Clothesline Installed in SA?
Tell us the line type, the wall or ground it fixes to and roughly where it goes and we'll connect you with South Australian installers.
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Typical Clothesline Installation Costs SA
Fold down, brick or masonry wall$150 - $320
Fold down, cladding or render$200 - $400
Rotary hoist, existing socket$120 - $220
Rotary hoist, new concrete footing$200 - $450
Retractable line, two fixing points$180 - $380
Ground mounted post pair$300 - $650
Removal and disposal of old line$60 - $150
Make good after removal$80 - $250
Figures on this page are indicative 2026 SA estimates only and vary with clothesline type and size, the wall or ground material being fixed into, whether a concrete footing is required and site access. Quotes should always be obtained for your specific situation. Building, planning and consumer protection requirements are set by legislation and local council policy and are periodically updated, so confirm the current position with the relevant authority and your installer before relying on any figure.
Clothesline Installation SA 2026 - Get Quotes
What the clothesline is fixed to matters more than which clothesline you bought, and in Adelaide that varies more than in most Australian cities. A fold down line on a modern brick veneer wall is a straightforward job, because the fixings go into brickwork that behaves predictably. The same line on a bluestone or sandstone cottage through the inner suburbs is a different proposition, since the stone is hard and irregular while the lime mortar between it is soft, and a fixing placed in the wrong one either fails under load or damages the wall. Double brick, rendered surfaces and fibre cement cladding each need their own approach again. A loaded line carries a surprising amount of weight and it applies that load as leverage, which is why a fixing that seems adequate on the day pulls out eighteen months later. Post your job on The Quote Yard to reach South Australian clothesline installers.
At a Glance - Which Type Suits Which Household
| Type | Installed Cost | Line Metres | Needs | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fold down wall mounted | $150 - $400 | 10 to 30 | A sound wall | Courtyards, small yards |
| Rotary hoist | $120 - $450 | 40 to 60 | Concrete footing | Families, larger loads |
| Retractable | $180 - $380 | 10 to 25 | Two fixing points | Narrow side passages |
| Ground mounted posts | $300 - $650 | Varies | Two footings | No suitable wall |
| Portable folding | No installation | 10 to 20 | Nothing | Rentals, temporary |
| Ceiling airer, indoor | $120 - $300 | 6 to 15 | Joist fixing | Winter, Hills properties |
Sizing Depth: Line Metres Against What You Actually Wash
Clotheslines are sold on line metres and households have no intuition for what that number means, which is why so many undersized lines end up with washing draped over chairs. A useful conversion is that a standard household load needs roughly eight to twelve line metres to hang properly with air moving between items, and crowding a line defeats the point by slowing drying substantially.
That makes the arithmetic straightforward. A couple doing three or four loads a week manages comfortably on a twenty metre fold down. A family of four doing a load most days needs forty metres or more, which is rotary hoist territory, and a fold down line in that household will be permanently full. Sheets and towels are the items that break the calculation, since a single set of sheets can occupy half a small line on its own.
The second consideration is the folded footprint instead of the extended one. A fold down line takes almost no space against the wall when closed, which is what makes it right for a courtyard or a narrow side passage. A rotary hoist occupies its full circle permanently and needs clearance all round, so on a small Adelaide block it can consume most of the usable yard, which is a real trade off against the extra capacity.
Choosing the Right Type
Fold down wall mounted lines, with Hills, Austral and Daytek the familiar Australian makers, are the most commonly installed and suit the majority of Adelaide properties. They fold flat against the wall when not in use, which makes them right for a courtyard, a narrow side passage or any yard where a permanent structure would be in the way. Rotary hoists from Hills or Austral give the most line for the money and remain the best choice for a family. Forty to sixty line metres handles a household washing most days, and the rotation means the load presents differently to the wind, which genuinely helps drying. Adelaide conditions make that difference more pronounced than elsewhere. Installers who work your area will already know the pattern.
