Side Fence Installation SydneyBuilt to the Boundary, Not Near It
A side fence runs between you and the neighbour along the length of the block. It is a dividing fence, so the cost is shared and the position matters — a fence built off the line is a problem that surfaces years later at the worst possible moment.
Getting the Side Boundary Right
For a side or rear boundary fence, the Codes SEPP exempt height is 1.8m above existing ground level — which is why most side fences in Sydney are built at that height — but only 1.2m if the fence is masonry. Go higher and you are into council approval. The case people get caught by is the corner block: a fence along a boundary of, or in the setback area of, a primary or secondary road is capped at 1.2m and carries transparency and pier limits as well, so the side street boundary is not the 1.8m fence people assume. Heritage conservation areas and bushfire prone land change it again. We check which of those your block sits in before quoting.
The part people underestimate is the line itself. On an established block the old fence is not always on the boundary, and rebuilding along the old line can quietly move it. Where the position is agreed and obvious we work to the existing line. Where it is disputed, or where the survey pegs and the old fence disagree, we will tell you to get it surveyed before we start rather than build a problem into the ground.
Side Fence Materials
Treated pine palings
The default suburban side fence. Treated to H4 in the ground, capped and rail-braced. Sits comfortably inside the sufficient standard for cost sharing.
Hardwood palings
Heavier, straighter and longer-lived than pine, with a better face. An upgrade above the sufficient standard, so worth quoting separately if the neighbour is contributing.
Colorbond
Powder-coated steel sheets in a post-and-rail frame. No painting, nothing to rot, and it seals better than palings — which matters if you are also chasing privacy or a bit of noise reduction.
Lapped and capped
Overlapped palings with a capping rail top and bottom. No gaps as the timber shrinks, and a finished edge on both sides — the usual answer when both neighbours want the good face.
What Governs a Side Fence
| Side and rear boundary fences | 1.8m exempt — 1.2m if the fence is masonry |
|---|---|
| Along a primary or secondary road | 1.2m, with transparency and pier limits |
| Front fences | Generally 1.2m, and council controls often tighten this |
| Cost sharing | Shared equally for a sufficient fence under the Dividing Fences Act 1991 |
| Position | The title boundary, not necessarily where the old fence sat |
| Sloping blocks | Stepped or raked panels, with the height measured from existing ground level |
| Bushfire prone land | Non-combustible materials may be required in an asset protection zone |
General guidance only. The figures marked with an asterisk above, and the rules in this table, come from the State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008 and the NSW Dividing Fences Act 1991. They were correct when this page was written. Councils apply their own controls on top, and heritage conservation areas, bushfire prone land, corner blocks and easements all change what applies. Confirm with your council and NSW Fair Trading before you commit to anything.
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