Timber paling fences: the main choices
A paling fence is vertical boards, the palings, nailed to two or three horizontal rails that run between posts set in concrete. The choices that change the look and the price are the timber, how the palings sit and what finishes the top and bottom.
Treated pine or hardwood
Treated pine palings are the usual budget choice. Hardwood palings cost more and weather to grey unless stained. Posts are usually treated pine or hardwood set in concrete, or steel posts with timber palings.
Butted palings
Palings fixed side by side in one layer. Gaps open up as the timber dries, so you can see through in places.
Lapped and capped
Palings overlapped in two layers so there's no see-through gap, with a capping board along the top to shed rain. The common choice for privacy on a back fence.
Plinths
A board along the bottom of the fence keeps the palings off the soil and garden beds, which is where timber fences usually rot first.
Timber fence costs in Maitland
Timber paling fence prices per metre
| What's charged | 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.
Hardwood and lapped-and-capped construction cost more per metre than butted treated pine, and taking out an old fence adds to the price. The timber fence cost guide compares them.
Timber dividing fences and your neighbour
Most timber fences in Maitland's older suburbs are dividing fences. Under the Dividing Fences Act 1991, neighbours share the cost of a sufficient fence equally (s 7), and if one owner wants something better, such as hardwood where treated pine would do, that owner pays the difference (s 7(2)). The fencing notice gives the boundary, the type of fence and its estimated cost (s 11).
If a neighbour's tree, car or work damages the fence, they can be liable for up to the whole cost of restoring it (s 8). The dividing fences guide covers the notice, mediation and the court or tribunal route.
Timber fences on Maitland's floodplain and in heritage areas
On a flood control lot, which your council planning certificate shows, a new fence in a residential zone isn't exempt development, so it needs approval: see fences on flood-prone land. In Maitland's seven heritage conservation areas, including Central Maitland, East Maitland, Lorn and Morpeth, the DCP recommends timber paling fences on steel posts for side fences forward of the building line; a back fence behind the house can be exempt unless the lot or the neighbour's lot is a heritage item.
Fencing over $5,000 in NSW
A timber fence worth more than $5,000 including GST is residential building work, built under a contractor licence that covers fencing or carpentry, with a written contract that gives the licence number. See how to check a fencer's licence.
What to send us
- The fence length in metres and the height
- Treated pine or hardwood, butted or lapped and capped
- What's there now, and whether it comes out first
- Whether a neighbour shares the boundary and the cost
- Photos of the fence line, and any slope or trees
Related guides
- Dividing fences in NSW: who pays and the fencing notice How neighbours share the cost of a fence, what a fencing notice has to say, urgent repairs, damage, and what happens if you can't agree.
- Timber fence cost in Maitland Published timber paling fence prices per metre, treated pine against hardwood, lapped and capped, and old fence removal.
Questions about timber fencing in Maitland
How long does a timber paling fence last?
It depends on the timber, the posts and how wet the ground stays; posts and the bottom of the palings go first. Ask the contractor what life to expect from the timber they quote, and whether the posts are treated for in-ground use.
Is a timber fence cheaper than Colorbond?
In one NSW quote marketplace's 2026 guides, treated pine paling ($75 – $130 a metre installed) starts lower than Colorbond ($85 – $150), and hardwood paling ($130 – $200) costs more. Your own prices depend on the job; see the timber and Colorbond cost guides.
Who pays if I want a better fence than my neighbour?
You pay the difference. The Dividing Fences Act makes neighbours share the cost of a sufficient fence; anything above that standard is paid by the owner who wants it (s 7(2)).
Does removing the old fence cost extra?
Ask whether removal and disposal are in the quote; North Shore Fencing and Gates' Sydney guide adds $15 – $30 a metre to remove an old fence. Old fibro fences are different: they may contain asbestos and need a licensed removalist.
Can a timber fence be repaired instead of replaced?
Often, yes: leaning or rotten posts can be replaced in new concrete and broken palings and rails swapped. See fence repairs.
Where this information comes from
The rules and figures 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