Retractable lines solve the narrow space problem where there is no wall wide enough for a fold down. A cassette on one wall and a bracket on the other lets the line stretch across a side passage and disappear entirely when retracted. Installers across Adelaide take different positions on this. Adelaide installers differ on the detail more than you would expect. Somebody who installs these regularly will mention it before you ask. That difference shows more clearly again on an older property.
Ground mounted posts are the answer where no suitable wall exists at all. Two posts set in concrete carry the line independently of the building, which suits a rendered wall nobody wants to drill or a property where the only sunny position is away from the house. Ceiling airers are underrated in South Australia and worth considering as a supplement. Adelaide winters are wet enough that a household relying entirely on outdoor drying has weeks where washing does not dry, and an airer in a laundry or hallway covers that without a dryer. Fixing an airer to ceiling joists is work for carpentry services. Raising it early costs nothing and avoids a variation appearing.
Assembly of a flat packed line is covered at flatpack furniture assembly. Portable folding lines need no installation and suit a rental or a temporary arrangement. They provide less capacity, they blow over in a strong northerly and they are a compromise and not a solution, though they leave no holes behind. Matching type to household matters more than brand. A twenty metre fold down in a family of five will be permanently full, and a rotary hoist in a small courtyard consumes the yard, so the decision is about capacity against space instead of about price. An experienced installer will bring the point up unprompted.
| Household | Line Metres Needed | Usual Choice |
|---|---|---|
| One or two people | 15 to 20 | Fold down |
| Couple with children | 30 to 40 | Large fold down or hoist |
| Family of four or more | 40 plus | Rotary hoist |
| Courtyard or unit | Whatever fits | Fold down or retractable |
| Narrow side passage | 10 to 25 | Retractable |
| Wet winters, Hills | Supplement outdoors | Add a ceiling airer |
Wall Material Decides the Fixing
A loaded clothesline pulls on its fixings with far more force than the weight of the washing suggests. The line projects from the wall, so the load acts as leverage on the top fixings, and a fold down carrying wet towels generates a genuine pull out force at the top of the bracket. Brick veneer on modern Adelaide homes is the straightforward case. Masonry anchors into solid brick in place of into mortar joints hold well, and the outer leaf is generally sound enough to carry a domestic line without further support. A showroom conversation will most often leave this detail out entirely. Most households only learn this once the work is done.
Double brick in older housing is better again because there is more material to fix into. The consideration is drilling depth and avoiding the cavity, and a competent installer places fixings in the brick and not the perpend joints. A written quote seldom covers this unless somebody asks about it. Somebody who has seen the wall will say so without prompting. Stating it upfront is what avoids a variation appearing later on. The answer changes what the job actually costs to complete.
Bluestone and sandstone in inner suburb cottages need a different approach entirely. The stone is hard and drills slowly while the lime mortar between it is soft and holds very little, so fixings belong in the stone itself, and chemical anchors frequently outperform mechanical ones there. Repairs to the wall itself are covered at brick wall construction. Rendered walls hide what is underneath and that is the problem. Render over brick is fine while render over foam insulation or over a lightweight frame carries almost nothing, and an installer needs to establish which before drilling. Anybody fitting these locally will recognise the situation straight away.
Fibre cement and weatherboard cladding cannot carry a line on their own. Fixings must reach the timber studs behind, which means locating them accurately, and a bracket fixed only into the sheeting will pull through. A backing plate spreads the load where the substrate is marginal. Where a wall is sound but not ideal, a timber or steel plate fixed across several points distributes the force and is a standard solution instead of a compromise. Repairing internal linings afterwards is covered at gyprock installation. On an older property the difference becomes more pronounced still.
| Wall Type | Fixing Approach | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Brick veneer | Masonry anchors into brick | Straightforward |
| Double brick | Anchors, avoid the cavity | Straightforward |
| Bluestone or sandstone | Chemical anchor into stone | Skilled, slow drilling |
| Render over brick | Through render into brick | Fine, establish what is behind |
| Render over foam or frame | Must reach the structure | Backing plate usually |
| Fibre cement or weatherboard | Into studs, never sheeting | Locate studs accurately |
Drilling Into Bluestone Without Damaging It
The bluestone and sandstone cottages and villas across Adelaide's inner suburbs present a fixing problem that a handyman used to brick veneer will get wrong, and the consequences range from a line that falls off the wall to permanent damage to a heritage facade.
