A new timber paling fence generally runs $120 to $180 per metre inc GST installed. Post choice makes the biggest difference: hardwood posts are the standard, galvanised steel posts cost more upfront but do not rot at ground level.
Typical installed cost: $120 to $180 per metre inc GST
1.8m paling fence, hardwood posts: $120 to $150 /m. Standard treated pine palings
1.8m paling fence, steel posts: $140 to $175 /m. Longer life at ground level
2.1m paling fence: $155 to $195 /m. Third rail and longer posts
Lattice topper: add $35 to $60 /m. Adds height and privacy
Capping rail: add $18 to $30 /m. Neater finish, protects paling tops
Old fence removal: from $550 total. Includes disposal, soil stays on site
Stain or paint after install: from $35 /m. One side, prepared and coated
Timber paling fence cost in Melbourne
Timber paling is still the default backyard fence across Melbourne, and pricing is fairly consistent from Werribee to Ringwood. A standard 1.8m paling fence with hardwood posts runs $120 to $150 per metre inc GST installed, so a 22 metre boundary is roughly $2,600 to $3,300 before removal.
Switching to galvanised steel posts adds around 15 to 25 percent. On Melbourne's heavy clay soils that upgrade is worth thinking about, because clay holds moisture against timber posts at ground level and that is where almost every paling fence eventually fails.
Add roughly $550 as a minimum if an old fence has to come out, and expect stepped panels on anything with a noticeable fall, which is most of the inner north and east.
Hardwood posts vs steel posts
Hardwood posts are the traditional choice and the cheapest way to get a fence up. Properly concreted, they will give you fifteen to twenty years before rot at the soil line starts pushing the fence over.
Galvanised steel posts cost more upfront but they do not rot. If you plan to stay in the house long term, the extra few hundred dollars usually saves you a repair bill somewhere around year twelve to fifteen. It also means a future fence rebuild can reuse the posts.
One practical note: steel posts change the look at the ends of the run. If appearance matters, ask for capped posts or a timber sleeve on the visible ends.
Add-ons that move the number
A lattice topper adds $35 to $60 per metre and is the cheapest way to buy privacy without a full height increase. A capping rail at $18 to $30 per metre protects the tops of the palings from weather and makes the fence look finished.
Staining after install starts around $35 per metre for one side. Doing it at install time is cheaper than booking it as a separate job later, and coating within the first year noticeably extends paling life.
Gates are priced separately. A timber pedestrian gate starts around $520 installed with frame, hinges and latch.
Repair or replace
If a handful of posts have gone and the palings are sound, repairs are the cheaper path: $140 to $260 per post replaced plus a $150 minimum call out.
Once roughly a third of the posts are failing, or the palings are cupped and splitting, replacement usually costs less than staged repairs and resets the clock on the whole fence.
The quickest way to tell is to push firmly on a few posts. If more than two or three move at the base, price a replacement before you commit to patching.
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