your house’s exterior and solidify your motif. Some ideas you can play with are porch railings, columns, pillars, and even a painted trim.
Increase Property Value
Installing a fence is a budget-friendly home renovation project that can drastically increase your property value. If you’re planning to sell your property, landscaping and a white picket fence installation will improve its sellability.
According to studies done by real estate experts, landscaping can add nearly 20 percent of a property’s value. That means if you’re selling your house for AUD 549,918 (the median home price in Australia), a simple home renovation project such as a fence installation could potentially add up to AUD 110, 000 to the final price. That’s serious ROI for homeowners, real estate agents, and fixer-uppers.
Privacy
A fence also increases the privacy of the residents inside. It’s the perfect solution if you have nosy neighbours from hell or are just plain uncomfortable with your business laid out in front of everyone to see.
Security
Fencing promises protection. It provides kids and pets with a secure area to play in without parents worrying so much. A fence is a crucial home addition when you live near a busy street that your kid (or pet) may wander off to.
More importantly, fences are designed to keep intruders out. Even low wooden fences act as an active deterrent against trespassers and burglars. If you live in a neighbourhood with high crime rates, a fence will give you much-needed peace of mind and a sense of security. It will put your mind at ease and let your family sleep at night.
Noise Reduction
Australians are known for weekend barbies (barbecues for non-locals). It’s in our nature to invite family and friends over for social gatherings often. If you live in a suburban neighbourhood, things could quickly get awkward at your Nan’s 75th birthday blast when the police come because of a noise complaint. A tall fence creates a barrier, so your neighbours don’t hear the ruckus happening in your backyard.
Set Property Boundaries
Fences establish clear boundary lines of where your property ends and your neighbour’s property starts. It is a great way to divide real estate and helps neighbours steer clear of disputes.
Legal Compliance
In many cases, a homeowner may be legally required to add a fence around their property. And while each state has its rules of fencing specifications, compliance is a must all across the country.
How much does fencing cost per sq. m?
According to the CommSec Home Size Trends Report, Australian houses are one of the biggest in the world. The average Australian house has a floor size of 186.3 square metres, which is steadily increasing each year. In 2019, the average size of a newly built 3-bedroom home grew to 235.8 square metres. The average block size comes up to 414 square metres.
The average fencing installation cost is around AUD 4 to 25 per square metre, depending on factors such as type of fencing, height, and the overall magnitude of the job.
Common factors affecting fencing installation prices
Fencing installation services typically cost AUD 1, 600 up to 8, 000. There are multiple factors as to why. We recommend talking to the experts to get a free price estimate. Each job is priced differently. These are the common factors which can affect the price of your fencing installation service.
Type of Fence
What type of fence are you planning to install? The fencing material you plan to use will heavily affect the project’s overall cost. Here’s a list of the most common types of fencing materials for you to choose from:
- Wood
- Vinyl
- Mesh
- Electric
- Invisible
- Chain Link
- Barbed wire
- Colorbond
- Hardwood
- Glass panels
It’s also possible to mix and match depending on the use. For example, you can install a vinyl picket fence on your front yard and glass panels for your side pool fence. You can do the canvassing of the materials yourself or talk to a trusted contractor like Sidepost for pool fence installation and other fencing jobs. We can guarantee a cost-efficient service to keep costs at a minimum while achieving maximum satisfaction.
When choosing the fencing material, it’s essential to look more at functionality than the price. A chain-link fence is the cheapest material, but they do not offer much privacy or curb appeal.
Gates & Posts
The number of gates you want to install will incur additional charges. Gates and posts are naturally more expensive than regular fence panels. You need to factor in these added costs, especially if you want custom gates like an automatic driveway gate. Contact us now and we’ll give you a sample quote for gate installation.
Fence height
How high do you want your fence to be? There are five standard height fences: 0.9m, 1.2m, 1.5m, 1.8m, and 2.1m). When choosing the height of the fence, note that at least ⅓ of every post is buried in the ground and secured with concrete. This means that when you buy a 0.9 m, you’ll be left with a fence about 0.5 to 0.6m in height. A 1.2m post will come up to 0.8 to 0.9m in reality, and so on.
Of course, installing a custom height fence is possible, but it will be more expensive as contractors have to make a special order.