The wall is two materials with opposite properties. The stone is dense and hard, which means slow drilling with the right bit and no hammer action on softer sandstone, since percussion can fracture it. The lime mortar between is soft and sacrificial by design, meant to decay in preference to the stone, and it holds a fixing poorly and crumbles around it under repeated load. That points fixings into the stone itself. Chemical anchors, where resin is injected into a cleaned hole and the threaded rod set into it, distribute the load through the full depth of the hole and not expanding against the material, which is why they suit stone better than expanding mechanical anchors that can split it. Two further points matter on these properties. Many inner Adelaide suburbs sit within heritage areas or carry individual listings, and while a clothesline on a rear wall is rarely an issue, anything visible from the street deserves a check with council first. And if a line is ever removed, the holes need filling with a lime based mortar matched to the original instead of a hard cement patch, which is both more sympathetic and less likely to damage the stone around it.
Footings for Rotary Hoists and Ground Posts
A rotary hoist needs a concrete footing instead of a post pushed into the ground, since wind loading on a loaded line is the kind of action Australian Standard AS 1170 deals with. The mast carries a substantial load in wind with a fully loaded line acting as a sail, and the footing is what stops it leaning progressively over its first few years. Depth and diameter matter more than volume of concrete. A hole around three hundred millimetres across and six hundred deep is a common domestic specification, though ground conditions and the hoist size both affect it and the manufacturer usually states a minimum. Stone walls show the effect more strongly again than brickwork does.
Reactive Adelaide clay makes the footing work harder than on stable ground. Soil that swells and shrinks seasonally will move a shallow footing, and a hoist that has developed a lean over two summers is usually telling you the footing was inadequate as against that the hoist failed. That is worth settling before anybody drills into the wall. It rarely appears on a quote unless the question is asked. Households rarely connect the two until somebody explains the link.
A ground socket is the arrangement most households want. A steel sleeve set in the concrete lets the hoist lift out entirely, which matters for entertaining, for mowing and for taking the line with you if you move. Existing sockets are worth checking before assuming they are reusable. Sleeve sizes vary between manufacturers and generations, so a new hoist frequently does not fit an old socket, and the choice is a sleeve adapter or a new footing. Where a larger pour is involved, pricing sits at concrete driveways.
Services beneath the proposed position need checking before anybody digs. Irrigation lines, stormwater, gas and electrical runs are all commonly found in the middle of a back lawn, and a footing hole is deep enough to find them. Curing time means the hoist cannot be loaded immediately. Concrete needs several days before it takes full load, and an installer who sets a footing and hangs washing on it the same afternoon has compromised the work. Reinstating paving around a new footing is covered at paving and pathways.
Position, Sun and Wind in Adelaide
Northern aspect is the general rule and it holds well in South Australia. A line facing north gets sun through the middle of the day across the year, which matters far more in June than it does in January when almost any position dries washing. Winter shading catches people out because the position gets chosen in summer. The sun sits much lower in June and July, so a wall, a fence or a neighbouring house that casts no shadow in December can shade a line completely through the coldest months. Two otherwise similar quotes frequently differ on exactly this point.
Air movement matters as much as sun and is easier to overlook. A line in a still corner between two walls dries slowly even in full sun, while a position catching the afternoon sea breeze that runs through Adelaide most summer days dries remarkably quickly. The consequence shows up some months later otherwise. Few households think to raise it before the day. It is worth raising even where the point seems minor at the time.
Trees create a seasonal problem beyond shading. Deciduous trees drop leaves onto washing through autumn and eucalypts drop bark, sap and blossom at various times, so a line under a tree generates work instead of saving it. Pruning back overhanging growth is covered at landscaping. Distance from the laundry door is worth more consideration than it usually gets. A line at the far end of the yard is used less than one a few steps from the door, and a household that stops using the line entirely has wasted the installation.
