Fencing in Wollongong and the Illawarra, built for slope and salt
Handy Tradie 4 U builds fencing in Wollongong and across the Illawarra and South Coast, from Helensburgh down to Nowra. Timber paling, Colorbond, steel and pool fencing, on blocks that fall away, sit on clay, or take the weather straight off the water. Welding and fabrication is our main trade, so the gate, the posts and any steel on the fence line come off the same job sheet, built by the same crew.
Fencing from Helensburgh to Nowra
We are based in Wollongong and fence across the Illawarra and South Coast: Helensburgh, Thirroul, Woonona, Bulli, Corrimal, North Wollongong, Fairy Meadow, Figtree, Unanderra, Port Kembla, Dapto, Horsley, Albion Park, Warilla, Oak Flats, Shellharbour, Shell Cove, Minnamurra, Kiama, Jamberoo, Gerringong, Berry and Nowra.
A fence line is where the block shows you what it really is. Two properties can sit on the same street and need completely different post depths, because one is cut into clay and the other is fill over sandstone. We set the posts for the ground we find, not the ground the quote assumed.
How we quote a fence
We do not publish rates. A fence is quoted after we have walked the line, because the fall, the soil, access for a post-hole auger and what is already in the ground change the job far more than the metres do. You get an itemised written quote with a firm figure and the exclusions listed before anything starts.
What a fencing quote should cover, and what usually sits outside it:
- Usually in: setting out the line, post holes, posts, concrete, rails, palings or panels, gates and hardware, and removing the old fence.
- Usually not in: survey or boundary identification, rock breaking if the auger hits sandstone, relocating services, retaining work where the ground levels differ, and landscaping to make good afterwards.
Boundary fences between two properties come under the NSW dividing-fence rules. Who pays for what is settled between you and your neighbour, not by us, so have that conversation before the quote. We are happy to put the figure in writing so you both have the same number in front of you.
Call 0413 147 335 and we will come and look at the line.
What a sloping block does to a fence line
Most Illawarra fencing is on a grade. You have two honest options and they look completely different when they are finished, so decide before the posts go in rather than after.
- Stepped. Each panel stays level and the fence steps down the slope. Clean, square, and it suits Colorbond and panel systems. It leaves a triangular gap under each step, which matters if you are keeping a dog in or a pool fence compliant.
- Raked. The fence follows the ground and the palings stay vertical while the rails run on the angle. No gap underneath, but it needs timber or a system built to rake, and the gate still has to be square.
On a steep fall we will usually step it and close the gaps with a plinth or a bottom rail set into the ground. On a gentle grade raking looks better and costs less in hardware.
Fence types we build
One crew, so the fence, the gate and any steel on it are built together rather than handed between trades.
- Timber paling. The standard boundary fence. Treated pine or hardwood palings on treated rails, with posts either set in concrete or on galvanised stirrups where the ground stays wet.
- Colorbond and panel fencing. Fast, square, low maintenance, and it suits stepped runs on a grade. See our Colorbond fencing page for panels, extensions and matching gates.
- Pool fencing. Glass, aluminium or steel, set out to the barrier rules before it goes in rather than after an inspection. Covered on our pool fencing page.
- Steel and tubular. Fabricated in our own shop, hot-dip galvanised to AS/NZS 4680 where it is going to live outside, then powder coated or painted.
- Gates. Pedestrian, double and driveway gates, braced so they still shut square in two years. See gates, handrails and balustrades.
Posts and footings, which is what actually fails
Fences rarely fail in the middle of a panel. They fail at the post, and almost always for one of three reasons: the hole was too shallow, water sat against the timber, or the wrong metal went into salt air.
- Depth. A post carries the whole panel as a lever. The taller the fence and the more exposed the line, the deeper the hole has to go. We dig for the height of the fence and the ground we are in, not to a standard number.
- Water. Timber posts set straight into a concrete cup that holds water rot from the bottom up. We either shape the concrete to shed water or put the post on a galvanised stirrup so the timber never sits in it.
