Temporary Fencing vs Hoarding in NSW: What Councils Actually Require

You've got a DA condition that reads "provide hoarding to Council's satisfaction prior to commencement of works" and now the question is: what does that actually mean, how much will it cost, and can you get away with normal temporary fencing? This is the confusion we deal with weekly across Sydney councils — Inner West, City of Sydney, Randwick, Bayside, Parramatta — and the answer isn't the same everywhere.

The Three Options in Plain English

Under WorkCover NSW and the various council development control plans, there are effectively three levels of site perimeter protection:

Type	What it is	Typical use
Temporary fencing	2.1m free-standing mesh panels on concrete feet, clipped together	Standard construction and demolition on private land, no public interface
Class A hoarding	Solid, opaque fence-type hoarding (usually plywood/ColorBond) 1.8–2.4m, on public land, no overhead work	Site fronts a footpath, no work above head height near the boundary
Class B hoarding	Overhead protective structure (gantry) with solid deck plus perimeter, allowing pedestrians to walk beneath while overhead work continues	CBD, high-rise, work above a public footpath

These classes are defined in WorkCover NSW Code of Practice: Overhead Protective Structures and referenced by most Sydney council DCPs. If your DA condition just says "hoarding" without specifying, the council will usually be looking for Class A at minimum on any site with a footpath interface.

When Standard Temporary Fencing Is Enough

2.1m mesh temporary fencing (our standard product — see Temporary Fencing) is compliant for the vast majority of Sydney residential and light-commercial jobs when:

• The fence line is entirely on private land — no encroachment on footpath or road reserve.
• There's no work happening above head height within 3m of a public thoroughfare.
• The site is not in a heritage streetscape where council specifically requires opaque hoarding for visual amenity.
• The site doesn't front a school, bus stop or high-pedestrian-traffic frontage where the council may impose extra conditions.

For a standard Sydney knockdown-rebuild in Parramatta, Blacktown, Penrith or the outer suburbs, 2.1m temp fencing on the private-land side of the boundary is what everyone runs. Add shade cloth or privacy screen for dust and visual amenity — many councils require it explicitly.

When Class A Hoarding Is Required

Class A hoarding — a solid, opaque, fixed fence built on the footpath — is typically required when:

• Your fence line encroaches on the footpath or road reserve (very common on tight inner-Sydney sites).
• The council DCP requires a solid boundary along the pedestrian frontage (City of Sydney, Inner West, Woollahra, Randwick all have specific clauses).
• Demolition is happening within 3m of the boundary and there's a risk of debris or dust escaping.
• The DA condition explicitly names "Class A hoarding" — read it carefully.

Class A is not just tall temporary fencing. It's a built structure: timber posts bolted or bracket-fixed, ply sheeting one side, painted, with pedestrian light-throw considered and often a viewing panel required for shopfront frontages. It requires a road opening / footpath occupation permit from council — usually 2–4 weeks lead time — and pays a weekly rental to council for the footpath area occupied.

When Class B Hoarding (Overhead Gantry) Is Required

Class B is a gantry — an overhead protective deck strong enough to catch dropped tools or materials, allowing pedestrians to walk safely beneath. Required when:

• You're doing overhead work above a public footpath — demolition, facade work, scaffold erection, crane picks over public land.
• Any work higher than 3.6m above a pedestrian route.
• The building is more than two storeys and the boundary is tight to the footpath.

Class B is engineer-designed, requires council approval and a structural certificate, and is the most expensive perimeter option — but for CBD and inner-city work it's not optional. We don't build Class B hoarding ourselves; if your job needs it, we can refer you to a specialist and still supply the temp fencing behind it for the internal site perimeter.

Heights, Wind Loading and Compliance

The technical bits that catch people out at inspection:

• Height: temporary fencing on construction sites in NSW must be a minimum 1.8m — industry standard is 2.1m and that's what SafeWork inspectors expect. Anything shorter (1.1m crowd-control barriers) is for events, not construction.
• Wind loading: temp fencing with shade cloth or privacy screen dramatically increases wind load. Panels must be braced with stays every 6–8 panels, or the whole run comes down in the first southerly. On tall (2.4m+) or fully-screened runs, we install diagonal stays as standard.
• Coupling and stability: panels are clipped with anti-tamper couplings on public-facing sides. Standard clamps on the site-interior side.
• Gate rating: gates need proper hinge panels and a padlock hasp — you can't just leave a panel unclipped and call it a gate.

Cost Implications: What Each Option Costs

Option	Sydney weekly cost (indicative)	Setup / permit cost
2.1m temp fencing (40 panels)	$400–$600/week	Delivery/install from $120 each way
Temp fencing + shade cloth + gates	$500–$800/week	+$40–$60 per screen
Class A hoarding (built)	$150–$300 per linear metre one-off + council footpath rental (varies)	Council permit 2–4 weeks lead time
Class B hoarding (gantry)	Engineer-designed, quote by specialist	Structural cert + council approval

The jump from temp fencing to Class A hoarding is significant — often 3–5× the cost — and it's why the first question we ask on any inner-city job is "does your DA require hoarding or is temp fencing enough?" Read the DA condition carefully. If in doubt, ring the council duty planner before you order.

The Practical Decision Tree

1. Read your DA conditions. Look for the words "hoarding" or "Class A/B". If it just says "site to be adequately secured", temp fencing is almost always sufficient.
2. Check if your fence line stays on your own land. If yes, temp fencing. If no, you need a footpath permit and likely Class A hoarding.
3. Check if any work happens above a public footpath. If yes, you need Class B (gantry).
4. Ring us with the address. We'll look it up on Nearmap, check the council DCP and quote the right option — often we can save people money by pointing out that temp fencing is actually compliant for their job.

Bundling With Portable Toilets

If you're going to need portable toilets on the same site — and almost every construction and demolition job does — our Site Packages bundle fencing and toilets on a single hire, usually 10–15% cheaper than separate hires.

Get the Right Setup First Time

We quote fencing across Greater Sydney from Campbelltown to Newcastle, one-week minimum hire, same or next business day delivery. Send the site address and your DA conditions — we'll tell you exactly what you need. 0451 117 275.

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Direct Site Hire Team — Sydney's temporary fencing & portable toilet specialists. Sister company of Direct Demolition. Free quote: 0451 117 275.