Privacy and outlook are legitimate considerations and not vanity. A line directly outside a living room window or overlooking a neighbour's entertaining area creates friction, and a fold down that closes flat handles that better than a permanent hoist does. Clearance underneath is the practical detail installers raise and owners forget. Sheets hanging from a line need height beneath them to avoid dragging, and a line set too low means the longest items never hang properly. Giving that context is what lets an installer price the job properly.
| Consideration | Why It Matters | What to Check |
|---|---|---|
| Northern aspect | Sun through the middle of the day | Where the sun sits in June |
| Winter shading | Low sun casts long shadows | Walls, fences, neighbours |
| Air movement | Dries as much as sun does | Still corners and sea breeze |
| Trees overhead | Leaves, bark, sap and birds | What drops and when |
| Distance from the door | A far line goes unused | Steps from the laundry |
| Clearance beneath | Sheets drag otherwise | Height above the ground |
What the Adelaide Climate Does to a Clothesline
South Australia is the driest state and Adelaide the driest capital, which makes outdoor drying viable for most of the year and hard on the equipment doing it. Ultraviolet exposure is the dominant factor, and it degrades the line itself faster than anything else, with cheaper polymer coated wire going brittle and cracking within a few years while stainless steel line lasts several times longer at a modest price difference. Plastic components fail for the same reason, so the hinges, caps, brackets and tensioners on a budget fold down become the failure point well before the frame does, and a line advertised as powder coated steel may still carry plastic parts at the joints. Two further considerations apply in specific parts of the state. Along the metropolitan coast from Semaphore to Brighton, salt in marine air corrodes fixings and frames, and stainless fittings that cost a little more last considerably longer in that environment. Through summer, a line left loaded in direct sun all day fades and weakens fabrics noticeably, which is why bringing washing in as soon as it is dry, instead of leaving it out until evening, is genuine local advice and not fussiness. The practical conclusion for anyone buying is that the line, the fixings and the moving parts are where quality shows, and the frame is rarely what fails first.
Why This Small Job Goes Wrong More Often Than It Should
A clothesline looks like the simplest possible fixing task and it produces a steady stream of remedial work across Adelaide, which is worth understanding before deciding to do it yourself. The most common failure is a fold down line pulling out of a wall, and it rarely happens on installation day. It happens eighteen months later with a full load of wet towels, because the fixings were adequate for the static weight and not for the leverage a loaded line applies at the top bracket. On a bluestone or rendered wall the failure takes stone or render with it, which turns a hundred and fifty dollar job into a repair. The second is drilling into something that should not have been drilled, since external walls carry electrical cabling, gas lines and occasionally water pipes, and a masonry bit through a cable is both dangerous and expensive. Detecting what sits behind a wall before drilling is standard practice for a tradesperson and guesswork for most householders. The third is the ladder, since fold down lines mount at a height that puts most people on one, and falls from domestic ladders send people to hospital regularly. None of this means a competent person cannot do it, and it does mean the hundred dollar labour component is buying judgement about the wall rather than the ten minutes of drilling.
Materials, Quality and What Lasts
Stainless steel line is the single upgrade most worth making. It costs modestly more than coated wire and resists both ultraviolet degradation and the rust staining that ruins washing when a coated line splits and the core corrodes. Frame material is less critical than buyers assume because the frame rarely fails first. Powder coated steel and aluminium both perform adequately inland, while aluminium and stainless fittings earn their premium on the coast. Most installers will confirm the position once you ask them directly.
Moving parts are where cheap lines reveal themselves. Hinges, pivots, locking mechanisms and tensioners take the wear, and plastic components in those positions degrade under Adelaide ultraviolet within a few summers. Few households think to raise it in advance of the visit. On an older property the difference is more pronounced.
Tension adjustment is worth having and worth using. Lines sag over time and a sagging line lets washing touch the ground, so a mechanism that lets the line be retensioned periodically extends the useful life considerably. Shelving in the laundry sits at shelf and cabinet installation. A cover for a rotary hoist is cheap and genuinely effective.
