Collect a few fencing quotes and you will notice what homeowners vent about on forums: the panels cost one number, the installed quote a very different one. The gap is mostly labour: and once you understand how it is priced, you can decide whether to pay it or pocket it.
The quick answer
Cost guides typically show fencing labour at roughly $40 to $75 per hour, or around $60 to $110 per lineal metre for fitting.
Labour and overheads generally account for 40 to 60% of a supply-and-install quote.
Installed aluminium slat fencing commonly runs $250 to $450+ per metre (homeowners often report $500+ quotes); supply-only materials cost a fraction of that.
FY panels bolt together, so DIY needs basic tools and a free weekend: not a welder.
What is actually inside an installed fencing quote?
A supply-and-install quote usually arrives as one per-metre figure, which hides the split. Under the hood are three parts:
Materials: panels, posts, footings, fixings and concrete. On an aluminium slat job this is often only a third to a half of the total.
Labour: setout, digging or core-drilling post holes, concreting, fitting panels and hanging gates. Cost guides consistently put this at around 40 to 60% of the installed price.
Overheads and margin: insurance, travel, workmanship warranty and business margin, folded into the metre rate.
None of that is a rip-off: a good installer earns their rate. But the installed price tells you little about what the fence itself costs. Our guide to aluminium fencing prices in Brisbane breaks down the materials side.
What fence installation labour costs in Australia
Published Australian cost guides typically show fencing contractors charging in the range of $40 to $75 per hour, with most quoting per metre instead: commonly around $60 to $110 per lineal metre for fitting on a straightforward run. For aluminium slat fencing, supply-and-install pricing commonly sits around $250 to $450+ per lineal metre depending on height, spacing and region, and quotes above $500 per metre for tall privacy runs are not unusual in metro areas.
Labour climbs when the job gets harder: sloping or stepped ground, rocky soil, tight access, old-fence removal or core-drilling into concrete. That is why identical fences on different blocks can be quoted very differently.
Worked example: 20 metres, DIY vs supply-and-install
Say you need 20 lineal metres of 1.8 m aluminium slat fencing on a reasonably flat suburban boundary. Here is how the two paths typically compare:
| Cost item | Supply-only DIY (example) | Supply-and-install (example) |
|---|---|---|
| Panels, posts & fixings | $2,400 to $4,000 | Bundled into the metre rate |
| Concrete & sundries | $150 to $350 | Bundled |
| Tool hire (auger etc.) | $100 to $250 | Installer’s gear |
| Labour | Your time: roughly 2 to 3 weekends | Typically 40 to 60% of the quote |
| Typical total | About $2,650 to $4,600 | About $5,000 to $9,000+ |
| Cost per metre | Roughly $130 to $230 | Roughly $250 to $450+ |
Illustrative example only, built from published Australian cost-guide ranges and typical supply pricing. Your figures depend on height, spacing, slope, soil, access and gates.
On those example numbers, DIY keeps roughly $2,400 to $4,400 in your pocket on a single 20-metre run. That saving is the labour, overheads and margin you are trading your weekends for. Here is how to tell whether the trade is worth it.
When supply-only DIY is the right call
DIY makes sense when the job is genuinely DIY-shaped:
The panels bolt together. FY panels arrive pre-fabricated and fix to posts with brackets and screws: no welding, no special trade skills.
The run is flat, straight and accessible. A level boundary with clear access is the easiest fence you will ever build.
You have basic tools and a helper. A string line, level, drill, post-hole digger or hired auger, and rapid-set concrete cover most of it.
You are not racing a deadline. Budget a couple of weekends and let the footings cure properly.
One scope note: we supply boundary, privacy, front and commercial fencing. We do not supply pool-safety barriers, and our fencing is not sold or certified as pool-compliant: if you need a pool barrier, use a supplier licensed for pool fencing.
If that sounds like your block, start with our step-by-step guide to how to install aluminium fence panels, then see the full picture in DIY aluminium slat fencing.
When paying for installation is worth it
Sometimes the labour line is money well spent:
Sloping or stepped blocks. Raking or stepping panels down a fall while keeping every post plumb is where first-time fencers come unstuck.
Long runs and big jobs. Twenty metres is a weekend project; eighty metres is a part-time job. For strata, body-corporate or business sites, see our commercial aluminium fencing page.
Hard ground and hard access. Rock, roots, old concrete footings or core-drilling into a slab call for gear and experience most sheds do not have.
Your time is the scarce resource. An installer finishes in a day or two and warrants the workmanship. If your weekends are worth more than the saving, pay the labour and enjoy the fence.
The middle path: FY supply, with optional professional install
You do not have to pick a side before you know the numbers. FY Fencing Supplies is a supplier first: you can buy aluminium fence panels supply-only at DIY pricing, or add professional installation as an option on the same panels. Price it both ways and the labour component stops being a mystery: it is the difference between the two figures.
Panels are made to order and available from our Slacks Creek yard in Logan, with delivery across South East Queensland: Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich, the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba and surrounds (see our service areas). Outside SEQ, pick up from the yard or arrange your own freight. Repeat customers and trades earn loyalty discounts, and a lot of DIYers have been walked through their first fence here.
Frequently asked questions
How much does fence installation labour cost per metre?
Australian cost guides typically show fitting labour at around $60 to $110 per lineal metre on a standard run, or roughly $40 to $75 per hour where contractors charge hourly. Slopes, poor access, hard ground and old-fence removal all push labour higher.
What percentage of a fencing quote is labour?
Labour and overheads typically make up around 40 to 60% of a supply-and-install fencing quote, with materials covering the rest. That is why supply-only pricing on identical panels can come in at roughly half the installed figure: you are removing labour, travel, insurance and margin, not cutting quality.
Is it cheaper to install a fence yourself?
Almost always, in cash terms. On an illustrative 20-metre aluminium slat run, supply-only DIY might land around $2,650 to $4,600 all-in versus roughly $5,000 to $9,000+ installed. The trade-off is your time (usually two to three weekends) plus tool hire and responsibility for straight lines and plumb posts.
Do I need a welder to install aluminium fence panels?
Not with bolt-together panels. FY panels arrive pre-fabricated and fix to the posts with brackets and screws, so the tool list is a drill, level, string line and a post-hole digger or hired auger. Welding only comes into it with steel fencing or on-site fabrication.
How long does it take to DIY a 20-metre fence?
Plan for two to three weekends with a helper: set out, dig and concrete the posts, let the footings cure, then fit panels and hang any gate. A professional crew typically finishes the same run in one to two days: that speed is part of what the labour line buys.
Does FY Fencing offer installation as well as supply?
Yes. We are a supply-first business with DIY bolt-together panels from our Slacks Creek yard, and professional installation is available as an option across South East Queensland. Ask for both prices (supply-only and installed) and you will see exactly what the labour is worth on your job.
Working out what your fence line needs? Tell us the run and the height and we will quote it, supply-only or installed.
- Slacks Creek yard
- DIY bolt-together panels
- Optional professional install