Your fence is down, there's debris across the yard, and the dog is eyeing the gap like it's an open invitation. If a storm has just taken out part of your fence, here's what to do — step by step — so you can get things safe, sorted, and back to normal.
This guide covers the immediate safety steps, how to deal with insurance, what to do about boundary fences, and how to get your fence replaced without more stress than necessary.
In this article:
First: Make It Safe
Before you touch anything, walk around and check for hazards.
Check for power lines
If you can see any electrical cables on or near the fence — or anywhere on the ground in your yard — stay well back. Do not touch the fence, the cables, or anything in contact with them. Electricity can travel through fencing, the ground, and even puddles of water.
Call Western Power on 13 13 51 to report the damaged power line. If anyone is in immediate danger, call 000 first.
Do not attempt any clean-up or temporary repairs until Western Power has confirmed the area is safe.
Check your pool fence
If your pool fence or barrier has been damaged, securing the pool area is the first thing you need to deal with. Under the Building Act 2011, pool barriers must be maintained at all times — there is no grace period for storm damage. If a child can access the pool, it is an immediate safety risk.
Block access to the pool area with whatever you have available — outdoor furniture, a vehicle parked across the gap, temporary barriers, anything solid that prevents access. This does not need to look good. It needs to work until the fence is properly repaired or replaced.
If you need temporary pool fencing installed quickly, companies like Temp Fence WA and Perth Temporary Fencing offer makesafe hire specifically for this situation.
Keep kids and pets away
Damaged fence panels can have sharp edges, and sections that are still standing may be unstable. Keep children and pets away from the damaged area until you've had a proper look and cleared any debris.
Secure Your Property Temporarily
If your boundary fence is down and your yard is open, you'll want to get something in place while you sort out the permanent fix. There are a few options depending on how quickly you need it done and what you're trying to keep in (or out).
Temporary fence hire
Several companies in Perth hire out temporary fencing panels that can be delivered and set up quickly — sometimes the same day. These are the standard mesh panels you see on construction sites, and they do the job while you organise a replacement.
- Temp Fence WA — makesafe fence hire for storm damage
- Perth Temporary Fencing — storm and wind damage temporary fencing
- Direct Fence Hire — can install if you're unable to be onsite
- TFH Hire — temporary fencing across Perth metro
DIY temporary fixes
If you're just trying to close a gap until the new fence goes in, star pickets and shade cloth will get you through. Temporary mesh panels from a hardware store work too. It won't look great, but it'll keep the dog in and give you some privacy while you sort things out.
If containing your dog is the main concern, even a temporary barrier across the gap — a pallet, a gate panel, mesh cable-tied to the remaining posts — will buy you time until the fence is properly fixed.
Document the Damage
Before you start moving debris or pulling down damaged sections, take photos. Your insurer will want to see the damage as it was after the storm, and good documentation makes the claims process much smoother.
- Wide shots showing the full extent of the damage — the whole fence line, not just close-ups
- Close-ups of specific damage — broken panels, posts pulled out of the ground, cracked rails
- Context photos — if a tree came down on the fence, photograph the tree and where it fell from. If debris from a neighbour's property caused the damage, photograph that too
- Note the date, time, and weather conditions — your insurer will want to match this to weather records
If you can, take a short video walking the fence line as well. The more evidence you have, the easier the claim.
Insurance
Most home building insurance policies in WA cover fence damage caused by storms. According to RAC, fences damaged by storms were the single most common storm-related insurance claim in Western Australia in recent years — so insurers are well set up to handle these.
What to do
- Call your insurer early. Don't wait until you've got quotes or started repairs. Lodge the claim as soon as possible — most policies require notification within a set timeframe.
- Provide your documentation. The photos and notes you took in the previous step will support your claim. Include the date, cause of damage, fence material, and approximate length of the damaged section.
- Keep receipts for temporary repairs. If you hired temporary fencing or bought materials for a makeshift barrier, keep the receipts. Most insurers will cover reasonable costs for making the property safe while you wait for the permanent repair.
What to expect
Your insurer may send an assessor to inspect the damage, or they may ask you to get quotes from fencing contractors. The Insurance Council of Australia notes that insurers usually settle fence claims with a cash payment, because boundary fences are shared property and both neighbours are typically involved in the repair.
What's not covered
If the fence was already in poor condition before the storm — rotting posts, rusted panels, general wear and tear — the insurer may reduce or decline the claim. Storm damage cover assumes the fence was reasonably maintained. This is one of the practical advantages of PVC fencing in the long run: it doesn't rot or rust, so when a storm does hit, there's no argument about pre-existing condition.
Important: If the damaged fence is a boundary fence shared with your neighbour, your insurance will typically cover your share of the repair cost. Your neighbour is responsible for their portion. It's worth having a conversation with them early — see the section below.
Talk to Your Neighbour
If the damaged fence is on your boundary, your neighbour is part of the conversation whether you like it or not.