It keeps bird droppings, dust and tree debris off the lines between uses, which in a suburb with established trees or a nearby roost saves washing instead of the hoist. Warranty periods vary widely and the conditions vary more. Most cover the frame for far longer than the line or the moving parts, which reflects what actually fails, and reading which components are covered for how long is more useful than the headline number. Owners typically work this out only after the line is up.
Small Habits That Double the Life of a Line
A clothesline is one of the few things around a house that is entirely maintenance free until it suddenly is not, and a handful of habits extend the useful life considerably at no cost. None of this is complicated and most households do none of it.
Wipe the lines before the first use each season, since a line that has sat through winter collects dust, pollen and bird residue that transfers straight onto clean washing. Retension when the line starts to sag and not when washing touches the ground, because a line left slack stretches further and the mechanism works harder every time it is used. Fold a fold down line closed when it is not in use, which is what it was designed for and what keeps the hinges out of continuous sun. Check the wall fixings once a year by taking hold of the frame and pulling, since a fixing that has started to move gives warning long before it fails, and catching it early is a retighten instead of a repair to the wall. On a rotary hoist, cover it between uses if the yard has established trees or a bird roost nearby. And bring washing in once it is dry not leaving it out all day through an Adelaide summer, which protects the fabrics more than it protects the line.
Rentals, Strata and Getting Permission
Installing a clothesline on a rented property requires the landlord's consent because it involves fixing to the building. Most landlords agree readily since a line adds amenity, though it should be in writing along with what happens at the end of the tenancy. Whether the line stays or goes is the detail worth settling upfront. A tenant who installs a line and removes it at vacate leaves holes to make good, while one who leaves it behind has effectively made a gift of it, and agreeing which in advance avoids a bond discussion.
Portable folding lines are the sensible answer where consent is unlikely. They provide less capacity and no fixing is involved, so nothing needs approving and nothing needs making good. The question matters considerably more on an older wall. Two quotes will often differ on precisely this point.
In a strata or community title property the question is whether the wall is yours. External walls and common courtyards are generally common property even where you have exclusive use, which means corporation approval instead of a unilateral decision. Screening options are covered at colorbond fencing. Some corporations have by laws restricting visible washing. Those provisions exist in a number of South Australian schemes, and a retractable or fold down line that closes flat is frequently the arrangement that satisfies both the household and the by law.
Report and request in writing in either situation. A written approval is what protects a tenant at vacate and an owner at a corporation meeting, and it costs nothing beyond an email. Disputes have a pathway through SACAT. Installers differ on this more than a written quote would suggest. Asking once when you book settles which of those applies.
| Situation | Approval Needed | Practical Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Own home, rear yard | None | Install what suits |
| Own home, heritage listed facade | Check if street visible | Rear wall usually fine |
| Rented property | Landlord, in writing | Agree who keeps it |
| Rented, consent unlikely | None for portable | Portable folding line |
| Strata or community title | Corporation | Ask before installing |
| By law restricting visible washing | Corporation | Fold down or retractable |
The Adelaide Winter Problem Nobody Plans For
South Australia being the driest state creates a false confidence about outdoor drying, because the annual average conceals how the rainfall is distributed. Adelaide receives most of its rain between May and September, and through those months a household relying entirely on an outdoor line will have stretches of a week or more where washing simply does not dry.
The Hills are noticeably worse than the plains for this, with higher rainfall, more overcast days, frequent fog through the valleys and genuinely cold mornings, and households that move from a suburban block to a Hills property routinely underestimate the difference. Three things help and none of them is a dryer. A covered or partly covered drying area, whether that is under a verandah, a carport or a pergola, extends the usable days considerably and costs less than people expect where a structure already exists. A ceiling airer in a laundry, hallway or bathroom handles a load overnight indoors and is the cheapest supplement available, though the space needs ventilation or the moisture goes into the building. And positioning the outdoor line where it catches whatever sun the shortest days offer, which is a different position from the one that works in January, is worth thinking about when the line is installed instead of after the first winter. Households in the Hills frequently end up with both an outdoor line and an indoor arrangement, which is the honest answer and not a compromise.
