The Complete Guide to Timber Fencing in Brisbane

There's a reason timber fencing never goes out of style. Nothing else gives you that warm, natural look that softens a garden and suits a classic Queenslander the way timber does. When it's built well, a timber fence is a genuinely lovely thing to live behind.

But I'll be straight with you, because that's the whole point of these guides: timber is the material where the gap between a good job and a cheap job is widest. Our climate — heat, humidity, driving summer rain, and termites that never sleep — is hard on wood. A properly built timber fence shrugs that off for twenty years. A poorly built one is leaning, greying, and sprouting rot within five. Same timber. Completely different outcome. The difference, as always, is in the details.

Pine, hardwood or treated — what you're actually choosing

Most timber fences in Brisbane come down to a choice between treated pine and hardwood, and they're genuinely different products.

Treated pine is the affordable, popular option. It's treated to resist rot and termites, it takes paint and stain well, and for a lot of families it's the sensible pick. Realistically you're looking at somewhere around 10 to 15 years of good service, and it rewards a bit of maintenance.

Hardwood costs more up front and it's worth understanding why. It's denser, tougher, and far more naturally resistant to our weather and to termites. Built and looked after properly, a hardwood fence can give you 20 to 25 years. If you're planning to be in the house a long time, the extra spend often works out cheaper per year than replacing a pine fence sooner.

Neither is "better" in the abstract — it depends on your budget, how long you're staying, and how much upkeep you're willing to do. What matters is that whoever quotes you tells you which one they're pricing, because a quote that just says "timber fence" is hiding a decision that changes both the price and the lifespan.

Where a timber fence lives or dies

Timber's enemy is moisture, and every good build is really a strategy to keep water away from the wood:

• The posts and footings. As with any fence, this is the foundation, and timber posts especially must be set properly in concrete so ground movement in the wet season doesn't push them over.
• Keeping timber off the ground. Where wood sits in contact with soil, it rots. A good build keeps the palings clear of the dirt and doesn't let a garden bed or built-up lawn bury the bottom of the fence.
• The fixings. Cheap nails rust, stain the timber, and work loose. Quality galvanised fixings cost a little more and last the life of the fence.
• The finish. Oiling or staining isn't just for looks — it's the timber's sunscreen and raincoat. A fence that's sealed properly and re-coated every few years can easily outlast one that's left bare.

None of that is visible in a photo of a finished fence. It's visible years later, in whether the fence is still straight and sound or quietly falling apart.

What timber fencing costs in Brisbane

In 2026, a supplied-and-installed timber paling fence in Brisbane generally runs about $75 to $190 a metre — treated pine at the lower end, hardwood at the upper end, and premium hardwood or feature builds pushing higher again. For a typical 40–45 metre boundary you're broadly looking at anywhere from around $4,000 up to $8,000-plus depending on the timber, the height and the site. As with any fence, a quote well below the rest isn't a bargain — it's usually a cheaper timber than you pictured, or corners cut on the footings and finish.

The same cost modifiers apply as with any fence: removing your old fence adds roughly $15–$50 a metre, a sloped block adds 10–30 per cent, and going taller than the standard 1.8 metres adds 15–20 per cent. If a timber quote comes in well under everyone else's, ask which timber and what's excluded before you celebrate. (I've written a full guide on comparing quotes fairly — it's worth a read before you sign anything.)

The honest trade-off vs Colorbond

Timber gives you warmth, character and a natural look Colorbond can't match, and it's often cheaper up front. In return, it asks for maintenance and it won't last as long as steel. Colorbond asks for almost nothing and lasts longer, but it's a more modern, uniform look. Neither is wrong — it's about what you want to look at every day and how much upkeep suits your life. If you're torn, our Colorbond-versus-timber guide walks through it side by side.

Before you choose a builder

Ask them: Which timber are you quoting, and why? How are you keeping the base of the fence off the ground? What fixings do you use? How deep are the posts set? And — always — are you QBCC licensed? Ours is 15416911, and you can check any Queensland contractor's licence for free before you pay a cent.

A timber fence is a beautiful thing to own when it's built for our climate rather than against it. Get the details right and you'll enjoy it for decades. Get them wrong and you'll be reading a fence-replacement guide far sooner than you should.

We quote timber and Colorbond jobs in person across Brisbane and the Gold Coast, with a preliminary quote back within 24 hours. QBCC Licence 15416911.

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