Illustration · brushed stainless spigots on pool coping Sydney, NSW

Frameless glass pool fencing

A frameless glass pool fence holds each toughened panel only at the base, on spigots, a channel or standoffs, with no posts between panels. Panels of 12 mm toughened glass are the common Australian spec. Yakka Labour's October 2026 guide puts it at about $400 to $750 a metre installed, with gates priced on top.

Updated 24 October 2026

Take away the posts and the top rail, and all that holds a frameless fence up is what’s at the bottom of each panel. That fitting decides how the fence looks, how rigid it is, and how much of the price goes on labour. The glass itself is usually 12 mm toughened safety glass, set at least 1200 mm above the finished ground and carrying a permanent safety mark.

What the glass stands on

Ways to hold the glass

Core-drilled spigot: Set into concrete or stone. Cleanest look, very rigid
Base-plate spigot: Bolted to the surface. Quicker, plate visible
Channel: Continuous aluminium channel, surface or recessed
Standoff: Bolted to the slab face or stringer. Keeps the floor clear
Posts: Slim aluminium posts between panels (semi-frameless)

Source · Common Australian systems

Core-drilled spigots are what most people picture. A hole is drilled into the slab or the stone coping, the spigot is set in grout or epoxy, and only a small round cover shows at the base. They’re very stiff once set. They need enough depth of concrete, and drilling sandstone or thick slab takes time.

Base-plate spigots bolt down through a flat plate. They go in faster, and they’re the safer choice over a slab with pipes or cables running through it, though you can see the plate and its bolts.

A channel is a continuous aluminium section, either sitting on the surface or recessed into the slab. Recessed, the glass seems to come straight out of the ground. It’s best planned before the pavers go down, because cutting a channel into finished pavers is slow.

Side-fixed standoffs bolt the glass to the face of a raised pool wall or a deck edge, so the top surface stays clear. Yakka Labour’s October 2026 guide puts them at about $550 to $900 a metre installed, the most expensive of the four.

The gate

A frameless gate hangs on glass-to-glass hinges or from a hinge panel, and closes onto a magnetic latch. It has to self-close and self-latch from any open position, and it has to open away from the pool. Latch height and shielding are set by AS 1926.1. The closing speed and the latch are adjusted on site until the gate shuts every time from fully open and from just ajar.

Yakka Labour’s guide puts a frameless glass gate at $900 to $1,800, and Service.com.au’s April 2026 guide puts glass gates at $400 to $900. Most of that spread is in the hinges and the latch.

Pool barrier dimensions · 1200 mm minimum height, 100 mm or less under the glass, 900 mm non-climbable zone outside. Source · NSW Government, Pool owner obligations.

Prices and what moves them

For the panels, Yakka Labour lists about $400 to $700 a metre on core-drilled spigots and $420 to $750 on base plates, including GST. Service.com.au’s guide gives $430 to $600 a metre installed. Yakka Labour notes that Sydney sits towards the top of its ranges.

A quote climbs with stone that’s slow to drill, ground that steps down a slope, odd angles that need custom panels made to order, and side passages too narrow to carry glass through easily.

Coastal sites

Salt air and chlorinated water both attack stainless steel. On the coast, and around salt water pools, duplex or marine-grade stainless or powder-coated aluminium spigots hold up far better than the cheaper grades. A rinse with the hose now and then keeps them looking clean.

If your pool sits on a lawn rather than pavers, or the budget is tight, semi-frameless fencing is worth comparing. The full NSW rules are on the glass pool fencing page.

Common questions

Core-drilled or base-plate spigots, which is better?

Core-drilled spigots are set into holes in the concrete or stone and grouted or epoxied in. They're the cleanest and most rigid option. Base-plate spigots bolt onto the surface, go in faster and suit slabs with pipes or cables underneath, but the plate stays visible.

What stainless steel grade should spigots be?

Near salt water pools and on the coast, use a duplex or marine-grade stainless, or powder-coated aluminium. Lower grades show tea staining quickly. Whatever you choose, a rinse with fresh water every so often keeps salt and chlorine off the metal.

How big are the gaps between frameless panels?

Panels are set with small even gaps, well inside the NSW limit of 100 mm between vertical members. The gap under the glass has to be 100 mm or less from finished ground level too, and that's the one to watch where the ground falls away.

Can a frameless fence go on a lawn?

Not straight onto grass. Each spigot needs a concrete footing or plinth under it, or a strip footing along the fence line. Where a fence crosses a lawn, semi-frameless posts concreted into the ground are usually simpler.