Where the Line Fits Into a Laundry That Works
A clothesline is one part of a laundry arrangement and it works better when the rest of it is thought about at the same time. The single most useful pairing in South Australia is a covered outdoor area adjacent to the line, whether that is a verandah, a carport or a pergola, because it converts a marginal winter day into a usable one and gives somewhere for washing to finish instead of coming inside damp. A good number of Adelaide homes already have a verandah or carport close enough to serve, needing only a retractable line added beneath it. Bench work sits at laundry benchtops. Inside, the practical considerations are a bench to fold on rather than carrying baskets to a bed, a sink deep enough to soak in, and ventilation, since a laundry with a dryer or an indoor airer and no extraction pushes moisture into the building where it becomes a mould problem. Households renovating a laundry are in the best position to solve all of this at once, because running a line under an existing verandah, adding an exhaust fan and specifying a bench costs far less as part of a project than as three separate call outs afterwards. Where a household is planning that work, raising the drying arrangement with the trades involved is worth doing early, since the cheapest time to position anything is before the first thing is fixed to a wall.
Regional Considerations Across South Australia
Metropolitan Adelaide covers the full range of housing and the wall material is what varies. Inner suburb stone and double brick, mid century solid brick and modern brick veneer or cladding each need a different fixing approach. Inner suburbs bring both the stone fixing question and small yards. Courtyards and narrow side passages push households toward fold down and retractable lines and not hoists, and the wall is frequently bluestone.
The Adelaide Hills adds wetter winters, shading from established trees and slope. Outdoor drying is less reliable there for several months, which makes a covered area or an indoor supplement more valuable than an extra ten metres of line. That detail alone can change what gets recommended. Worth raising even where it seems a minor point.
Coastal suburbs need hardware specified for salt exposure. Fixings, frames and moving parts all degrade faster near the gulf, and stainless components that cost a little more last considerably longer. Regional and rural properties usually have space for a full size hoist and more wind to work with. Exposed rural sites bring the opposite problem, where a loaded line acts as a sail and the footing specification matters more than it does in a sheltered suburb.
| Area | Main Consideration | Usual Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Inner Adelaide suburbs | Stone walls, small yards | Fold down, chemical anchors |
| Mid century suburbs | Solid brick, decent yards | Hoist or large fold down |
| Newer estates | Brick veneer, small blocks | Fold down, straightforward |
| Adelaide Hills | Wet winters, shading | Covered area or indoor airer |
| Coastal suburbs | Salt corrosion | Stainless line and fittings |
| Rural properties | Exposure and wind | Deeper footing |
| Ask the Installer | Why It Matters | A Good Answer |
|---|---|---|
| What will you fix into | Stone and cladding differ | Named material and fixing type |
| Is a backing plate needed | Marginal substrates | Assessed, not assumed |
| Footing size for a hoist | Clay moves a shallow one | Depth and diameter stated |
| Do you check for services | Irrigation and stormwater | Yes, before digging |
| Is removal included | Old line and making good | Priced separately or included |
| Is supply included | Some quote labour only | Clear either way |
| Job | Cost | Main Variable |
|---|---|---|
| Fold down, masonry wall | $150 - $320 | Wall soundness |
| Fold down, cladding or render | $200 - $400 | Backing plate needed |
| Hoist, existing socket | $120 - $220 | Socket compatibility |
| Hoist, new footing | $200 - $450 | Concrete and curing |
| Retractable line | $180 - $380 | Two substrates to assess |
| Removal and making good | $140 - $400 | Wall type decides it |
Removing the Old Line and Making Good Properly
Removal is quoted separately by most installers at $60 to $150, and the making good afterwards is a separate item again at $80 to $250 that households frequently do not think about until the old line is off the wall and a row of holes is looking at them.
What that costs depends entirely on the wall. On brick veneer or painted brickwork, filling and touching up is straightforward. On rendered walls the patch will be visible unless the whole wall is recoated, since render rarely matches once it has weathered. On bluestone and sandstone the holes need a lime based mortar matched to the original instead of a cement patch, which is both more sympathetic and considerably less likely to damage the stone around it over time. Rotary hoist removal has its own consideration, since a ground socket left in place is a trip hazard and a lawn mower hazard, and the options are a cap that sits flush, filling the socket with concrete, or breaking out the footing entirely, which is the most work and the only one that fully restores the ground. On a rental property this is precisely the item to agree in writing before installing anything, because a tenant removing a line at vacate and leaving unfilled holes in a stone wall is a bond deduction that could have been avoided with one conversation. Reinstatement work sits at handyman services.