The good news is that WA's Dividing Fences Act 1961 has a specific provision for storm damage. Under Section 15, if a dividing fence is damaged by storm, flood, lightning, or any other natural event, either owner can repair the fence immediately — without needing to give formal notice first. You can then recover half of the repair cost from your neighbour.
In practice, though, the best approach is to talk to your neighbour as soon as you can. Approach it as a shared problem, not a blame situation. You both need the fence fixed, and sorting out the details together — what material, which contractor, how you'll split the cost — makes the whole process faster and less stressful.
If a tree from your neighbour's property fell on the fence, the situation can be different. If the tree was dead, dying, or obviously at risk of falling and the neighbour hadn't dealt with it, they may be liable for a greater share of the cost. But in most storm situations where a healthy tree comes down in extreme wind, the standard 50/50 split still applies.
If you and your neighbour can't agree, the Magistrates Court of WA can make a determination. But that takes time and money — it's almost always better to sort it out between yourselves. The WA Government's dividing fences guide walks through the full process if you need it.
Getting the Fence Replaced
Before you assume the whole fence needs replacing, it's worth having someone look at what's actually damaged versus what can stay.
Posts still solid?
If the posts are still firm in the ground and haven't shifted, you may only need new panels, rails, or pickets — not a full rebuild. This is one of the advantages of a panel-based fencing system like PVC: individual panels can be removed and replaced without pulling down the entire fence line.
Posts pulled out or leaning?
If the posts have come out of the ground, snapped at the base, or are leaning significantly, the whole section will likely need to be redone — new posts concreted in, new panels fitted. If the posts have moved, the rail spacing and panel alignment won't be right even if you try to reuse existing panels.
Not sure what needs replacing?
Give us a call and we can help you work out what needs replacing and what can stay. If you send through a few photos of the damage, we can usually give you a good idea over the phone of what's involved. We'll also connect you with an experienced local installer who can come out and assess it in person if needed.
Need to organise an installer? If your fence needs replacing and you want someone who knows the product, we can connect you with a local contractor who works with PVC fencing regularly. Give us a call on (08) 9248 6559 or get in touch through the website.
Can You Claim the Full Cost?
Insurance typically covers "like for like" replacement — meaning they'll pay to replace what was there with something equivalent. If your old fence was timber or Colorbond, the insurer will cover the cost of replacing it with the same material and style.
If you want to upgrade — for example, replacing a damaged timber fence with PVC — the insurer will usually cover the amount it would have cost to replace like for like, and you pay the difference. It's worth getting a quote for both options so you can see what the gap is.
If your insurer asks for multiple quotes, make sure the quotes are comparing the same thing — same length, same height, same style of fence. This keeps the process straightforward and avoids delays.
Preventing Storm Damage in Future
You can't stop a storm, but the way your fence is installed makes a real difference in how it handles one.
Post depth and concreting
The most common reason fences come down in storms is that the posts weren't deep enough or weren't concreted properly. For a 1.8 metre fence, posts should be set at least 600mm into the ground and concreted in. In sandy Perth soils, going deeper is worth considering — 700 to 800mm gives you more stability in loose ground.
Check your posts regularly
Once a year, walk your fence line and give each post a firm push. If a post moves at the base, it needs re-concreting before a storm does the job for you. Timber posts can rot below ground level where you can't see it — by the time the fence falls over, the damage has been there for a while. PVC posts don't rot, so this particular failure mode doesn't apply, but it's still worth checking that the concrete footings haven't cracked or shifted.
Check after every storm
Even if the fence looks fine after a storm, walk the line and check. Posts can loosen in the ground without panels actually falling — the fence looks upright but the next strong wind will take it down. Catching a loose post early means a simple re-concrete rather than a full section replacement later.
Consider your fence style
Solid privacy fences catch more wind than semi-privacy or picket styles, because there's nowhere for the air to pass through. If you're in an area that cops strong winds regularly, a semi-privacy design with gaps between the slats lets wind pass through the fence instead of pushing against it. It's a practical consideration worth discussing when you're choosing a style for the replacement.
Need a hand? If your fence has come down in a storm and you want to talk through your options, give us a call on (08) 9248 6559. We can help you work out what needs replacing, what style and material suits your property, and if you need an installer, we'll connect you with someone who knows the product inside out.
Useful Contacts
| Emergency services | 000 |
| Western Power (damaged power lines) | 13 13 51 |
| SES (storm damage assistance) | 132 500 |
| Emergency WA (current warnings) | emergency.wa.gov.au |
| WA Dividing Fences guide | wa.gov.au/dividing-fences |
| Insurance Council of Australia | insurancecouncil.com.au |
| Probuild PVC Fencing | (08) 9248 6559 |
This article is general guidance only and was current as at March 2026. Insurance policies vary — always check your own policy wording or contact your insurer for specific advice. For legal questions about dividing fences, contact Legal Aid WA or the Citizens Advice Bureau. Probuild PVC Fencing is not an insurer, legal authority, or emergency service.
