What actually drives the price of a new fence in Dallas

The short answer: material, length, height, gates and the ground

The cost of a new fence in Dallas comes down to the material you choose, the total linear footage, the height, the number and type of gates, and what the ground and the old fence make us deal with on site. Cedar is the most budget-friendly of the materials we build in, ornamental iron and automated gates cost more, and masonry is the premium option. Everything else, from slope and rock to caps and picture framing, moves the number up or down from there. A free on-site estimate is the only way to turn those factors into a real figure for your yard.

We do not publish per-foot prices at Park Cities Fence & Deck, and I would be wary of anyone who quotes a firm number over the phone. Two fences of the same length can be very different jobs. What I can do here is walk through each cost driver the way I walk through it at a consultation, so you understand the estimate when it arrives and can compare two of them fairly.

Material sets the starting range

Material is the biggest single decision. Wood, iron and masonry each sit in their own range, and combinations such as masonry columns with wood or iron panels sit between them. Within wood, the species matters: we build in cedar, redwood and pressure-treated pine, and Western Red Cedar is the most popular choice here because it resists rot and insects. The style matters too. A board-on-board fence, with pickets on both sides of the rails so both faces look finished, uses more lumber than a single-sided privacy fence, so it costs more up front.

For metal, wrought iron is hand-forged for ornate work, while ornamental steel and aluminum give a similar look with less upkeep. Both are powder-coated. Masonry covers brick, stone and stucco walls and columns, and it costs the most because of the footings, the materials and the labor of laying them. I have written a full comparison of wood, iron and masonry, side by side if you are still deciding.

Linear footage and height multiply everything

Once the material is chosen, length and height do most of the arithmetic. More footage means more posts, more rails, more pickets or panels and more labor hours. Height adds material to every section and can change the post size and depth needed to hold the fence against wind. A standard privacy fence and a taller one along the same property line are not small variations of each other.

Height also has a rules side. Many cities in the area require a permit above certain heights and limit what you can build in a front yard, and HOAs often set their own maximums. Those rules can decide your height for you, so it is worth checking them before you fall in love with a design. Our guide to fence permits and HOA approval covers what to look up.

Gates and automation are their own line item

Every gate adds a frame, heavier posts set to carry a swinging load, hinges, a latch and the labor to hang it so it clears the ground and closes square. A simple walk-through gate is a modest addition. A double drive gate costs more, and an automated driveway gate is a project of its own: the operator, the access controls such as keypads and remotes, safety sensors, and power run to the gate all add up.

If you want a driveway gate now or later, tell us at the start. Posts and hardware for a gate that will one day be automated should be sized for it from day one. The details of swing versus slide gates and how automation works are in my guide to adding an automatic driveway gate.

What the site itself adds

This is where quotes most often surprise people. The yard you see from the patio is not the yard the crew digs into. These are the site conditions I look for at every consultation, and each one adds time, equipment or material:

• Slope: a fence on a grade has to be stepped or racked, which takes more cutting and fitting than a flat run
• Rock and old concrete: digging post holes through rock or around buried footings is slow work
• Removal and haul-off of the old fence, including pulling old posts and their concrete
• Trees and roots along the fence line, which change post placement and digging
• Access: a tight side yard or an alley-only approach limits how materials and equipment get in
• Corners, angles and odd lot shapes, which add posts and cuts compared with a straight run
• Utilities and easements, which can move the line or require extra care before digging

Finish details and extras

Small choices add up across a long fence. On wood, cap tops, picture framing, lattice toppers and arched or scalloped tops all add material and labor. Staining is another line: new cedar needs to cure for several weeks to a few months before its first coat, so stain is either priced into the original job for a return visit or added later through our power wash and restain service.

On iron and masonry, decorative elements such as finials, scrolls, arched tops and stone caps add cost, as do custom colors and combinations. None of these are bad choices. They are simply the part of the estimate you control most directly, and a good contractor will show you which ones matter for the look you want and which ones you will not notice from the street.

Where cutting cost now costs more later

Some savings are real and some only move the bill a few years down the road. The ones I talk people out of most often are not about material at all. They are about the parts of the fence you stop seeing the day it is finished: the posts, the gate frame and the finish.

Posts carry the whole fence, and a post that is undersized, set too shallow or spaced too far from its neighbors is the first thing to fail when wind loads a solid privacy fence. Gate posts carry a swinging load every day, so a gate hung on a line-weight post starts to sag and drag long before the rest of the fence ages. On wood, skipping the first stain saves money on day one, but our FAQ notes that sealing or staining every two to three years and keeping sprinklers off the wood is what helps cedar reach the 15 to 20 years or more it typically lasts in North Texas when properly built and maintained.

• Smaller or wider-spaced posts to lower the material count
• A gate hung on a standard line post instead of a heavier gate post
• No stain or sealer, ever
• Leaving old concrete in the ground and setting new posts beside it
• Choosing a material your HOA will not approve, then rebuilding

Repair versus replacement changes the math entirely

If you already have a fence, the cheapest new fence may be no new fence at all. Our rule of thumb, which we publish on our repair page, is that when about 20 percent or less of the structure is damaged, targeted repairs are usually the most cost-effective choice, and when damage goes past about 30 percent, full replacement is often the better long-term value. In between, it depends on the age of the wood and the condition of the posts.

A repair estimate is driven mostly by the number of failed posts, the number of rails and pickets to replace, and whether a power wash and restain can bring the surviving wood back. If you are not sure which side of the line your fence is on, my guide on whether a leaning fence needs repair or replacement shows you how to test the posts yourself.

How to compare two estimates that do not match

When two quotes for the same yard are far apart, the difference is almost always in what each one includes. Lay them side by side and check that they describe the same fence. A lower number that leaves out removal of the old fence, uses smaller posts, spaces them farther apart, or skips the gate hardware is not a cheaper version of the same job.

Ask each contractor to put these items in writing so you can compare them line by line:

• Material, species or metal type, and style
• Total footage and height, section by section
• Post material, size, spacing and how posts are set
• Number, size and type of gates, and the hardware
• Removal and disposal of the old fence
• Staining or finish, and when it happens
• Permit, HOA paperwork and utility locate coordination
• Timeline from approval to completion

Getting a real number for your yard

Our estimates are free and carry no obligation. I attend every consultation myself. We walk the property with you, measure the run, look at the ground, the gates and what has to come out, and talk through materials and styles. You then receive a written estimate with the options laid out and a timeline for the work, so you can see exactly what each choice costs.

If you are budgeting before you call anyone, start with three decisions: the material, the height your city and HOA allow, and how many gates you need. Those three get you most of the way to understanding the estimate. Then send us your address and a few photos of the current fence line, and we will put real numbers on the rest. We build for homeowners and commercial properties across Dallas-Fort Worth.

Questions people ask me