What Clothesline Installation Costs
A fold down line on brick or masonry runs $150 to $320 installed. That covers locating the fixing points, drilling, anchoring and levelling, and assumes the wall is sound and accessible. The same line on cladding, render over a frame or a marginal substrate runs $200 to $400. The difference is the backing plate or the additional work required to reach something that will actually hold. A rotary hoist into an existing sound socket is the cheapest job at $120 to $220. Where a new footing is required the figure moves to $200 to $450 including the concrete and the socket.
Retractable lines at $180 to $380 involve two fixing points and not one, which means two substrates to assess and a longer setup to get the line level and tensioned correctly. Ground mounted post pairs run $300 to $650 because two footings and two posts are involved. Households with no suitable wall end up here, and the cost reflects the concrete work more than the line does. Removal at $60 to $150 and making good at $80 to $250 are separate items on most quotes. On a rendered or stone wall the making good is the larger of the two and worth asking about before the old line comes off.
What to Look Out For
Be cautious about a quote given without anybody establishing what the wall is. Bluestone, render over foam and fibre cement cladding all need different approaches, and a fixing chosen for brick veneer will fail in two of those three. Ask what happens to the holes if the line is ever removed. On a rendered or stone wall the making good is a real cost and a real appearance question, and it is cheaper to know now. Question a rotary hoist footing that sounds shallow. Reactive Adelaide clay moves, and a hoist developing a lean over two summers is a footing problem instead of a product problem.
Check whether the quote includes supply or labour only. Some installers fit a line you have bought and others supply, and comparing the two without establishing which is comparing nothing. Confirm the installer checks for services before digging a footing. Irrigation, stormwater and occasionally electrical runs cross back lawns, workplace duties around ladder work sit with SafeWork SA, consumer guarantees come from the ACCC and contractor obligations through Consumer and Business Services.
How to Get Useful Quotes
Say what the wall is made of, or send a photograph if you are unsure. Bluestone, double brick, brick veneer, render and cladding each change the fixing and the price, and a photograph answers it instantly. Name the clothesline model or at least the type and size. Line metres, folded projection and weight all affect the fixing specification, and a model number gives an installer everything they need. State whether you are supplying the line or expecting the installer to. It is the most common reason two quotes look inexplicably different.
Describe where it is going and what is around it. Courtyard, side passage, open lawn, under a tree or against a boundary all affect both the recommendation and the access. Mention any existing line that needs removing and what is beneath a proposed hoist position. Both are separate line items and both are better raised upfront than discovered on the day. Have each quote state the fixing method for your wall, whether supply is included, the footing specification if relevant, whether removal and making good are covered and any warranty on the workmanship. Pin down those five and the quotes become comparable, and other wall fixing jobs are covered at TV wall mounting.
Clothesline Installation Across South Australia
We connect households with roof cleaning operators across South Australia for fold down lines, rotary hoists, retractable lines, footings and removal of an old line, from inner Adelaide and the coastal suburbs through the plains and the Adelaide Hills, out to the Barossa, the Fleurieu, the Mid North and the South East.
▶ Adelaide City & Inner Suburbs 16 areas
▶ Adelaide Metro 13 areas
Eastern Suburbs
Western Suburbs
▶ Adelaide Northern Suburbs 15 areas
Inner North
North East
North & Playford
▶ Adelaide Southern Suburbs 19 areas
Inner South
South & Marion
Outer South & Onkaparinga
▶ Adelaide Hills 12 areas
Hills Face Zone
Outer Hills
▶ Adelaide Beaches 9 areas
Bay & Western Beaches
Port Adelaide & LeFevre
▶ Barossa & Clare Valley 10 areas
Barossa Valley
Clare Valley
Mid North
▶ Fleurieu Peninsula 7 areas
South Coast
Inland Fleurieu
▶ Yorke Peninsula 7 areas
Copper Coast
Southern Yorke
▶ Eyre Peninsula 8 areas
Upper Eyre
Lower Eyre & West Coast
▶ Limestone Coast 9 areas
Mount Gambier Region
Coonawarra & Penola
Upper Limestone Coast
▶ Riverland & Murray 8 areas
Riverland
Murray Bridge & Mallee
▶ Kangaroo Island 5 areas
▶ Flinders Ranges & Outback 9 areas
Southern Flinders
Flinders Ranges
Outback SA
Clothesline Installation FAQs - SA 2026
What does it cost to install a clothesline?
