Fence and gate engineering
Fence engineering certification, council-ready
Brick and masonry fences, Colorbond and Garrison steel fences, fences on retaining walls, and swinging or sliding gates. We design the posts or piers, footings and panels for your wind region and certify them for approval.
Fixed fee, no site visit, no payment to request a quote.
When a fence needs engineering
Rules vary by state and council, but engineering is commonly required when a fence is taller than the exempt limit (often 1.8 to 2 m), built of brick or masonry, sits on a retaining wall, surrounds a pool, carries an automatic gate, or stands on an exposed or cyclonic site.
Brick and masonry fences
Pier size and reinforcement, footing design and control joints for rendered blockwork and brick with infill panels.
Colorbond and steel fences
Post size and thickness, footing depth and diameter, and panel fixings for tall or exposed Colorbond and Garrison fences.
Fences on retaining walls
The extra overturning load a fence puts on the wall below, and posts detailed to suit.
Gates
Post and hinge design for the gate weight, footings for swinging and sliding gates, and automatic gate posts.
What your fence engineering includes
- Elevation and sectionPost or pier sizes and spacing, panel and rail details
- Footing designDepth and diameter for your soil, designed for overturning
- Gate details where neededPosts, hinges and footings for the gate weight
- CertificationStamped by a Chartered Professional Engineer for your council or certifier
Engineering only. The fence is supplied and built by others. Dividing fence laws about who pays are separate from the building approval.
Read the step-by-step guide to fence certificationWhat to send us
Fence type and height, length, post or pier spacing, gate positions, the site address and a sketch or photos. Include the council letter if you have one.
Upload a sketch or photosEngineering without the guesswork
Three steps from first enquiry to drawings you can lodge with council or your certifier.
Tell us what you’re building
Share your plans, sketches or site details. Please give the maximum dimensions you want quoted. Increasing them later may require a revised quote.
Review your scope and fixed fee
We confirm exactly what the engineering covers and what it costs. Nothing to pay until you accept.
Receive your engineering drawings
After acceptance and payment, we prepare your stamped drawings and answer any council questions about them if needed.
Fence questions
Can you certify a fence that is already built?
Often, from photos, measurements and information about how it was built. If we cannot verify the footings or reinforcement we say so and describe what would allow certification, such as exposing a footing.
Do I need a development application as well?
Some fences, particularly on street frontages or in heritage areas, need planning approval as well as a building permit. Your council will tell you which. We prepare the engineering for either.
How much does fence engineering cost?
Each fence is quoted individually from your sketch, because height, material, length and site all change the work. You get a fixed fee before we start.
Get your fence approved
Send the sketch, height and site address for a fixed-fee quote.