Fencing in Dapto, Old Streets and New Estates
Dapto is really two suburbs when it comes to fencing. The older streets around the town centre have established homes with fences that are due for replacement, while the new estates to the west are bare blocks where the fence is one of the first things to go up after the house is handed over.
Those two jobs are quite different. On an older block the work is getting the old fence out, dealing with whatever has grown into it and matching the new line to a boundary that has been there for decades. On a new estate block it is usually setting out a fence from scratch, often with several neighbours at once, and working within rules that came with the land.
We are Wollongong based and Dapto is a regular stop. Colorbond, timber and steel gates are all our own work, and on new blocks we often do the fence alongside the turf, paths and low retaining, so the yard is finished in one go rather than one trade at a time.
Fencing Work We Do in Dapto
Colorbond for a New Dapto Estate Block
Most new estate fences are Colorbond, often in a colour set by the estate. We set out the line from the survey pegs, step the panels where the block falls and seal the bottom where you need the yard closed. Gates are made to match, and if you are planning a side gate for a trailer or a boat, say so at the measure so it is sized properly.
Replacing Fences in Older Dapto Streets
Around the older part of Dapto, many boundary fences are tired timber or old sheet fencing. We take out the old fence completely, posts included, and put in new timber or Colorbond on a straight line. If trees or garden beds have grown into the boundary, we work around what is worth keeping and tell you about anything that is not.
Front Fences Under the 1.2m Rule
A front fence in the road setback can be exempt if it is no higher than 1.2 metres and its gates do not open outwards. Within that, there is plenty of choice in timber, steel or slat. We can build the steel parts in our own shop and finish them in a factory colour that suits the house, which is also what the rules ask for.
Fence, Turf and Paths Together
On a bare new block, doing the fence on its own leaves the yard half finished. We can do the fence alongside low retaining, paths and turf, so the levels are set once and the fence posts sit at the right height for the finished ground rather than the clay that was there when the house was handed over.
Fences and Gates Around the Illawarra
A new Colorbond boundary fence along the back of a freshly built house.
Covenants, Corners and Shared Boundaries
New estate blocks often come with rules that go further than the state planning rules. Many have a covenant on the title, and some estates have their own design guidelines setting the fence colour, the material or how far forward a side fence can come. Those rules can be stricter than the exempt development standards, so we ask you to check the title before we specify anything. It is much easier than taking a fence down because it is the wrong colour.
Corner blocks catch people out. Under the exempt development rules, a fence along a road boundary or in its setback area can be no higher than 1.2 metres, and on a corner lot that applies to the side that faces the street as well. A 1.8 metre Colorbond fence along that side boundary is not exempt. Rear and side boundary fences that do not face a road can go to 1.8 metres, or 1.2 metres if they are masonry.
Shared boundaries are the other part. On a new street you may have three or four neighbours all needing the same fence at the same time. The Dividing Fences Act says adjoining owners share the cost of a fence of a sufficient standard equally, and we are happy to quote each boundary separately so every neighbour sees their own share in writing.
On the older side of Dapto, the problem is what is in the ground. Old posts, tree roots and the odd buried slab are common along boundaries that have been fenced two or three times before. We pull the old posts out rather than cutting them off, so the new line can go where it should. On those blocks we also check whether a neighbour has already built against the line, such as a garden shed or a raised bed, because the new fence needs room for its posts and you want that sorted out before the crew arrives rather than on the day.
More on fencing, Colorbond fencing, landscaping and retaining walls.
Who Pays for a New Fence Between Dapto Neighbours?
Usually both of you, in equal shares, for a fence of a sufficient standard. That is how the NSW Dividing Fences Act works, and on a new estate it applies to every boundary you share. If one owner wants something better, such as a taller fence or a premium finish, that owner pays the difference.
If you cannot agree, the Act gives you a process. A fencing notice sets out the boundary line, the work, the estimated cost and how it is proposed to be shared. If there is still no agreement after a month, either owner can apply to the Local Court or NCAT, and a Community Justice Centre can help with mediation before it gets that far. We stay out of who pays, but a clear written quote for each boundary usually gets the conversation finished quickly. Having each share in writing early also stops the common problem of one neighbour ordering materials before the other has agreed.
Need a fence line looked at in Dapto?
Send through photos of the fence line and the rough length, and you will get a straight answer on what it involves and what it costs.
Contracts, Deposits and What NSW Asks For
Renovation work in NSW comes with consumer protections worth knowing before you sign anything. A written contract is required once the contract price is over $5,000 including GST. Work between $5,000 and $20,000 can run under a small works contract; above $20,000 it needs a full home building contract, and home building compensation cover with the certificate that goes with it. The maximum deposit anyone can ask for is 10 per cent, on a small job or a large one. Variations should be agreed in writing before the varied work happens, not reconciled at the end. None of that is unique to us, and you should expect it from whoever you use.
Quoting a Dapto Fence
Every job gets quoted on what it actually needs. We look at the access, the condition of what is already there, the materials you want and how much of the existing work can be kept, then give you a figure before anything starts. Two jobs that look identical in photos can be very different once someone is standing in the room, so we do not publish a rate card. You get a price for your job, and it does not move once we have agreed it.
Dapto is an easy run down the highway from Wollongong, with Horsley, Kembla Grange and Albion Park close by, and new estate jobs in the area are often grouped so travel stays off the quote. A first visit means finding the survey pegs or the old line, checking the fall and the access, and talking through the covenant and the neighbours before anything is ordered. There is no charge for that visit or the written quote.
Plumbing and electrical work is carried out by licensed partners, not in-house.
Dapto Fencing Questions
Can I put a 1.8m Colorbond fence on my Dapto corner block?+
Not along the side that faces the street, if you want it to be exempt development. On a corner lot, the road frontage limit of 1.2 metres applies to any side boundary facing a road, so a full height fence there needs approval. The side and rear boundaries that do not face a road can go to 1.8 metres. Check your title for an estate covenant too, because it may set the colour or material as well.
Can you fence several neighbours' boundaries on a new Dapto street at once?+
Yes, and it usually saves everyone time. We set out the whole run in one go, quote each boundary separately so every owner can see their share, and build it as one job. Under the Dividing Fences Act, adjoining owners share the cost of a sufficient fence equally, so each quote shows the split clearly. Getting everyone to agree on the colour before we order is the main thing to sort out early.
How do I get a fencing quote in Dapto?+
Send the length of each boundary, a few photos and whether it is a new estate block or an older home. If it is a new block, check your title for a covenant on fence colour or material before we come out. We then walk the line, check the fall and access, and give you a written itemised quote, with each neighbour's share shown separately if you want it. We do not publish rates, because every block is different. Call 0413 147 335. Quotes are kept for the agreed time, so neighbours have room to talk.
Can you handle the fence and the rest of the yard on a new block?+
Yes. Fencing, gates, low retaining, paths, turf and garden edging are all work we do ourselves, so a bare Dapto block can be finished as one job instead of three trades taking turns. The posts are then set for the finished ground levels, not the raw clay. Where a downpipe or a stormwater line needs connecting, or an outside power point or light is wanted, we organise licensed partners as part of the same job. It also means the yard is finished on one timetable, not three, and there is one person to call afterwards.
“Finally found someone who actually turned up when he said he would!”
“Cheerful, quick, and didn't try to upsell me on things I didn't need. Rare these days.”
“Turned a weekend-long headache into a one-visit fix. Absolute legend.”