Fencing Ideas

Saturday 19th March 2011

So, fences.

A fence erected between two properties is referred to as a 'dividing fence' and there are local laws that govern the installation and maintainence of a dividing fence. Click here to find the Government of Western Australia's guide to Dividing Fences.

Essentially, the owners of the properties on either side need to come to an agreement over the type of fence to be erected, the materials the fence will consist of, and the cost of the fence. There are, however, some complications but you can read about it in the guide.



My neighbours on the left moved into their home a few months ago and they were quick to get the fencing organised between our houses. We both happily agreed on Colorbond in a cream colour and it was installed in no time at all. It cost much less than I had anticipated, largely because my neighbour's garage and part of their home are built up to the border of their lot, so we agreed that it would be pointless to erect a fence right against their wall. By doing this, we saved money by just erecting the fence where there was no wall between us. Of course, the problem with this is that I must respect the brick wall that is their home and if I wanted to say, drill a hole or attach something to their wall, it would be by discussion and agreement from them.

My neighbours on the right are on a corner block, so I anticipated that they would want a more sturdier fence to protect their home and for added security. They are considering limestone to surround their house and would like to continue this wall along the boundary between our two houses. I have thought this over for a few months and while I have no qualms about the dividing fence being limestone, it will be quite costly compared to Colorbond so I had to consult my budget. I have offered to contribute the cost of a standard Colorbond fence (half of the total cost) and if my neighbours wish to proceed with the limestone wall, they will have to agree to cover the rest of the cost.

For anyone who is interested in getting a quote for Colorbond fencing, I can recommend a very good friend whom I have known for over ten years and his contact information is as follows:


This is not an image of his business card...I just got bored and thought I'd play around in MS Paint!

From earlier discussions with my neighbour, I think any fence facing the road may be of solid constitution to a maximum height of 0.75m. Above this height, the fence needs to have 75% transparency. This I need to confirm with the local council. I also think I will have to submit plans for any proposed wall I want to construct on my property for council approval.

For the front and rear of my block, I would love to build my own rendered brick wall. I need to contact the council to confirm what height I can build the wall up to before I start looking at the cost.

The following are examples of the design I would like.







The wall would be rendered brick and the horizontal slats would be either aluminium or wood. I do hope that I can try this on my own (with the help of some very good friends of course!). Not only will it save me money to do it myself, but it would be such an awesome accomplishment!