Wooden privacy fence cost?

[TheTravellers]

Getting ready to buy a house and the fence is in pretty crappy shape, so we're thinking about asking for an allowance from the sellers to replace it. I don't know the exact length, will measure it later today when we view it again, but I think it's about 110' - 40' on each side and about 30' on the back. From what I've seen, a basic fence about that length with a gate would cost about $2000 to put up. Does that sound about right to y'all that have done it?

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

What kind of fence?

Very roughly...Do a cost estimate of what the stuff would cost you to buy at Home Depot...Then double that. That's what your bill is going to be

[kevinpate]

Are you getting a great price on materials and doing the labor with a friend, or is not waiting on a sale and hiring out the labor more likely?

If the latter, your 2G estimate may be closer to the low side of the price range.

[Pete]

I just had about 150' of 6' stockade fence installed with two gates for just over $2K.

[Zuplar]

If I remember right mine was about $15 a linear foot. That was cedar with metal poles, one large gate I could drive a truck through, one walk way gate, but no stain. I did the stain later myself.

[TheTravellers]

Awesome, thanks guys, OKCTalk comes through again! I'd have it installed, I'm too old and lazy to do it myself (I can/will do lots of home improvement stuff, but posthole digging and wrangling 6-ft fence sections around ain't one of them). Sounds like Zuplar's and Pete's costs are right in the ballpark, but will be at a Lowe's later, so will do the cost estimate thing just to check, thanks much...

[Pete]

I'm pretty handy but a fair bit of fencing is a job I'm happy to leave to the pros.

Getting the gates right, making sure everything is level.... It's one of those very highly visible elements that will bug the crap out of you if not done right.

I feel the same about drywall.

[rezman]

^^^ I fully agree, and I piss off the installers because I'm out there making sure it's all straight and level. I recently did a privacy fence around our place, all cedar, full dimensional 2x4's, metal posts, 8' across the back and 6' down the sides, and across part of the front, with capper rail and trim boards, and spent close to $5K

[Zuplar]

I'm pretty handy but a fair bit of fencing is a job I'm happy to leave to the pros.

Getting the gates right, making sure everything is level.... It's one of those very highly visible elements that will bug the crap out of you if not done right.

I feel the same about drywall.

Yep the fence is the easy part, gates are where you can tell if you had a quality job done.

[Pete]

Also, I have a lot with a good slope and other fencing that needed to be tied into.

I had a crew of two guys out here working their arses off for 3 full days. It would have taken me much longer and I would have neede help and all that would have maybe saved me a grand AND the job wouldn't be as professional.

Also, I was moving in with 3 big dogs and needed to get that fence up ASAP.

There are some things worth paying for.

[DowntownMan]

Getting ready to buy a house and the fence is in pretty crappy shape, so we're thinking about asking for an allowance from the sellers to replace it. I don't know the exact length, will measure it later today when we view it again, but I think it's about 110' - 40' on each side and about 30' on the back. From what I've seen, a basic fence about that length with a gate would cost about $2000 to put up. Does that sound about right to y'all that have done it?

Your 2000 sounds about right. I just recently had 135 feet of cedar with metal poles with one gate and it was about $2300

[SoonerDave]

And make sure you get metal poles with the thicker-gauge metal. The fences they sell at the big-box stores usually feature cheaper utility-grade metal poles that are not strong enough to withstand our Oklahoma windstorms. Also, make sure whomever you use knows not to plant the panels directly on the ground, as this will cause water to be drawn up into the pickets by capillary action and induce wood root. My neighbor to the south opted to build his one fence one picket at a time, and slammed each picket into the ground...and about half his fence rotted away and had to be rebuilt within about five years. When he did, darned if he didn't rebuild it *precisely* the same way, and it's rotting out again. Argh!!. Just throwing money out the window...fortunately, he didn't ask me to contribute to the project (although I would have had he used a proper vendor or actually understood how to build it)....

EDIT: Looked it up, and found that five years ago, 130 feet of cedar fence with two z-braced gates and 13-gauge (0.095") posts was about $2,500.

[FighttheGoodFight]

I have a question. I have a bunny problem and when I get a new fence I want it close to the ground as possile to stop them from coming in. Is a metal kickguard the best option for the base?

[DowntownMan]

I have a question. I have a bunny problem and when I get a new fence I want it close to the ground as possile to stop them from coming in. Is a metal kickguard the best option for the base?

It's a more expensive but you could do a concrete footing. It also helps from rotting and don't have to worry about weed eater tearing up fence as well

That's what I'll do when I'm in my forever house. Just couldn't justify doing that on a house I don't plan to stay in for that long

[TheTravellers]

Thanks for the answers, y'all, definitely plan to use heavy-gauge hardware, and definitely will not put the pickets at ground level, our current fence is like that and is rotting out (but we rent, so we don't care). Unfortunately, the inspection found we need to put a retaining wall in along part of one side before we put a fence up, and there's an old tree straddling the current fence, so I'm thinking the fence is going to be delayed a while after we move in.

[rezman]

And, don't forget to look at the backer rails. A lot of the cheaper fence panels use 2x3 backer rails. These panels usually start sagging in the centers not long after installation and looks tacky and cheap. The only way to combat that issue is to specify full dimensional 2x4 backer rails, or set intermediate posts in the runs to catch the center of the panels. If you want good and sturdy, do both. Mine has full 2x4 rails, plus a full 2x4 capper on its side all the way around the top. I placed the cappers where they bridge the ends of each panel, like a running bond in brick work, which also helped make for a much sturdier fence.

[TheTravellers]

Well, looks like it's that time. Big winds during the last storm (or the one before that, too many of them recently) took out 2 panels and a post completely. Found out that side is the neighbor's fence, and we need a retaining wall. He's in construction, demo-ed the whole fence, decided to do the retaining wall himself (with blocks instead of all concrete, which is how I would've done it, but it's cheaper his way, and it's supposedly his since he's just following the old fence line, so I'm just going to pay half the cost of it and let him do all the work). He's going to put up a chain link fence on his side of the property/retaining wall, but we're going to put up a wooden privacy one on our side. Going to have to do it in phases - first one along the side where the retaining wall is with a small gate attaching to the garage, then on the other side with a larger gate, then the back where it's just straight fencing. Not enough money to do it all in one shot.

Sounds like lots of y'all had good companies do your fences fairly recently, so if you wouldn't mind giving me recommendations on who you used, I'd appreciate it. Either here or PM me, whichever you want, thanks much in advance and for the advice on how to make sure they do it right!

[Celebrator]

Almost two years ago now I used this company http://www.fencemastersokc.com/

I thought they did a great job and even ran interference when my cantankerous neighbor gave another contractor who was working in my yard some grief. They are more expensive but I think their product is superior.

[TheTravellers]

Almost two years ago now I used this company http://www.fencemastersokc.com/

I thought they did a great job and even ran interference when my cantankerous neighbor gave another contractor who was working in my yard some grief. They are more expensive but I think their product is superior.

Thanks, I'll put them on my list to call this week now that the retaining wall is finished.

[BLJR]

Thanks, I'll put them on my list to call this week now that the retaining wall is finished.

Fox Building Supply has a better quality of panels than Lowes or or HD's. They are over at SW 89th and Shields.