Fence repairs: what gets fixed
Most fences fail at the posts first. A repair replaces what's gone and keeps the rest, which costs less than a new fence when the palings or sheets are still sound. Photos of the damage, and of the whole run, help with the price.
Leaning fences and rotten posts
A leaning section is propped, the rotten or snapped post dug out with its old footing, and a new post set in fresh concrete. The rails and palings go back on, or are replaced where they've split.
Broken palings and rails
Loose, split or missing palings are refixed or matched, and broken rails swapped, without rebuilding the whole fence.
Storm-damaged Colorbond
Bent or creased steel sheets and buckled rails are replaced; a matching colour may need checking if the fence is old and faded.
Gates that sag or won't latch
Sagging gates are rehung, braced, or fitted with new hinges and latches. See gates.
Fence repair costs in Maitland
Fence repair prices
| What's charged | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Fence repair, palings or sheets and rails (national guide) | $60 low · $100 typical · $150 high per m | What's The Damage |
| Post replacement (national guide) | $140 low · $230 typical · $300 high per post | What's The Damage |
| Short runs and small repairs, minimum charge (Newcastle) | around $500 – $900 | needatradie |
Checked 28 October 2026. No Maitland fencing business publishes repair prices. What's The Damage's national figures (October 2026) include GST. needatradie's Newcastle page (reviewed 3 October 2026) doesn't state GST. No published source prices storm damage repairs: those are quoted after seeing the damage.
Repairs are priced on how many posts, rails, palings or sheets have gone, and on access. Several leaning posts along one run can cost close to a new section, so ask for both prices.
Who pays to repair a dividing fence?
A repair to a fence between neighbours is fencing work under the Dividing Fences Act 1991, so the cost is usually shared equally (s 7) after a fencing notice (s 11). A neighbour isn't liable for work done before the notice, or before you've agreed (s 11(5)).
Two exceptions matter after a storm. If the fence is damaged and needs urgent work and serving a notice isn't practicable, either owner can have it fixed and recover half the cost from the other (s 9). And if one owner, or someone on their land with their consent, damaged the fence by a negligent or deliberate act, that owner can be liable for up to the whole cost (s 8).
After a storm or flood
For a fence brought down in a storm or flood, the NSW SES takes emergency help calls on 132 500 (000 if life is in danger). Photograph the damage before anything is moved, for your insurer and your neighbour. Under the Codes SEPP (cl 2.30AA–2.30AB), repairing a fence damaged in a natural disaster can be exempt development if it's the same size, in the same place and of similar materials, done within 2 years; a new or different fence on a flood control lot needs approval: see fences on flood-prone land.
Old fibro fences
Don't break up or water-blast a damaged fibro sheet fence: it may contain asbestos. More than 10 m² has to be removed by a licensed asbestos removalist. See fibro fences and asbestos.
What to send us
- What's wrong: posts, palings, rails, steel sheets or the gate
- How many metres or posts are affected
- Photos of the damage and the whole fence
- What the fence is made of, and its height
- Whether a neighbour shares the boundary
Related guides
- Does a fencer need a licence in NSW, and how do you check it? The $5,000 rule, the licence categories that cover fences and pool fences, how to check a licence, and contracts, deposits and insurance.
Questions about fence repairs in Maitland
Can I fix a dividing fence without asking my neighbour?
You can, but they don't have to contribute unless they were served a fencing notice first and you agreed (or a court or NCAT decided), except for urgent repairs under s 9 of the Dividing Fences Act.
Does home insurance cover fence damage?
Some policies cover storm damage to fences and some exclude it or limit it; check your own policy and photograph the damage before repairs.
Who pays when a neighbour's tree damages the fence?
If the damage came from a negligent or deliberate act, such as ignoring a dangerous tree, the neighbour can be liable for up to the whole cost (s 8). Otherwise, the usual equal sharing applies.
Is it worth repairing an old fence or replacing it?
If the posts are sound and only a few palings or sheets are damaged, repair. If several posts are rotten along the run, a new fence may cost little more; ask for both prices in one quote.
Does a fence repair need a licence?
Repairs worth more than $5,000 including GST are residential building work and need a contractor licence that covers fencing. Smaller repairs don't legally need one.
Where this information comes from
The rules and figures on this page come from these published pages, checked on 28 October 2026.
- What's The Damage: fencing cost Australia · National cost guide (it passes enquiries to tradespeople), updated October 2026; prices include GST
- needatradie: fencing in Newcastle · NSW trade directory and enquiry site, Newcastle page, last reviewed 3 October 2026; GST not stated
- Dividing Fences Act 1991 (NSW) · NSW legislation, version in force from 1 July 2018 (ss 3, 4, 7–9, 11–13A)
- State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008 · NSW planning policy: cl 1.16, 2.25, 2.30AA–2.30AB, 2.33–2.36, 3.29; read from the version in force from 31 October 2025
- NSW SES · NSW State Emergency Service: 132 500 for flood and storm help
- Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW) · NSW legislation: s 446 (no high-pressure water or compressed air on asbestos), s 487 (licence for more than 10 m²); version in force from 3 October 2025
