Apply to share fencing costs

You are responsible for maintaining your fences. If a side or rear boundary fence needs replacement, discuss sharing costs with your neighbour.

Who owns my neighbouring property?

If you need to find out who owns the property you share a fence with, please complete a Request for Information - fencing form (see button to your right)

I think I share a fence with Council land

If you share a boundary with any of the following buildings, then you may be eligible for us to co-contribute to the cost of building, repairing or replacing your dividing fence:

• Council offices and customer service centres
• Council-owned residential properties
• Council works depot
• Council-run pre-schools and maternal and child health centres

When will we not contribute to costs?

We don't occupy land that's open to the public at all times. This means we won't contribute to fencing costs for properties including:

• drainage reserves
• municipal and recreational reserves
• municipal car parks
• playgrounds
• roads and right-of-ways
• tree and plantation reserves
• walkways.

Pensioners exemptions

If you're eligible for a Municipal Rates Concession, we'll pay half the reasonable cost of fencing work if that fence is:

• part of the home where you live and shared with an open public reserve (not a road or a right-of-way).

If you meet one of the above criteria for cost-sharing with council, please complete a Request for Information (see button to your right).

How much will we contribute?

Once you have confirmed that you live next door to council land that is eligible for shared costs, we will usually contribute half the reasonable cost of a 1.93-metre timber paling fence. The fencing specification covered is:

• hardwood posts
• treated pine railing
• treated pine palings
• treated pine plinth
• galvanised nails

You may ask to use an alternate material, such as pre-painted steel posts and sheeting. If you need a higher fencing standard to meet your needs this may require a building permit and the additional cost in materials will be at your expense if approved. Any fence greater than 2m requires a building permit.

We'll consider requests on a case-by-case basis, but you'll need to pay any additional costs for alternate fencing material.

What happens next?

• If we approve your application, we'll issue a purchase order to your fencing contractor to cover our share of the cost. Please allow up to 10 business days.
• When the work is complete, you should pay only your share of the cost. The fencing contractor will invoice us for our share of the cost.
• Under no circumstances shall the fence line be moved to gain Council land
• Council is not responsible for the shared costs of a front or corner fence. Please note, you may also require a fencing building permit.

More information

Customer Service
Phone: 03 8470 8888
Email: customer.service@darebin.vic.gov.au