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Fencing · Services

Fencing services

Fence contractors handle new installation, full replacement, section and post repair, gate installation and adjustment, staining and sealing, and tear-out and disposal of old fencing. Most also handle the utility locate and can advise on whether you need a property survey.

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In short

What fencing services actually cover

A typical new-fence job runs: measure and mark the line, confirm the property boundary, call for utility locates, pull any required permit, dig and set posts, hang rails and pickets or panels, hang gates, and haul away debris. The invisible steps - boundary and locates - are the ones that cause the expensive problems when skipped.

Repair is often the better buy. If the pickets are sound and two or three posts have rotted at grade, resetting posts costs far less than a replacement. A contractor who will only quote a full replacement on a fence with a decade left in it is telling you something about how they sell.

Gate work is its own specialty. Sagging gates, latches that miss in summer and catch in winter, and self-closing hardware around pools all require someone who does gates regularly rather than treating them as an afterthought.

How to choose

Picking the right fencing job

The judgement calls that decide the bill, before anyone quotes you.

  1. Confirm the property line before anyone digs

    Fences built over a line get moved, at your cost, and are a common source of neighbor disputes. If the boundary is not obvious, pay for a survey.

  2. Always have utilities located

    Calling 811 before digging is free in the US and protects you from hitting a buried line. Confirm your contractor is doing it.

  3. Ask what the warranty covers and for how long

    Separate the manufacturer's material warranty from the contractor's labor warranty. Get both in writing.

  4. Get three itemized bids

    Same footage, same height, same material, gates listed separately. Anything else is not a comparison.

  5. Verify license and insurance directly

    Contractor licensing rules are state and sometimes city specific. Look the company up with the licensing body rather than trusting a printed certificate.

  6. Ask about repair before replacement

    Post resetting and section replacement are legitimate services and are much cheaper than a new fence.

Two people working through home paperwork at a kitchen table
Illustration, for reference.
Before you call anyone

The wrong service call is the expensive one

Most people booking fencing work are buying a diagnosis, not a job - and the trade you pick decides what diagnosis you get. Book the wrong specialist and you pay a call-out fee to be told it is somebody else's problem.

  • Describe the symptom What you can observe, and when it started. Not what you think it is.
  • Ask what the visit includes Whether the diagnostic fee is credited against the work is a question with a real answer.
  • Get the scope in writing A number with no line items cannot be compared to a second number.
FAQ

Fencing services - common questions

Still have a question? Talk to our team →

A standard residential yard is often a one to three day job once materials are on site. The waiting is usually in permits, material lead times, and utility locates, not in the labor.
If the posts are sound and damage is limited to some boards or one section, repair. If posts are rotting at grade across the run, or the fence is at the end of its material lifespan, replacement usually wins.
If the boundary is not clearly marked and agreed, yes. A fence encroaching on a neighbor's land can have to be moved at your expense, and some jurisdictions require a survey for the permit.
You do, before the job. Discuss the line, which side faces out, and any shared-cost arrangement, and put anything agreed in writing. Contractors will not settle boundary disputes for you.
Sources

Where these figures come from

Sources last checked

How this works

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Who wrote and checked this

Written by

The HomeMatchup Content Team

Editorial
Reviewed by

Michael Thompson

Senior Home Improvement Reviewer · 20 years

Senior technical reviewer.

Team-written. Second-person reviewed. Sources dated. Report a correction.

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