Fence and Gate Repairs in Melbourne
The paling that’s been leaning into next door’s yard since the last storm. The gate that drops on its hinges every time it’s opened and now scrapes a groove into the concrete. A timber fence held up by good intentions and one remaining nail. Fence repairs in Melbourne rarely happen because someone planned for them; they happen because the fence finally forces the issue. Melbourne City Maintenance fixes it properly, the first time, without the six-week wait a specialist fencing contractor quotes for what’s usually a two-hour job.
Call John on 0455 182 580 for a quote, or [request a quote online]
What we fix
– Replacing rotted, split or storm-damaged palings and pickets
– Re-hanging and realigning gates that have dropped and won’t latch
– Straightening and re-setting leaning fence posts back into concrete
– Repairing snapped rails, loose capping and pull-away fence panels
– Replacing worn latches, hinges and self-closing gate mechanisms
– Patch repairs to timber, paling and Colorbond fencing so one damaged section doesn’t force a full rebuild
Why fence repairs in Melbourne are trickier than they look
Most fence problems look simple from the footpath and turn out not to be, for three reasons.
The paling is rarely the actual failure point.** By the time a paling has visibly rotted, the timber below ground the post footing has usually been sitting wet against untreated timber for longer, particularly in Melbourne’s clay-heavy inner-north soils, which hold moisture against a post base far longer than sandy soil does. Replace the paling and leave the post, and the same section fails again within a season. A proper repair checks what’s happening below ground before touching what’s visible above it.
A dropped gate is almost always a hinge problem, not a post problem. Nine times out of ten, a gate that scrapes the ground or won’t latch needs its hinges re-set or replaced, not a new post. Re-setting a post that doesn’t need it is unnecessary cost and unnecessary disruption to a fence line that was otherwise fine.
Colorbond and timber fail differently and need different fixes. Timber rots from moisture and insect activity; Colorbond fails when the fastener screws corrode, panels work loose, and the fix is in the fixing hardware, not the sheet itself. Treating a Colorbond repair like a timber one (or the reverse) wastes a call-out.
Where this isn’t handyman work, a full fence rebuild, a structural retaining fence, or any fence over 2 metres on a corner or road-facing boundary that needs council planning approval is outside the scope of a repair call and needs a licensed fencing contractor or builder. Melbourne City Maintenance will say so upfront rather than take on a job better suited to someone else.
How it works
- Send your list – Tell Melbourne City Maintenance what’s wrong: the leaning section, the gate that won’t shut, the missing palings, and we’ll give you a straightforward quote.
- We turn up and work through it – One trade, one visit, everything on the list actioned in the one booking wherever possible.
- You come home to a finished job – No half-repaired fence line, no follow-up call-out for the bit that got missed.
Fence repair pricing in Melbourne
Fence and gate repairs are charged at **$90 per hour for a half-day booking, $80 per hour for a full-day booking**, labour only, with materials charged at cost. Additional time beyond the booked block is billed in 15-minute increments, so you’re not paying for a rounded-up hour you didn’t use.
For scale: replacing two or three rotted palings or re-hanging a dropped gate is typically a 1–2 hour job. Straightening and re-setting a leaning post in fresh concrete is usually a half-day booking, since the concrete needs to be worked around properly rather than rushed.
If the fence is a shared boundary fence, repair costs can sometimes be split with your neighbour under Victoria’s Fences Act. Consumer Affairs Victoria has a [plain-English guide to dividing fences] worth reading before you get quotes.
What our clients say
“We used Melbourne City Maintenance for the removal, powder-coating and reinstallation of our rusting wrought iron lacework (Victorian terraced house). We also had them perform a sand/fill/paint on our white picket fence. Work was completed to an excellent standard, and we were thrilled with the result. A thoroughly professional outfit, recommend.”
-Kate Rassie, ★★★★★
Where we work
Melbourne City Maintenance repairs fences and gates across Melbourne’s inner north, including Northcote, Thornbury, Preston, Fairfield, Clifton Hill, Collingwood, Abbotsford, Richmond, Fitzroy and Brunswick.
Timber fences and weatherboard cladding share the same failure points: moisture, rot and inner-north clay soils, so if your fence trouble has you eyeing the weatherboards as well, our [weatherboard repairs] page covers that side of the job. For the full range of what we handle around the house, start at the [handyman services hub].
Frequently asked questions
“How much does it cost to repair a fence in Melbourne?”
Fence repairs with Melbourne City Maintenance are charged at $90 per hour for a half-day booking or $80 per hour for a full-day booking, labour only, with materials at cost. A typical paling replacement or gate rehang runs 1–2 hours, and a leaning post reset is usually a half-day.
“Can you repair a leaning fence without replacing the whole thing?”
Yes, most leaning fences only need the affected post or posts reset in fresh concrete, with the rest of the fence line left untouched, as long as the surrounding timber or panels are still sound.
Why does my gate keep dropping even after I’ve had the hinges adjusted?
A gate that keeps dropping after adjustment usually has worn hinge hardware rather than a hinge that’s simply loose, so re-tightening gives temporary relief before the same wear drags it down again. The fix is new hinges, not another adjustment.
“Do you repair Colorbond fences as well as timber?”
Yes, Colorbond repairs are usually a fastener and hardware fix rather than a panel replacement, and Melbourne City Maintenance carries compatible fixings for the common Colorbond fence systems used across Melbourne’s inner north.
“Should I repair my fence or replace it?”
If the posts are sound and the damage is limited to a few palings, a section of rail or the gate hardware, repair is the cheaper and faster option; replacement only makes sense once rot or damage has spread through most of the fence line or the posts themselves have failed.
“Do I need a fencing contractor or can a handyman do this?”
A handyman covers repairs, patching, re-hanging gates, and post resets; a full fence rebuild, a structural retaining fence, or anything requiring council planning approval needs a licensed fencing contractor or builder instead.
Ready to get the fence sorted?
A leaning post or a dropped gate doesn’t get better on its own, and it’s rarely the big job it looks like from the footpath. Melbourne City Maintenance has been fixing fences, gates, and everything else around the inner-north home for 21+ years, across 450+ projects, backed by 70+ five-star reviews and a workmanship guarantee on every job.
Call John on 0455 182 580 or [request a quote online], and we’ll tell you straight whether it’s a two-hour fix or something bigger.
Excellent service. Even came in during the holiday period to check out our house to quote the job. Very reasonable quote which we accepted straight away. On the day they were booked to do the job (external painting).
