Handrail & top-cap rebuilds
Chewed hardwood top rails are cut back to sound timber, spliced with matched blackbutt or spotted gum, then finished so the join disappears once oiled.
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Harbourside specialists · Mosman to Balmain
The cockies chewed your balcony. We put the timber back — and keep them off it.
Cockyproof is a Sydney trade crew that repairs sulphur-crested cockatoo damage to apartment balconies and decks: spliced hardwood, re-capped handrails, refinished decking and discreet deterrents that suit your building's look and strata rules.
No-obligation report within 3 business days · Fixed-price quotes · 2-year workmanship warranty
Damage zones
4
handrail, fascia, 2 joists
Structural risk
Low
balustrade compliant
Fixed price
$3,480
incl. alloy capping
Splice
Cap
Oil
Working alongside harbourside strata managers and building committees
- Kirribilli Quay Strata
- Mosman Bay Committee
- Balmain Wharf Apartments
- Cremorne Point OC 8842
- Neutral Bay Residences
- Drummoyne Marina Strata
What we repair
Timber repairs built for birds, salt air and strata paperwork
Cockatoos target soft edges: handrail tops, deck-board ends, fascia corners and window reveals. We repair the damage properly in seasoned hardwood, then remove the reason the birds keep coming back.
Powder-coated alloy capping
A slim aluminium cap in your building's colour covers the rail edge the birds bite. It is the single most effective deterrent we fit — and it looks like it was always there.
Learn moreDeck board & joist repair
Split boards, gnawed board ends and rot behind them. We lift, replace and re-fix to AS 1684 spacing, checking bearers and waterproofing membranes as we go.
Learn moreStainless mesh & soffit guards
316-grade mesh closes off soffits, planter boxes and pergola rafters where flocks roost, gnaw and nest above your outdoor setting.
Learn moreBalustrade re-fixing
When chewed posts loosen a balustrade, safety comes first. We re-fix, brace and load-check, then supply written evidence for your owners corporation.
Learn moreSalt-air oiling & UV finish
Harbour exposure strips coatings fast. We sand, feed and re-oil your timber with marine-grade products, then set you up with a simple maintenance plan.
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How it works
Four steps from chewed to sorted
Most single-balcony jobs are inspected one week and finished the next, with access arranged around building rules and your neighbours.
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Step one
Free balcony check
We visit, probe the timber, photograph nothing you don't approve and note every chewed edge, loose fixing and moisture spot.
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Step two
Report & fixed price
A plain-English scope of works with line-item pricing you can forward straight to your strata manager or committee.
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Step three
Repair & cockyproofing
Dust-extracted cutting, hardwood splices, alloy capping and mesh — usually one to three days on site, tidy each evening.
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Step four
Warranty check-back
We return at 12 months to re-check fixings and finish. Two-year workmanship warranty on every repair we complete.
Why owners call us
We only work on harbourside apartment balconies
That narrow focus means we already know your problems: no ground access, a hoist booking, a 4pm noise curfew, a committee that needs three quotes, and a flock of sulphur-cresteds that returns every autumn to the same rail.
- Access plans for high-rise and heritage buildings
- Bird-safe deterrents — no traps, no poisons, no harm
- Matched Australian hardwoods, not filler over holes
- Documentation your strata manager will actually accept
- Licensed builders, $20m public liability cover
640+balconies repaired around the harbour since 2016
2 yrsworkmanship warranty, in writing
93%of capped rails show no new chew damage after 24 months
3 daystypical turnaround from check to written quote
What owners say
Straight talk from harbourside residents
“The cockies had eaten 1.8 metres of our top rail. Cockyproof spliced in new spotted gum and capped it in the building's charcoal — two years on, not a single fresh bite.”
“They wrote the scope of works so clearly that our committee approved it in one meeting. Site was spotless every afternoon, which matters when you share a lift.”
“Our deck ends were shredded and the balustrade wobbled. Fixed in two days, plus mesh in the pergola. Sensible people, sensible price.”
FAQ
Questions we get on every first visit
Sulphur-crested cockatoos grind their beaks and explore with them. Soft, sun-dried hardwood edges on a high, breezy rail are ideal, and once one bird starts, the flock copies it. Removing the exposed edge — usually with a slim alloy cap — breaks the habit far better than scaring them off.
Never. Sulphur-crested cockatoos are protected native wildlife in New South Wales. Everything we fit is physical and passive: capping, mesh, edge profiles and surface finishes. No traps, no chemicals, no spikes that could injure a bird.
It depends on your strata plan — structural balustrades and slab edges are usually common property, while decking laid by a previous owner often is not. Our report sets out each item separately so you and your strata manager can allocate costs without guesswork.
A single balcony is typically one to three days. We work within building noise windows (commonly 8am–3pm weekdays), use dust-extracted saws and battery tools where possible, and protect glass, tiles and planters each morning.
Small handrail splices with capping start around $1,450. A full balcony — rail rebuild, deck-board replacement, mesh and re-oiling — is usually $3,200 to $7,500 depending on access and timber species. Your quote is fixed before we start, with variations only on your written approval.
The harbour and lower river: Kirribilli, Milsons Point, McMahons Point, Neutral Bay, Cremorne, Mosman, Balmain, Birchgrove, Drummoyne, Pyrmont, Elizabeth Bay, Double Bay and Rose Bay. Our workshop is in Peakhurst, so the southern suburbs are covered too.