Buyer guide
Bunnings bollards vs trade bollards: what to compare before you buy
Short answer: A hardware store may suit one or two light bollards. Ask the questions below when you need a socket and keys in the price, a set quantity, a 140mm post or a 1300mm bollard. The price on the shelf rarely tells you what is included, so compare any supplier on the same seven checks.
Figures: SafeWise product data. Standards are quoted as commonly cited guidance, so check the current edition. How we check
Searching for bollards at Bunnings is a reasonable first step. This guide is not a price comparison. It is a checklist of what to compare on any bollard, hardware store or trade supplier, so you know what a price includes.
Updated 28 October 2026
On this page: What a hardware chain stocks · Seven things to compare · When the cheapest is fine · When trade supply helps · Not crash-rated · FAQs
Hardware store
What a hardware chain typically stocks
Bunnings is a hardware chain, and bollards are one of many lines it carries. This is a general description, not a product list.
A hardware chain typically stocks a small range of bollards for homeowners and small businesses: fixed bollards that bolt to a slab, and some removable or lockable bollards. The range, sizes and stock vary by store and over time, and online listings change. Prices are not quoted here because they move, so check the listing for the current price.
The advantages are real. You can often collect the same day, there is no freight to organise, and you can buy one bollard without an account or a quote. For a single driveway post, that convenience may be worth more than any difference in specification.
What a shelf listing often does not show is the detail that decides whether the bollard does the job: the wall thickness, whether a removable bollard comes with its socket and keys, and the weight. Hardware-chain listings vary, so check whether the socket, cover plate and keys are in the price, or ask in store. SafeWise is not affiliated with Bunnings, and we name it here only because that is what buyers search for.
Checklist
Seven things to compare on any bollard
Use this for every supplier you are considering. The SafeWise column shows what we include. It is not a comparison with any other product.
| Check | Why it matters | SafeWise |
|---|---|---|
| Wall thickness | A thinner wall dents and bends more easily. Get the figure in writing, not just the diameter. | 3mm carbon steel |
| Diameter | 90mm suits most driveways and car parks. 140mm is a heavier post for loading areas and building corners. | 90mm and 140mm |
| What the price includes | A removable bollard needs an in-ground socket, usually a cover plate, and a lock with keys. Some listings price the bollard alone. | Socket, cover plate and keys come with each removable bollard. Anchors and grout are not included. |
| Weight | Weight tells you roughly how much steel you are buying, and it drives freight. | About 9.5kg (90mm), 13.5kg (140mm removable), 17.5kg (140mm fixed) |
| Finish and reflective band | A visible, reflective band helps drivers see the bollard at night. Ask what the coating is. | Powder-coated safety yellow with a red reflective band |
| Height | Check whether the height is above ground or overall length including the buried part. Some uses call for 1300mm. | 900mm above ground, or 1300mm for the 140mm fixed bollard |
| Freight and quantity pricing | Freight on steel is a real cost, and a per-unit price can change at a set quantity. | 90mm removable from $120 ex GST ($132 inc GST). Freight quoted per job. Better pricing at pallet quantities. |
SafeWise figures are from our spec sheets. For a longer list of questions about removable bollards, see how removable bollards work, which has a “what to ask any supplier” table.
How to use the checklist
Write down the answer to each check for every bollard on your shortlist. If a listing does not say, treat that as an open question and ask. Two bollards at similar prices can differ on wall thickness, on whether the socket is in the price, and on how many keys you get. A bollard that needs a separately bought socket can cost more once you add it.
Weight is a useful number to ask for, because it tells you how much steel you are buying. For what the installed cost adds up to, see our bollard cost guide.
Keep it simple
When the cheapest bollard is fine
The lowest price is a sensible choice more often than suppliers like to admit. It tends to be fine when:
- You need one or two. Freight and quote effort outweigh any saving.
- The job is light. You are marking a boundary or keeping cars off a garden bed, not protecting anything valuable.
- You need it today. Same-day pickup beats a pre-order timeline.
- You are happy to buy the socket and a lock separately, and you know what you need.
A quick test: if you can answer all seven checks from the listing and you are happy with the answers, buy it. The checklist is there to catch the gaps, not to talk you out of a good local purchase.
If you are not sure which diameter you need, our guide to 90mm vs 140mm bollards covers where each suits.
Trade supply
When you need pallet pricing, the socket in the price or a 140mm
A trade supplier makes more sense when one of these applies:
- A set quantity. Ten, twenty or a pallet of bollards for a car park or strata property. Our prices are per-unit starting points and improve at pallet and container volume, and one order means one freight line.
- The socket and keys in the price. Our removable bollards start from $120 ex GST ($132 inc GST) for the 90mm and include the in-ground socket, cover plate and keys.
- A 140mm post or a 1300mm bollard. The 140mm removable starts from $140 ex GST ($154 inc GST), and the 140mm fixed bollard is 1300mm tall, the height commonly specified beside an accessible parking space. Check the current AS 2890.6 for your site.
- A written quote. Unit price for your quantity, freight to your postcode and an expected landing date, before you commit.
The trade-off is time. Bollards are pre-order on the next container: factory production typically takes 15–20 days, plus sea freight and customs. Storage holders are in stock now. If you need a bollard this week, a local purchase may be the right answer. See delivery and how ordering works.
Comparing a quote? Send the quantity and your postcode and we will price it in writing.
Request a quoteLimits
Not crash-rated either way
SafeWise bollards are safety and delineation bollards: they mark boundaries, deter low-speed nudges and keep vehicles off an area. They are not crash-rated, impact-tested or certified to PAS 68 or IWA 14. Whichever supplier you buy from, do not assume a bollard stops a vehicle unless it comes with a test certificate for the rating claimed. If the risk is a heavy or hostile vehicle, a security engineer should specify rated bollards and foundations. See safety vs crash-rated bollards.
FAQs
Bunnings and trade bollard questions
Can I buy removable bollards at Bunnings?
Hardware-chain listings vary and change, so check the current listing, and use the checklist above to see what each one includes before you compare prices.
Do hardware-store bollards come with a socket?
Check the listing. Hardware-chain listings vary, so check whether the socket, cover plate and keys are in the price, as it can differ by product. Ask whether the in-ground socket and keys are in the price. A SafeWise removable bollard includes its own socket, cover plate and keys.
Are trade bollards worth the extra?
Not always. For one or two light bollards you can collect today, a hardware store is a sensible choice. Trade supply tends to pay off when you need a set quantity at one price, a 140mm post, a 1300mm bollard, or the socket and keys in the price. Compare on the same seven checks, not on the headline price.
Are SafeWise bollards crash-rated?
No. SafeWise bollards are safety and delineation bollards that mark boundaries and deter low-speed nudges. They are not crash-rated or impact-tested. If you need ram-raid or hostile-vehicle protection, talk to a security engineer.
Related products
Bollards for the job
Bollards are pre-order on the next container: factory production typically takes 15–20 days, plus sea freight and customs. Storage holders are in stock now.
Comparing bollard quotes?
Send the sizes, quantity and your delivery postcode. We aim to reply within one business day.
Keep reading
Related guides
- How removable bollards workSocket, lock, cover plate and what to ask any supplier
- Removable bollards90mm and 140mm, key lock, from $120 ex GST
- Bollard cost in AustraliaPrices, installation ranges and worked examples
- 90mm vs 140mm bollardsWhich size suits the job
- Removable vs fixed bollardsLift-out or permanent
- Removable vs fold-down vs retractableWhich type of bollard suits
- Delivery Australia-wideHow ordering and freight work