Five fence-order mistakes: spot them before you buy

1 · “8/90/15 means posts 15cm apart”

Keep steel-post spacing on a separate line in the design. Ask for the mesh’s horizontal-gap chart as well; the code does not mean every opening is square.

2 · “1km at 5m needs 200 pickets plus the ends”

The shortcut counts spans as pickets and then adds ends again. If gates or corners split the layout, calculate each run separately and reconcile shared assemblies.

3 · “The pack says 200, so I need two”

Not until you know the required quantity and the correct product. If 210 pickets are required, two 200-packs supply 400 and leave 190 spare. One pack plus 10 loose, where available, may fit the job with less cash outlay. Compare actual totals, not only the rate each.

Also verify the exact pack quantity: it is not uniform across the Outback range. Never infer it from an old handle or another height’s listing.

4 · “The mesh price is the fence price”

An excluded item is not necessarily a problem if everyone knows it is excluded. The mistake is leaving it out silently and calling the result a whole-job price.

5 · “That roll looks the same as the old one”

Match construction, code, actual opening pattern, wire details, coating and roll length. For a repair, identify the compatible joins and attachment method. A similar photograph is not a full specification.