how do i tell my neighbour i want to replace the fence

The notice is not a courtesy. In most states it is the step that creates the right to recover a contribution, and skipping it is the single most common reason someone ends up paying for the whole fence themselves.

What a notice should contain

• The boundary it relates to, described clearly.
• The type of fence proposed, including materials and height.
• The estimated cost, ideally supported by at least one written quote.
• The proportion you are asking the neighbour to contribute.
• The date it was served, and how.

After serving it

1. 1Wait the period your state's Act specifies. It is commonly around thirty days, but check yours.
2. 2If the neighbour agrees, get that in writing, even as a text message. Verbal agreements about fences are notoriously contested.
3. 3If they object, most Acts provide a process to resolve it, through the tribunal or the local court.
4. 4If they do not respond at all, the Act usually lets you proceed and seek a contribution afterwards, provided the notice was properly served.

Before that, try the doorstep

Most fencing disputes are caused by surprise rather than by money. A conversation before a legal notice arrives resolves the large majority of them, and it costs nothing. Serve the notice anyway afterwards, because the paperwork is what protects you if the relationship changes.