A storm cell can cross Logan or Brisbane in twenty minutes and leave a fence flat behind it. But the fences that fail were rarely healthy the day before: already rocking in soft ground, already missing fixings, already soft at the soil line. Storm season fence preparation is mostly about finding those things while there is time to act.
The quick answer
SEQ storm season runs roughly October to March, so late winter is inspection time.
Most failures start at the ground: a post that rocks, an undercut footing, soft timber.
A solid fence catches wind like a sail; open slat, picket and blade panels let it through.
Work moves fastest before the season; afterwards the whole region calls at once.
Already had one come down? See our guide to storm-damaged fences and who pays.
Why the inspection happens before October, not during it
A storm loads a fence in the worst combination: the strongest gust of the year arrives while the ground holding the posts is saturated. Soil that grips a footing in September turns soft after two days of rain, and a post with slight movement suddenly has room to lever. That is why a fence stands through a dry, blustery afternoon and goes over in a storm barely windier: the wind hardly changed, the ground did.
Inspect while the ground is firm, when any movement is real slack rather than wet soil: and a spring check leaves weeks to order parts or book work.
The pre-season fence inspection checklist
Take a screwdriver and ten minutes, and walk the whole boundary, including the side nobody uses: usually the run quietly failing.
| What to check | How to test it | Act on it if |
|---|---|---|
| Posts in the ground | Push and pull hard at rail height | It rocks, or soil cracks at its base |
| Footings and erosion | Check ground level on slopes and under downpipes | Concrete shows, or soil has washed out |
| Brackets and fixings | Push each panel and watch the bracket | Screws missing, holes elongated, rust streaking |
| Timber palings and rails | Press a screwdriver in at soil level | The blade sinks in, or nails pull proud |
| Trees and branches | Look up along the whole fence line | Dead limbs above it, or branches leaning over |
| Gates and automation | Cycle every gate, and practise the manual release | It drags, will not latch, or will not release by hand |
Posts and footings first; everything else is cosmetic. A post is a lever and the footing is all that resists it, so slight movement at the top means real leverage below. Erosion compounds it: when 100mm of soil washes off, the footing gets shorter and the lever longer at once. Our guide to installing panels and setting post footings covers depths and concrete.
Loose brackets fail slowly, then suddenly: a few millimetres of movement per gust wears the hole larger, which lets it move further. Timber rots at the soil line, so if the screwdriver sinks into one post, check them all: they age as a group. And plenty of fences that come down are not blown over at all, so clear deadwood and overhanging limbs early.
Do not skip the gates. Someone at home should know how to release an automated gate by hand in a blackout, and the sliding track needs clearing of leaf litter. Our buyer’s guide to automatic gate motors covers backup power and manual release.
Why a solid fence catches the wind and an open panel does not
Wind does not damage a fence by hitting it. It damages a fence by not getting through it. A solid timber fence presents an unbroken sheet to every gust, and all that pressure ends up in the posts and footings. Open slat, picket and blade panels bleed it out through the gaps, so far less load reaches the ground.
Timber compounds it in a wet season: saturated palings are heavier, cup and twist as they dry, and work their fixings loose, leaving the fence heaviest and most rigid exactly when the ground is weakest. Powder-coated aluminium does not soak up water or rot at the soil line, and is open by default: our comparison of slat, picket and blade styles shows how open each is, and the guide to windy and exposed sites covers spacing and post centres.
What a failing fence looks like before it goes over
Fences give plenty of warning. The signs are just easy to walk past every day:
A wave in the top line. Sight along the top rail: dips and rises mean posts moving at different rates.
A lean that grows after rain. Photograph the worst post; visibly worse a month later means the footing is losing grip.
A gate that stopped latching. Usually post movement, not hardware.
The whole run moving as one. Push one post and three move: it is held up by its neighbours, not the ground.
One is a maintenance job; three on the same run is a fence to sort before the season.
Repair or replace? Where the line usually falls
A repair is worth it when the damage is isolated and the rest is sound: one or two posts to re-stand, a run of fixings, a gate to re-hang, a single panel to swap. Aluminium helps, because panels bolt to the posts rather than forming one continuous run: a damaged bay unbolts and is replaced without touching its neighbours.
Replacement usually wins when rot or corrosion has reached the ground line on several posts, when a whole run has movement in it, or when you have already re-stood that section once. Patching a tired fence in September and replacing it in February is the expensive version of both: our breakdown of aluminium fencing costs in Brisbane sets out what a typical run comes to.
Lead times: the queue forms after the storm, not before
This is the practical argument for doing it in spring. A severe storm does not damage one fence, it damages a suburb. Every affected household rings a fencer in the same few days, and the wait for a quote, a measure and an installation stretches for everyone at once. Order ahead and you choose the timing; order after and you take a number.
Our panels and gates are made to order at the Slacks Creek yard in custom widths and heights, and many custom orders are ready for collection the next day. Pick-up is free, delivery across South East Queensland is at extra charge, and quotes are valid 30 days.
If a fence is already down, start with the paperwork: our guide to who pays for a storm-damaged fence in Queensland covers insurance, dividing fence obligations and how to raise it with a neighbour.
Panels, gates and parts, made to order before the season
Whether it is a handful of brackets or a whole boundary, it comes from the one yard. Panels are 2400mm wide (2350mm in vertical picket) in 1200mm and 1800mm heights, in Black, Monument or White: horizontal slat from $279, vertical picket from $368, welded blade from $399. Pedestrian gates start from $295, with $5 post caps and $15 panel brackets.
Warranty runs 10 years on the aluminium. Take it supply-only at wholesale prices, or as a full measure, make and install across South East Queensland: have a look at the aluminium fencing range.
Frequently asked questions
When is storm season in South East Queensland?
SEQ storm season runs roughly October to March. Late winter and early spring is the practical time to inspect a fence, while the ground is firm and there is time to act.
How do I know if my fence will survive a storm?
Test it. Push each post hard at rail height and watch for rocking, check for exposed footings, loose brackets and soft timber at soil level, and look up for dead limbs.
Is an open slat fence better than a solid fence in a storm?
Generally yes. A solid fence presents an unbroken sheet to the wind and passes that pressure into the posts and footings, while open slat, picket and blade panels let gusts through the gaps.
Should I repair or replace a leaning fence before storm season?
Repair when the damage is isolated: one or two posts, a run of fixings, a single panel. Replace when rot has reached the ground line on several posts, or a whole run has movement in it.
Why order fencing before storm season instead of after?
A severe storm damages a whole suburb, so quotes, measures and installation dates all stretch at once. Our panels and gates are made to order in custom widths and heights, with many ready for collection the next day.
General information only, not engineering or insurance advice. Never work near fallen or damaged power lines. If a fence looks unsafe or is already damaged, get advice from a qualified professional and your insurer.
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 & showroom
- Made-to-order aluminium panels & gates
- Supply-only or installed