Aluminium slat fencing is the premium end of residential fencing, generally $225 to $320 per metre inc GST installed. Because slats and posts come in fixed panel lengths, short or odd length runs can cost more per metre than long straight ones.
Typical installed cost: $225 to $320 per metre inc GST
Aluminium blade fence, 1.8m: from $148 /m. Vertical blade profile
Horizontal slat fence, 1.8m: from $225 /m. 65mm or 90mm ribbed slats
Horizontal slat fence, 2.1m: $260 to $320 /m. More slats per metre
Partial panel cutting: $70 per cut panel. For runs that do not land on a full panel
Extra posts on tight runs: $120 to $180 each. Panels have maximum spans
Difficult access or slope: add 10 to 20%. Setting out takes longer
Why aluminium is priced by panel, not just by metre
Aluminium slat and blade fencing is manufactured in fixed panel lengths, commonly 2.4 metres between posts. A per metre rate is a useful headline, but the real cost of your job depends on how your run divides into those panels.
A 12 metre straight run divides neatly into five panels and six posts, so the per metre rate is close to the advertised figure. A 6.4 metre run needs three panels, and the third one has to be cut down, which means a cutting charge and wasted material. The rate per metre on that short run is noticeably higher.
This is also why we ask for each run separately in the calculator rather than one total length. Three runs of four metres cost more than one run of twelve metres, because each run needs its own end posts and its own cut panel.
Blade vs horizontal slat
Blade fencing uses vertical blades, usually angled, so you get privacy from the street while air and light still move through. It is the cheaper of the two aluminium options and suits front boundaries where you want to soften a view rather than block it.
Horizontal slat is the architectural look most people picture on a modern front fence. The slats run left to right and can be spaced tightly for full privacy. It costs more because there are more components per square metre and the install has to be dead accurate, since horizontal lines show any error in post plumb immediately.
Both use the same posts and footings, so the difference in your quote comes from panel material and install time.
Where aluminium is worth the extra money
On a front boundary, aluminium is usually worth it. It does not rot, does not rust, never needs painting and holds a powder coat finish for decades even in coastal air. Over a twenty year horizon it can end up cheaper than timber once you count staining and post replacement.
On a back boundary that nobody sees, Colorbond or timber paling almost always makes more financial sense. A common approach is aluminium at the front and Colorbond down the sides and rear.
If your budget is tight, dropping from 2.1 metres to 1.8 metres, or from 65mm to 90mm slats, both reduce the price without changing the look much from the footpath.
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