What to expect on your first visit, what to bring, and how collection and delivery work
Buying timber poles is one of those purchases that goes far better in person. Photographs do not tell you how straight a pole is, how consistent the diameter runs, or whether the treatment looks right. If you are searching for a pole yard in Durban, this is what a visit actually involves and how to make it a short one.
What a pole yard in Durban stocks
A pole yard is not a hardware shop with a few poles outside. It is a timber supplier holding stock in bulk, which means you can see the range side by side and compare before committing.
Ours carries CCA-treated poles classified by the diameter measured at the thinner end:
- 20 to 32mm – intengu laths, for screening, in 3m and 3.6m lengths
- 32 to 50mm – treated droppers, up to 2.4m
- 50 to 75mm – light fencing and garden work
- 75 to 100mm – the common standard fencing pole
- 100 to 125mm and 125 to 150mm – heavier structural applications
Lengths run from 1.2m to 7.2m. Alongside the poles we hold pine fencing slats, untreated survey pegs, Waxol timber sealer, 40kg concrete mix, nails and fixings, galvanised weldmesh and shadecloth – so a fencing project can usually be sorted in one stop rather than three.
Where to find our pole yard in Durban
We are at 2 Surprise Road, Pinetown, with easy access from both the M13 and the N3 – convenient whether you are coming from the central Durban side or down from the Upper Highway area. Durban Poles has traded here for over twenty years.
Trading hours at our pole yard in Durban
- Monday to Friday: 8:00am to 4:00pm
- Saturday: 8:00am to 12:00pm
- Sunday and public holidays: closed
If you are collecting a large order or need poles cut, come earlier in the day rather than close to closing. Saturday mornings are the busiest window.
Seeing the timber before you buy
You are welcome to come and look before ordering anything, and for a first-time buyer we would encourage it. Treatment quality is visible once you know what to look for: a proper SABS stamp, an anti-split plate at each end, and consistent colour through the timber rather than a surface tint. Our guide to H4 treated poles covers what separates a properly treated pole from a cheap one.
It is also the quickest way to settle a diameter question. People routinely over- or under-specify by one class, and two minutes standing next to the stacks resolves it better than any description.
Collecting poles yourself
Collection is straightforward if you plan for the length. A few practical points:
- Match the vehicle to the pole. A bakkie handles 3m comfortably. Anything approaching 7.2m needs a proper trailer or a flatbed, and overhang needs to be flagged and legal.
- Bring straps, not rope. Poles are heavy, round and inclined to roll. Ratchet straps make loading safer and faster.
- Know your quantities before you arrive. Measure the run, work out pole spacing, and add a couple for cuts and corners.
- Allow loading time. A large order takes longer than people expect, which is the main reason we suggest not arriving at ten to four.
If you are setting the poles yourself afterwards, SAWPA’s guidance on how to plant a pole is a useful reference on depth and backfilling.
Delivery when collection is not practical
Not every order fits in a bakkie, and not everyone has a trailer. We run three delivery vehicles ranging from a small bakkie to an 8-ton truck, so no delivery is too small or too large. For bulk orders, long poles, or anything going to an active site, delivery is usually cheaper than hiring a vehicle and doing it twice.
Worth mentioning when you enquire: where the load needs to go on site, and whether access is tight. That determines which vehicle we send.
Payment and how orders work
We accept cash, cards and EFT, with EFT payments needing to clear before collection. If you are collecting the same day, cash or card keeps things simple.
For larger projects it is worth getting a quote first rather than pricing on arrival, so you can compare properly and plan the budget. Our treated poles page lists the full range, and the poles FAQs cover the questions that come up most often.
Worth knowing before your first visit to a pole yard in Durban
Three things make a visit go smoothly. Know roughly what you are building, because the right pole follows from the job rather than the other way round. Bring measurements rather than estimates. And ask – the people on the yard have spent twenty years around timber and will usually save you money by talking you out of the wrong specification.
If you would rather sort it before you drive out, contact Durban Poles with your project details and we will have it ready for collection.
Need treated timber poles?
We supply treated poles in a range of sizes for fencing, construction and landscaping across KwaZulu-Natal. All our timber is SABS and ISO 9001 approved.