Timber Paling Fence Cost in Australia (2026)
A timber paling fence is the standard Australian boundary fence: posts, rails and palings nailed on site, priced per metre installed. What’s The Damage’s November 2026 re-verification across 90+ sources puts a treated pine paling fence at $80–$190 per metre nationally, $110 typical, and a 1.8 m hardwood paling fence at $100–$190 per metre, $130 typical. Taking the old fence away, replacing rotten posts and the gates are separate lines, all priced below.
Timber paling fence cost per metre
Both rows are national installed prices per metre, GST included, for posts, rails and palings. Treated pine is the everyday paling fence; the hardwood row is a 1.8 m fence in hardwood palings and rails, which costs more to buy and lasts longer in the weather.
| Fence | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timber paling fence, treated pine (per m) | $80 | $110 | $190 |
| Hardwood paling fence, 1.8 m (per m) | $100 | $130 | $190 |
National prices, November 2026. City prices differ: tap your city below for the local fencing guide.
Repairs, post replacement and removing the old fence
A paling fence is repaired by the metre or by the post: the repair row covers new palings or rails on a sound frame, and the post row a rotten post dug out and replaced. The removal row is the old timber fence taken down and disposed of before a new one goes in.
| Job | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fence repair, palings or rails (per m) | $60 | $100 | $150 |
| Post replacement (per post) | $140 | $230 | $300 |
| Old fence removal — timber paling, incl. disposal (per m) | $15 | $25 | $45 |
| Fence gate — single (installed) | $250 | $500 | $800 |
| Fence gate — double / driveway, manual (installed) | $800 | $1,200 | $2,500 |
What a 40 m timber paling fence costs, worked through
A typical side-and-rear boundary runs about 40 m. Each line is 40 times the national per-metre row and the totals are plain sums of those lines.
| 40 m boundary | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 m treated pine paling fence | $3,200 | $4,400 | $7,600 |
| 40 m hardwood paling fence, 1.8 m | $4,000 | $5,200 | $7,600 |
| Old timber fence taken down and disposed of (40 m) | $600 | $1,000 | $1,800 |
| 40 m treated pine, old fence taken down, one single gate | $4,050 | $5,900 | $10,200 |
| 40 m hardwood, old fence taken down, one double gate | $5,400 | $7,400 | $11,900 |
The national full-boundary row ($4,000–$9,000) is the market’s all-in figure for about 40 m; the summed lines show what sits inside it. A fence on a shared boundary is usually split with the neighbour — see boundary fences and sharing costs.
Timber paling vs Colorbond and PVC
At 1.8 m a Colorbond fence is $80–$190 per metre nationally and a PVC fence $50–$150 per metre, so all three overlap on price. Timber paling is the cheapest to enter and the only one that needs oiling or painting to keep its look; it is also the easiest to repair a panel at a time. Our Colorbond fencing cost and PVC fence cost pages price the alternatives in full.
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Fencing cost in your city
Verified November 2026 ranges — tap your city for the full local guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a timber paling fence cost per metre?
Nationally, a treated pine paling fence is $80–$190 per metre installed ($110 typical) and a 1.8 m hardwood paling fence $100–$190 per metre ($130 typical), GST included.
How much does a 40 m timber fence cost?
At the national treated pine row, 40 m is $3,200–$7,600, $4,400 typical. With the old fence taken down and a single gate the plain sum is $4,050–$10,200.
What does it cost to replace a fence post?
Post replacement is $140–$300 per post nationally, $230 typical. Repairing palings or rails on a sound frame is $60–$150 per metre.
Is a timber fence cheaper than Colorbond?
At the entry point, yes: treated pine paling is $80–$190 per metre and Colorbond $80–$190 per metre nationally, with typical figures of $110 and $130. Hardwood paling at $100–$190 per metre sits level with Colorbond.
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