Fencing and Boundary Work: Cost and Responsibility
Fence work looks simple and involves two questions that are frequently unresolved: whose fence it is, and exactly where the boundary runs.
Establishing responsibility
Title documents sometimes indicate which boundary a property is responsible for, often with a marking on the plan. Frequently they say nothing.
Common conventions — that you own the boundary on a particular side, or the one where the posts are on your land — are conventions rather than rules and are not reliable.
Where documents are silent, responsibility may simply be shared or unestablished, and neighbours are not obliged to contribute to a fence they did not commission.
The practical approach is to discuss it before ordering materials, and to record any agreement to share costs in writing.
Position matters
A fence must be erected on your own land or on the boundary line by agreement. Building even slightly over invites a dispute that is disproportionately expensive relative to the strip involved.
Where the exact line is unclear, agreeing it in writing with the neighbour is far cheaper than a formal determination.
Removing an existing fence that belongs to a neighbour, or attaching anything to it, requires their consent.
Insurance
Storm damage to fences, gates and hedges is excluded from the large majority of home insurance policies as standard.
This surprises households after every winter storm, and it is deliberate — fences are exposed, fail regularly, and insuring them would be uneconomic.
Budget for fence replacement as maintenance rather than expecting insurance to respond.
Cost drivers
Panel type and height. Closeboard is more durable and more expensive than lap panels; both need proper posts.
Posts are the component that determines lifespan. Concrete posts outlast timber substantially, and timber posts should be pressure treated and set in concrete.
Ground conditions. Rock, tree roots, services in the ground and sloping sites all add labour.
Access. A rear garden reachable only through the house means every post and panel is carried by hand.
Disposal of the old fence, which is charged by weight or volume.
Practical points
Check for planning restrictions on height, which commonly limit fences adjacent to a highway and may be tighter in conservation areas.
Check for services before digging post holes, particularly near the house.
Consider gravel boards at the base, which keep panels clear of wet ground and extend their life considerably.
Get three quotes specifying panel type, post material, concrete, gravel boards and disposal, since quotes vary enormously on specification rather than labour.
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