Published
The short answer
No Maitland fencing business publishes a price. A NSW quote marketplace says "A treated pine paling fence at 1.8 metres costs $75 to $130 a linear metre installed" and "Hardwood paling fences run $130 to $200 a linear metre" (The Quote Yard, September 2026, GST not stated). Lapped and capped hardwood costs more again. Removing the old fence is extra, and on a dividing fence neighbours usually share a sufficient fence half each.
Timber paling fence prices per metre
Timber paling fence prices per metre
| Fence | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Treated pine paling, 1.8 m, installed (NSW) | $75 – $130 per m | The Quote Yard |
| Hardwood paling, installed (NSW) | $130 – $200 per m | The Quote Yard |
| Hardwood lapped and capped (Newcastle) | $150 – $250 per m | needatradie |
| Timber paling fence (national guide) | $80 low · $110 typical · $190 high per m | What's The Damage |
Checked 28 October 2026. No Maitland fencing business publishes a price. The Quote Yard's NSW timber guide (8 September 2026) gives installed prices but doesn't say whether capping, footings or removal are included, or GST. needatradie's Newcastle page (reviewed 3 October 2026) is the only published lapped-and-capped price we found, supplied and installed, GST not stated. What's The Damage's national figures (October 2026) include GST.
Each row is one publisher's own figure; none is averaged, combined or a quote for your fence.
What a 20 m timber fence costs
By our arithmetic, 20 m of treated pine paling at The Quote Yard's $75 – $130 a metre is $1,500 – $2,600 installed, and hardwood paling at $130 – $200 a metre is $2,600 – $4,000. The Quote Yard adds that removing an old fence costs "$10 to $30 a linear metre plus disposal".
Shared equally with a neighbour under the Dividing Fences Act, each pays half of a sufficient fence. If one owner wants hardwood where treated pine would be sufficient, that owner pays the difference.
What changes a timber fence price
- Treated pine or hardwood: hardwood palings cost more per metre in the published guides above.
- Butted, or lapped and capped: lapping uses more palings, and capping adds a board along the top.
- Posts: timber or steel posts, and how deep the footings go.
- Height and length: priced per metre, with taller fences limited by the approval rules.
- The old fence: removal and disposal; more than 10 m² of fibro sheeting, about 5.6 m of a 1.8 m fence, must be removed by a licensed asbestos removalist.
- Gates: priced separately; see gates.
Timber picket and front fence prices
Picket and front fence prices
| Fence | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Timber picket fence, 1.2 m (NSW) | $90 – $180 per m | The Quote Yard |
| Colorbond front fence, 1.2 m (Sydney) | $90 – $120 per m | North Shore Fencing and Gates |
| Aluminium slat fence, installed (Sydney) | $150 – $250 per m | North Shore Fencing and Gates |
| Aluminium slat (NSW) | $180 – $350 per m | The Quote Yard |
Checked 28 October 2026. No Maitland business publishes front fence prices. The Quote Yard's NSW guides (8 September and 14 August 2026) don't state GST. North Shore Fencing and Gates' Sydney guide (2025) includes GST.
Front fences have their own height and heritage rules in Maitland: see front fences.
Questions about timber fence cost
How much is a timber fence per metre in NSW?
The Quote Yard, a NSW quote marketplace, gives $75 – $130 a linear metre installed for a 1.8 m treated pine paling fence and $130 – $200 for hardwood (September 2026, GST not stated).
How much does a lapped and capped fence cost?
The only published price we found is needatradie's Newcastle page: $150 – $250 a metre for hardwood lapped and capped, supplied and installed (reviewed October 2026, GST not stated).
Is treated pine or hardwood better for a fence?
Treated pine costs less per metre in the published guides; hardwood costs more and is chosen for its look and strength. Ask the contractor what life to expect from the timber and posts they quote.
Who pays for a timber dividing fence?
Usually both neighbours, half each, for a sufficient fence after a fencing notice. A better standard than needed is paid by the owner who wants it.
Does a timber fence need council approval?
Usually not for a back or side fence that meets the exempt development rules; see the fence approval guide for the height limits and the extra rules on flood-prone and heritage land.
Where these figures come from
The prices and rules on this page come from these published pages, checked on 28 October 2026.
- The Quote Yard: timber fence cost NSW 2026 · NSW quote-comparison marketplace, price guide published 8 September 2026; GST not stated
- needatradie: fencing in Newcastle · NSW trade directory and enquiry site, Newcastle page, last reviewed 3 October 2026; GST not stated
- What's The Damage: fencing cost Australia · National cost guide (it passes enquiries to tradespeople), updated October 2026; prices include GST
- 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
- Maitland DCP 2026, Chapter 4: Heritage · Maitland City Council, in effect 14 April 2026
- NSW Government: fencing work licence · Building Commission NSW licence page, last updated 23 June 2026
