NZ TIMBER EDITORIAL GUIDE
Timber Fence Cost NZ
A useful timber-fence budget separates quantities from prices and separates material cost from installation. Timber Dealers’ figures are dated market references for comparison; they are not live stock, a sale price, or an installed contractor quote.
Five different numbers are often called ‘fence cost’
| Budget type | What it may include | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|
| Board-and-post subtotal | selected timber SKUs only | concrete, fixings, waste, freight or labour |
| Material-only budget | timber, concrete, fixings and stated allowance | tools, demolition, labour or site risk |
| DIY project budget | materials plus hire, disposal and contingency | the value of your time or compliance advice |
| Installed fence price | contractor’s defined labour and material scope | that every quote includes the same ground/access assumptions |
| Market-reference model | dated reference values applied to a transparent quantity list | current supplier availability or an offer to sell |
Keep these scopes visible. A low paling rate is not a low fence price if the comparison excludes posts, three rail rows, gate hardware, delivery or removal of an existing fence. A contractor price also carries labour, scheduling, risk and overhead that a raw materials table does not.
Reference basket used for the examples
The examples below use structured Timber Dealers references available on 13 August 2026: H4 100 × 100 × 2.4 m posts at $21.87 each; H3.2 100 × 50 × 4.8 m rails at $54.06 each; and H3.2 rough-sawn 150 × 19 × 1.8 m palings at $3.69 each. The catalogue also contains other sections and premium products. These values are comparison inputs and must be reconfirmed with a supplier.
A real design may require closer posts, a different post length, 25 mm palings, lapping, larger gate posts, additional concrete or another fixing specification. Changing one assumption should update the quantity model before prices are compared.
12 m boundary: a small run still has fixed costs
| Item | Quantity basis | Quantity | Reference subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|
| H4 100 × 100 × 2.4 m posts | 5 bays + 1 | 6 | $131.22 |
| H3.2 100 × 50 × 4.8 m rails | 36 LM ÷ 4.8 | 8 | $432.48 |
| H3.2 150 × 19 × 1.8 m palings | 80 net + 7% | 86 | $317.34 |
| Timber reference subtotal | before concrete/fixings/delivery | — | $881.04 |
Small fences can have a high cost per metre because delivery, mobilisation, gate hardware and tool hire do not shrink in proportion to length. The eight-rail quantity includes 38.4 LM against 36 LM net, creating a small cutting margin. The post layout must still suit the actual boundary and rail detail.
24 m boundary: the typical planning case
| Item | Quantity basis | Quantity | Reference subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|
| H4 posts | 10 bays + 1 | 11 | $240.57 |
| H3.2 rails | 72 LM ÷ 4.8 | 15 | $810.90 |
| H3.2 palings | 160 net + 7% | 172 | $634.68 |
| Timber reference subtotal | before quote-required items | — | $1,686.15 |
This example shows why post-spacing and paling-coverage assumptions matter. Lapping the same nominal palings by 20 mm changes effective cover from 150 to 130 mm: 24,000 ÷ 130 = 185 net boards, or 198 with a 7% allowance. That is 26 more boards than the close-butted model before any change in labour or fixings.
40 m run: freight and cut planning become material
| Item | Quantity basis | Quantity | Reference subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|
| H4 posts | 17 bays + 1 at about 2.35 m centres | 18 | $393.66 |
| H3.2 rails | 120 LM ÷ 4.8 | 25 | $1,351.50 |
| H3.2 palings | 267 net + 7% | 286 | $1,055.34 |
| Timber reference subtotal | before quote-required items | — | $2,800.50 |
Forty metres divided by a 2.4 m planning maximum needs 17 bays, giving about 2.35 m centres and 18 base post positions. A long run is where a cutting schedule, pack handling and delivery access can save more than chasing a small unit-rate difference. Six-metre rails may reduce joints but can require a different vehicle and may not improve yield around gates or corners.
Quote-required lines that should never disappear
- Post concrete or another designed footing system, with quantity based on the actual hole detail and ground.
- Paling nails and rail-to-post fixings compatible with treatment and exposure.
- Gate leaves, hinges, latches, stops and any larger gate posts.
- Capping, plinth or kickboard, stain or paint, and end treatment where specified.
- Delivery, hand unload or mechanical unload, difficult access and rural distance.
- Demolition, disposal, service locating, excavation, slope work and reinstatement.
- A contingency for design changes—not an invented percentage hidden inside the unit rate.
Ask suppliers and contractors to return the same schedule with inclusions and exclusions shown. A Timber Dealers order request records selected SKUs and quantities; it does not reserve stock or convert reference values into a checkout price.