The quote, already started
⚠️ These are starting numbers, not market rates. Put your own in.
What the job actually is
- Walk the line with the customer. Confirm where the boundary actually is.
- Check the fall along the run, and decide whether the fence steps down or rakes.
- Take down and remove the old fence, if there is one.
- Set out the post positions from one end so the last panel is not a sliver.
- Dig the post holes to the depth the height calls for.
- Set the posts in concrete, plumb and to line and level.
- Let the concrete go off before hanging anything on them.
- Fit rails to the posts.
- Slide in the sheets, then fit the top capping.
- Hang any gates, adjust, and clean the site.
Materials
- Posts at the spacing and depth the height requires — the fencing calculator works out posts, rails, palings and the concrete for the holes.
- Rails, top and bottom, plus a mid rail on taller fences.
- Sheets in the profile and colour agreed, cut to height.
- Capping, which is what makes a Colorbond fence look finished.
- Concrete for the post holes — the concrete calculator gives bags or cubic metres.
- Gate frame, sheets, hinges, latch and drop bolt, if there is a gate.
- Screws, rivets and touch-up paint for cut edges.
Set out from one end and check where the last panel lands before you dig a single hole. A run that finishes on a 200 mm sliver looks wrong forever, and moving the whole set-out on paper costs nothing while moving it in the ground costs a day.
What the price assumes
- The boundary is where the customer says it is.
- The ground is diggable — no rock, no concrete, no services in the post line.
- The run is level or a gentle fall, and the fence steps rather than rakes.
- The old fence is a standard one and comes out without drama.
- Access is clear enough to get materials and a barrow down the side.
- The neighbour has agreed, or the customer is paying the whole thing.
- No retaining is required, and the fence is not holding back ground.
Extras that come up
- Rock, concrete or old footings in the post line.
- Tree roots, which are slow, and which the customer often does not want cut.
- A steep fall that needs raking panels or a plinth to close the gap underneath.
- A plinth or sleeper along the bottom, on sloping ground or where a dog is involved.
- Removing a masonry or brick base from the old fence.
- Gates — single, double, or a wide one that needs a heavier frame.
- Difficult access, where everything is barrowed through a house or lifted over.
- Disposal of the old fence, especially treated pine or anything with a bit of fibro in it.
Things nobody charges for, and should
- The set-out. Walking the line, agreeing the boundary and checking the fall is real time before anything is dug.
- Waiting for the post concrete to go off, which usually means a second visit.
- Disposal of the old fence, which is bulky and charged by weight.
- Cutting and touching up sheet edges, so the cut ends do not rust in a year.
- Cleaning up the spoil from a dozen post holes, which is more dirt than anyone expects.
- Travel across two visits rather than one.
A worked example
A 20 m boundary run of 1.8 m Colorbond, gentle fall stepped down twice, existing timber paling fence removed and taken away, one 1 m gate, ordinary diggable ground and clear access. Fencer registered for GST.
| Line | Qty | Rate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Set out, confirm line and check fall | 1 job | $260.00 | $260.00 |
| Remove and dispose of existing paling fence | 20 lm | $32.00 | $640.00 |
| Dig and concrete posts at 2.4m centres | 10 ea | $96.00 | $960.00 |
| Supply and install rails, sheets and capping — 1.8m | 20 lm | $118.00 | $2,360.00 |
| Supply and hang 1m gate, frame and hardware | 1 ea | $640.00 | $640.00 |
| Second visit — hang panels once posts are set | 1 job | $180.00 | $180.00 |
| Clean up spoil and site tidy | 1 job | $190.00 | $190.00 |
| Subtotal | $5,230.00 | ||
| GST (10%) | $523.00 | ||
| Total inc GST | $5,753.00 | ||
| Deposit (25%) | $1,438.25 | ||
| Balance on completion | $4,314.75 |
These are starting numbers, not market rates. Put your own in. Every figure above comes from the line items in the builder at the top of this page.
Start this quote in Yamate — the lines, not the prices →The app fills in the same line descriptions and leaves every amount blank for you. Your prices, not ours.
Yamate keeps your rates and your standard lines, so the next one of these is a few taps rather than a blank page — then turns the accepted quote into the invoice without retyping it.
FAQ
How many posts and panels does a fence need?
It comes from the run length, the post spacing and the height. The fencing calculator works out posts, rails, palings and the concrete for the holes, and the concrete calculator converts the hole volume into bags or a ready-mix order.
Who pays for a dividing fence in Australia?
That is set by your state or territory's dividing-fences legislation, and it differs everywhere — including how notice must be given and what counts as a sufficient fence. It is a matter between the two neighbours. Quote and invoice the person who engaged you, and point anyone asking at their own state's rules.
How do you fence a sloping block?
Either step the panels down in sections or rake them to follow the ground. Stepping is more common with Colorbond and leaves triangular gaps at the bottom that a plinth can close. Both are a different price from a flat run, so the quote should say which it assumes.
Should I take a deposit for a fencing job?
Usually yes, because the sheets are cut to height in the colour chosen and are not returnable. Put it on the quote as a percentage and check your state's rules on deposit limits for the value of the job.
Work out the materials first
More like this
General information for Australian tradies, not legal or financial advice. The rates on this page are starting points rather than market prices, and every figure is an estimate based on what you type in. Dividing-fence cost sharing, notice requirements, licensing and deposit rules are set by each state and territory — check yours before relying on this page.