A fold down on brick or masonry runs $150 to $320 installed, or $200 to $400 on cladding, render over a frame or any marginal substrate needing a backing plate. A rotary hoist into an existing sound socket is $120 to $220, or $200 to $450 with a new concrete footing. Retractable lines sit at $180 to $380.
Why does my wall type matter so much?
Because a loaded line pulls on its fixings with far more force than the washing weighs, acting as leverage at the top of the bracket. Brick veneer and double brick hold well. Bluestone needs chemical anchors into the stone rather than the soft lime mortar. Render over foam and fibre cement cladding carry nothing without reaching the structure behind.
Can a clothesline be fixed to a bluestone wall?
Yes, with the right approach. The stone is hard and drills slowly, and percussion can fracture softer sandstone. Fixings belong in the stone rather than the lime mortar, which is soft by design and holds very little. Chemical anchors distribute load through the full depth of the hole instead of expanding against the material.
How many line metres do I need?
Roughly eight to twelve per household load, hung with air moving between items. A couple doing three or four loads a week manages on twenty metres. A family of four doing a load most days needs forty or more, which is rotary hoist territory. Sheets break the calculation, since one set can fill half a small line.
Does a rotary hoist need a concrete footing?
Yes. A loaded line acts as a sail in wind and the mast carries that load, so a post pushed into the ground will lean progressively. Around three hundred millimetres across and six hundred deep is a common domestic specification. Reactive Adelaide clay makes the depth matter more than it would on stable ground.
Where should the line go?
North facing for sun through the middle of the day, and check where the sun sits in June and not December, since low winter sun casts long shadows from walls and neighbours. Air movement dries as much as sun does, so avoid still corners. Keep it close to the laundry door, because a line at the end of the yard goes unused.
What lasts longest in South Australian conditions?
Stainless steel line is the single upgrade most worth making, since ultraviolet exposure makes cheaper polymer coated wire go brittle within a few years. Plastic hinges, caps and tensioners are the next failure point. On the coast from Semaphore to Brighton, stainless fittings resist salt corrosion far better than the standard offering.
Can I install one in a rental?
With the landlord's written consent, since it involves fixing to the building. Agree upfront whether it stays or goes at the end of the tenancy, because removing it leaves holes to make good and that can become a bond deduction. A portable folding line needs no consent and no fixing, though it offers less capacity.
What about units and strata?
External walls and common courtyards are generally common property even where you have exclusive use, so corporation approval is needed instead of a unilateral decision. Some South Australian schemes have by laws restricting visible washing, and a fold down or retractable line that closes flat frequently satisfies both the household and the by law.
My washing will not dry in winter. What can I do?
Adelaide receives most of its rain between May and September, and the Hills are worse with more overcast days and fog. A covered drying area under a verandah or carport extends the usable days considerably. A ceiling airer handles a load overnight indoors, though the space needs ventilation or the moisture goes into the building.
Clothesline and Fitting Specialists - SA
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This page provides guidance information only and is not professional advice of any kind. Details may change, always verify with the relevant authorities and seek independent professional advice where needed.
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Figures on this page are indicative 2026 SA estimates only and vary with clothesline type and size, the wall or ground material being fixed into, whether a concrete footing is required and site access. Quotes should always be obtained for your specific situation. Building, planning and consumer protection requirements are set by legislation and local council policy and are periodically updated, so confirm the current position with the relevant authority and your installer before relying on any figure.