The short answer
In every state and territory the starting point is the same: neighbours share the cost of a sufficient dividing fence equally. In most states a neighbour who wants a better or more expensive fence pays the difference.
To make a neighbour pay, you usually have to give them a fencing notice first, and if you still cannot agree, a court or tribunal decides.
Split the cost of a dividing fence
Prices are the per-metre bands from our fencing cost guide. Measure the boundary you share with the neighbour.
Your half (an equal share)$1,200 to $2,850
- Fence
- Colorbond fence (per m), 30 m
- Price row
- $80 to $190 per metre
- Whole fence
- $2,400 to $5,700
Whole fence $2,400 to $5,700. In every state the usual rule is that neighbours share the cost of a sufficient fence equally; in most states a neighbour who wants a better fence pays the difference. See the rules for your state below.
The rules by state
| State | Who pays | Notice and disputes |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | Neighbours contribute equally to a sufficient fence; NSW law does not set a fence type. | If you cannot agree, the Local Court or NCAT decides what is sufficient and how the cost is split. |
| Victoria | Shared equally. A sufficient residential fence might be a 1.8 metre timber paling fence. | Your neighbour has 30 days to respond to a Fencing Notice. |
| Queensland | Usually equal. A sufficient fence is 0.5 metres to 1.8 metres high, mainly timber, chain wire, metal, bricks or concrete blocks. | Serve a notice to contribute, with at least one written quote, before going to QCAT (claims up to $25,000). |
| WA | You may only claim half the cost of a sufficient fence. | Agreed or ordered work must be done within the time set, or three months. |
| South Australia | Each neighbour is assumed to benefit equally and contribute equally; a better than adequate fence is paid for by whoever wants it. | No obligation to pay without agreement, the Fences Act notice procedure or urgent repairs; work finished within 4 months if no time is set. |
| ACT | Each neighbour pays half the cost and maintenance. | Send a notice to discuss the fence 30 days before applying to ACAT; decisions can be appealed within 28 days. |
| Tasmania | Landowners on either side pay half each to repair or replace a boundary fence. | No objection within 30 days of a Notice to Fence: recover half the cost within 2 years of completion. |
| NT | Adjoining owners contribute in equal proportions to a sufficient fence. | No agreement within one month of a notice to fence: either owner can apply to the Civil and Administrative Tribunal. |
What counts as a sufficient fence
It varies. NSW and Victorian law set no fence type; in Victoria a sufficient residential fence might be a 1.8 metre timber paling fence. In Queensland a fence is sufficient if it is between 0.5 metres and 1.8 metres high and built mainly of timber, chain wire, metal, bricks or concrete blocks - or if both neighbours, or QCAT, say it is.
Urgent repairs
A fence that is damaged or destroyed and needs urgent work can usually be fixed first and paid for after. In NSW the neighbour is still liable for half the cost; in Victoria and Queensland you then use an urgent fencing notice to ask the neighbour to contribute; and in South Australia you can recover half the cost or what the neighbour would otherwise have paid, whichever is less.
When a neighbour damages the fence
A neighbour who damages the fence generally pays to fix it: in NSW a neighbour (or their tenant) who damages it, in Victoria one who damages it deliberately or negligently, and in Queensland an owner or someone they let onto their property. WA only makes one owner pay the whole cost where fire or a falling tree from their land caused the damage and there was neglect.
Pool fences on the boundary
The pool owner pays the extra. In NSW any extra dividing fence cost for enclosing a pool is met by the pool owner, and in Queensland the pool owner pays the full cost of the dividing fence work the pool fence needs. See our pool fence laws.
What a dividing fence costs
Per-metre prices from our fencing cost guide:
- Colorbond fence (per m): $80 to $190 per metre
- Timber paling fence (per m): $80 to $190 per metre
- Old fence removal (per m): $15 to $50 per metre
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to pay half for a dividing fence?
Usually, yes. In every state the starting rule is that neighbours share the cost of a sufficient fence equally, and in most states a neighbour who wants a better fence pays the difference.
Can my neighbour make me pay for a fence I did not agree to?
Generally not without the formal notice first. In Queensland you cannot go to QCAT until you have served a notice to contribute, in South Australia there is no obligation without agreement or the notice procedure, and in Tasmania a neighbour is not liable for a fence built without a notice or agreement.
How long does a neighbour have to respond to a fencing notice?
30 days in Victoria. In the NT, either owner can apply to the tribunal if there is no agreement within one month of a notice to fence.
Who pays if a storm damages the fence?
Usually both neighbours. In the NT a fence damaged by flood, storm or lightning can be repaired immediately and half the cost recovered from the neighbour; in NSW urgent repairs can be done without a notice and the neighbour is still liable for half.
Who pays for a pool fence on the boundary?
The pool owner pays the extra cost of making the dividing fence a compliant pool fence.
Get a written quote to attach to your fencing notice - compare local fencers first.
Get fencing quotes →Sources
This guide summarises the law; it is not legal advice. The rules for your property can turn on its date, its council and any approval it carries - check with your council or the state regulator below. Checked against these pages in October 2026:
- Fence disputes - ACAT (acat.act.gov.au) · www.acat.act.gov.au/case-types/fence-disputes
- Fences - City and Environment Directorate - Planning (planning.act.gov.au) · www.planning.act.gov.au/applications-and-assessments/assessment-approvals/fences
- Your rights and obligations (legalaid.nsw.gov.au) · www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au/my-problem-is-about/my-neighbour/fences/your-rights-and-
- Dividing fences | State Library of New South Wales (sl.nsw.gov.au) · www.sl.nsw.gov.au/find-legal-answers/books-online/neighbours-and-law/dividing-fe
- legislation.nt.gov.au (legislation.nt.gov.au) · legislation.nt.gov.au/api/sitecore/Act/PDF?id=11806
- Your responsibility as a fence owner (qld.gov.au) · www.qld.gov.au/law/housing-and-neighbours/disputes-about-fences-trees-and-buildi
- Dividing fence disputes | Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (qcat.qld.gov.au) · www.qcat.qld.gov.au/case-types/tree-and-fence-disputes/dividing-fence-disputes-p
- Fences (lawhandbook.sa.gov.au) · lawhandbook.sa.gov.au/print/ch31s02.php
- Boundary fences - Tasmania Legal Aid (legalaid.tas.gov.au) · www.legalaid.tas.gov.au/boundary-fences/
- Fencing law in Victoria | Department of Justice and Community Safety Victoria (justice.vic.gov.au) · www.justice.vic.gov.au/fencing-law-in-victoria
- Fences and trees | Victoria Legal Aid (legalaid.vic.gov.au) · www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/fences-and-trees
- Dividing fences (wa.gov.au) · www.wa.gov.au/government/multi-step-guides/dividing-fences
- Your responsibility as a fence owner (qld.gov.au) · www.qld.gov.au/community/your-home-community/neighbour-disputes/disputes-about-f
- Pool fences | Queensland Building and Construction Commission (qbcc.qld.gov.au) · www.qbcc.qld.gov.au/home-owner-hub/swimming-pools/pool-safety-standard/pool-fenc