Fencing Project Checklist - Free Copy By Email

✓ Confirm where the boundary actually runs from the title plan, existing survey pegs, or a licensed surveyor where it is genuinely unclear.

Why it matters: Building even slightly over the line creates a dispute that outlives the fence, and moving a finished run is entirely at your cost.

✓ Decide whether the fence is entirely on your land or sits on the boundary.

Why it matters: A fence on the boundary is a dividing fence, which brings the cost-sharing process into play. A fence wholly inside your land does not.

✓ Check whether a retaining wall, easement, drainage line or services run along the fence line.

Why it matters: A fence on a retaining wall is measured as the combined height, and nobody wants a post hole through a water main or a sewer connection.

✓ Talk to the neighbour early, before you have a favourite quote and a start date in your head.

Why it matters: Most cost-sharing arguments are really about being told rather than asked. A conversation first avoids weeks of stalling later.

✓ Work out what a sufficient dividing fence is for your block, and what your preference costs above that.

Why it matters: In Queensland adjoining owners generally contribute equally to a sufficient fence only - roughly 0.5 m to 1.8 m of prescribed materials for residential land. The upgrade is on whoever wants it.

✓ Get at least one written quote before you serve any formal notice.

Why it matters: A notice to contribute has to state the land, the fence line, the work and the estimated cost, with a written quotation attached. Without the quote it is not a valid notice.

✓ Note the timeframes: one month to reach agreement after the notice, then two months to apply to QCAT.

Why it matters: Miss the window and you start again. Knowing the clock exists also makes the first conversation more productive.

✓ If the neighbouring property is rented, get the owner's or property manager's details rather than dealing with the tenant.

Why it matters: Tenants cannot agree to fencing contributions. Time spent negotiating with the wrong party is time wasted.

✓ Ask for split invoicing so each owner is billed their own share.

Why it matters: It stops you fronting the whole cost and then chasing your neighbour for half of it.

✓ Measure the intended height above natural ground level, and add any retaining wall underneath it.

Why it matters: Up to 2 m is generally accepted development in Queensland. Above that it is building work needing a certifier's approval, and a wall plus a fence can cross 2 m without anyone planning it.

✓ On a corner block, check the sight-line truncation at the intersection before deciding on a front fence.

Why it matters: Fencing in the visibility triangle is kept low so drivers can see across. Building it full height means taking it down again.

✓ If the fence forms part of a pool barrier, treat it as a separate job with its own rules.

Why it matters: Queensland pool barriers must be at least 1200 mm high, with the gate latch release at least 1500 mm up, a 900 mm non-climbable zone, and gaps no more than 100 mm. Certification is by a licensed pool safety inspector, and you need a current certificate to sell or lease.

✓ Decide what the fence is actually for: privacy, containing a dog or pool, street appeal, stock, or security.

Why it matters: Aluminium slat fencing is semi-privacy, not privacy. A ringlock run holds stock but hides nothing. Choosing on looks alone is how people end up rebuilding.

✓ Ask how the footings and post spacing suit your ground and your wind exposure.

Why it matters: Reactive black soil heaves and shrinks through wet and dry cycles, and exposed range-edge blocks carry more wind load on a solid panel run. Post spacing and footing depth should follow the manufacturer's tables for that site, not a standard number.

✓ For a sloping run, confirm whether the fence is stepped or raked, and what happens to the gaps at the ground.

Why it matters: Stepping leaves triangular gaps under the panels unless the design allows for it, which matters if you are containing a dog or a pool.

✓ Count the gates you need and where they go, including whether a driveway gate will be automated later.

Why it matters: Gate posts carry the most load and go out of plumb first here. Sizing the post and running conduit for a motor now is far cheaper than retrofitting.

✓ Work out how a machine gets to the fence line, and whether any of it will be hand dug.

Why it matters: Access is one of the biggest swing factors in a fencing price, and it is the thing most often discovered on the day rather than at quoting.

✓ Check every quote states the metres, the height, the material and the finish, not just a total.

Why it matters: Two quotes for the same back fence often describe different fences. Without the detail you are comparing nothing.

✓ Confirm whether removal and disposal of the old fence is included, excluded, or a separate line.

Why it matters: This single item is the most common reason two prices look hundreds apart, and concreted-in posts cost more to pull out than people expect.

✓ Check the contractor holds a current QBCC licence appropriate to the work and its value.

Why it matters: On residential land, paid fencing work of $3,300 or more including labour and materials needs a licensed contractor. Rural wire fencing with no concrete footings is exempt at any value, so the answer depends on your job.

✓ Ask what the payment schedule is and how much is due before work starts.

Why it matters: A large upfront deposit is the pattern behind most fencing horror stories. Keep early exposure small and get the terms in writing.

✓ Confirm the quote's validity period and how variations are handled.

Why it matters: A fixed price that quietly expires, or changes once digging starts, is the second most common complaint. Variations should be agreed in writing before the work is done.