Picket spacing
Do you want a closed fence or with spacing in between? Adding spaces between the panels/pickets will decrease the number of fencing materials you’ll use. The con here, though, is that it will lower your privacy as onlookers can see through the fence, a big non-negotiable for homeowners with nosy neighbours.
Square Footage
This one is self-explanatory. Higher square footage = more fence panels, gates, and posts needed = more expenses.
Current Landscape
Your property’s current landscape may affect the project’s overall cost. Discuss your property’s current landscape in detail when talking to a possible contractor. A sloped yard, for instance, will require custom fence panels cut at an angle for a level finish.
In addition to this, any obstructions like a shed or a fountain will require manoeuvres from the installers. This uses more materials like posts and fencing panels, which would cost extra.
Contractor vs Freelancer vs DIY
Ah, the biggest debate of them all. Anyone considering a home improvement project will always ask: should I hire a contractor, a freelancer, or do it yourself?
Hiring a team of contractors from a trusted company is convenient. You are assured of the quality of work, and contracts are set in place to protect both parties. The only con of hiring professional fence installers is it can be costly.
On the other hand, hiring a freelancer may produce unreliable results. The guy you hire may turn out to be unreliable and untrustworthy. Many horror stories exist about freelancers leaving the project halfway through or producing shoddy results — no need to add to the list.
A DIY project may sound fun but could potentially be the most disastrous. Unless you have prior success with home renovation projects, it’s best to steer clear away from a DIY fence installation. In the long run, this can cost you more when you finally hire a contractor to fix your mess.
Existing Fencing
Fence removal, like fence installation, is labour-intensive. If your property has an existing fence, expect a removal charge in your invoice. We recommend not doing it yourself as you may damage your yard and require another landscaping project. Worse, it can cause problems for fence installers.
Labour
The last major factor is the magnitude of the job. Fence installation requires a lot of heavy, backbreaking work. Most contractors charge a labour fee per project, although some charge by the hour. If your property requires special maneuvres or has a lot of obstructions, the team may extend their timeline, ultimately costing you more.
Common types of fencing materials
With so many different types of fencing available, you need to know how to choose the right one. Your fence is an extension of your home. Naturally, the exterior must match the interior to create harmony between your home’s architectural style.
If you’re still looking for inspiration, check out the common types of fencing materials and their average price below:
Type of Fencing Material
Cost of Material per metre
Chainlink
AUD 10 – 20
PVC or Vinyl Fencing
AUD 40 – 90
Treated pine paling fence
AUD 75 – 120
Hardwood paling fence
AUD 80 – 125
Colorbond fencing
AUD 85 – 100
Tubular metal fence
AUD 180 – 350
Semi-frameless glass fencing
AUD 200 – 275
Frameless glass fencing
AUD 275 – 600
Treated pine timber slat fence
AUD 280 – 300
Wrought iron fence
AUD 450 – 600
Brick or block fence
AUD 550 – 800
Rendered brick and steel fence
AUD 750 – 1000
Sandstone and timber fence
AUD 800 – 1200
How much fencing materials do you need?
Here are the equations that Sidepost uses to calculate the number of fencing materials we’ll use for the job.
Number of Posts
X = (fence length / post spacing) + 1
Number of sections
X = no. of posts – 1
Post length
X = fence height * 1.5
Total number of rails
X = no. of rails per section * no. of sections
Total number of pickets
X = fence length / (picket width + picket spacing)
Volume of concrete
X = (hole volume – post volume) * no. of posts
Take note that you should always round the values up. It will also do you good to order extra materials just in case of unforeseen circumstances.
Consider Sidepost
When you’re looking for fence installers in Australia, consider Sidepost. We have a team of licensed, insured, and professional fence installers in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, Hobart, Gold Coast, Newcastle and Canberra., trained to install sturdy, custom-built fences around your property.
We guarantee that all our projects are executed in compliance with the fencing laws of Australia. Scheduling a team with Sidepost is simple and easy.
Want to know more about fence installation in Australia? Contact us now!
Need extra space for your fencing project in Sydney? Spacer has got you covered! With a wide range of storage solutions in Sydney available, you can conveniently store your fencing materials or outdoor furniture during installation. Find and reserve a storage unit in your area using Spacer’s online booking platform. Enhance your property’s appearance, privacy, and security with Spacer’s storage solutions.