- Salt. Close to the water, fixings matter more than the fence does. Aluminium does not rust, but it does pit in salt air and it suffers galvanic attack where it touches stainless or steel fixings, so the fixings get chosen to match the fence rather than whatever is in the ute.
Gates, and the steel that goes with a fence
A gate is the part of a fence that moves, so it is the part that goes wrong. A gate that drops, scrapes or will not latch is usually a bracing or a post problem, not a hinge problem.
Because welding and fabrication is our main trade, gate frames are made in the shop and squared before they come to site. If automation is planned, say so at the site measure, because a gate that will be motorised needs different bracing, post and hinge detail to one that is pushed by hand. We build the gate ready for it; the automation itself is installed by an automation specialist.
The same applies to anything else steel on the line: posts, bollards, infill panels and handrails where a fence meets a set of steps.
How we build a fence
Four stages, and you know which one you are in.
- Site measure and set out. We walk the line with you, agree where it runs, check the fall and look at access for the auger. This is when boundary questions get raised, not on the day.
- Demolition. The old fence comes out and goes away. Old posts come out of the ground rather than getting cut off at grade.
- Posts and concrete. Holes dug to the depth the fence and the ground need, posts set plumb and strung to line, then left to cure before anything is hung on them.
- Panels, gates and clean-up. Rails, palings or sheets, gates hung and adjusted so they shut square, then the offcuts and spoil leave with us.
Fence builder from Helensburgh to Nowra
Helensburgh, Thirroul, Woonona, Bulli, Corrimal, North Wollongong, Fairy Meadow, Figtree, Unanderra, Port Kembla, Dapto, Horsley, Albion Park, Warilla, Oak Flats, Shellharbour, Shell Cove, Minnamurra, Kiama, Jamberoo, Gerringong, Berry and Nowra.
Based in Wollongong, with the full list on all our Illawarra and South Coast service areas.
Get your fence quoted
Length of the run, the fall and what is there now. Put it into the instant estimate tool for an indication, then we come out, walk the line, look at the ground and give you a firm written figure before anything starts.
Call 0413 147 335, email info@handytradie4u.com or use the contact page.
Licensed and insured · ABN 91 639 254 685 · Wollongong NSW 2500.
Recent Work
Retaining and level-change work on sloping Illawarra blocks
Want a firm price on this?
Send a photo and a short description. You get a straight answer on what it needs and what it costs before anything starts.
Fencing Questions
How much does fencing cost in Wollongong?+
We do not publish rates. The length matters, but so do the fall of the land, the soil, whether an auger can reach the line, what is in the ground, and whether the old fence has to come out. Every fence is quoted after we have walked the line, and you get a firm itemised written figure with the exclusions listed before any work starts. Call 0413 147 335 to book a look.
Who pays for a fence between two properties?+
Boundary fences between neighbours come under the NSW dividing-fence rules, and what each side contributes is settled between the two of you rather than by the fencing contractor. The practical advice is to have that conversation before you book the quote, then we put one written figure in front of both of you so you are working from the same number.
Can you fence a steep block?+
Yes, and most of the Illawarra is one. The fence either steps down the slope in level panels or rakes with the ground so the palings stay vertical. Stepping suits Colorbond and panel systems and leaves a gap under each step; raking suits timber and leaves no gap. We will tell you which one suits your fall at the site measure, because the two look very different finished.
Do you remove the old fence?+
Yes, and old posts come out of the ground rather than being cut off at grade and left in. Demolition and removal are listed in the quote so you can see they are included.
What fencing lasts best near the water?+
Near the coast the fixings usually decide it before the fence material does. Aluminium does not rust, but it does pit in salt air and it suffers galvanic attack where it contacts stainless or steel fixings, so fixings get matched to the fence. Steel that lives outside is hot-dip galvanised to AS/NZS 4680. We specify for the exposure the line actually has rather than applying one spec everywhere.
Do you build the gate as well?+
Yes. Welding and fabrication is our main trade, so gate frames are made in our own shop and squared before they reach site. If the gate will be motorised later, tell us at the site measure because the bracing, post and hinge detail change. We build it ready for automation; the automation itself is installed by a specialist.
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