If you’re shopping a new fence in Dallas, you’ve probably already figured out the bids are all over the map. One installer quotes $4,800 for a 200 ft cedar privacy fence. Another quotes $9,200 for what sounds like the same thing. The difference is almost never the pickets. It’s the posts, the concrete spec, the lumber grade, and whether anyone bothered to read your HOA covenant before swinging a hammer.
We’re CertainTeed ShingleMaster certified (top 3 percent of US roofers) and family-owned in Plano, see all credentials. Roof Raiders started with roofs in 2022 because Mahmoud Abu Saad and Sara Bannat saw too many DFW homeowners getting burned by storm chasers, and fences fall into the same trap. Cheap posts, no permit, no HOA letter, gone in five years. Read the family story on our about page.
This page walks you through the four fence systems we install, the post-setting math that decides whether your fence lasts 8 years or 20, the wind loading code most installers skip, and the HOA rules in Plano, Frisco, and Southlake that catch homeowners by surprise. Read it once and you’ll be the smartest person in any fence sales conversation.
the four fence systems we install in dallas.
Most DFW fence shops push whatever they have stacked in the yard. We carry four systems because four different buyers walk through our door, and the wrong material for your lot is a waste of money.
Western Red Cedar (premium wood). Tight grain, natural tannin rot resistance, stains beautifully. Lasts 15 to 20 years in Texas heat with steel posts and a re-stain every 3 to 4 years. MSRP $28 to $40 per linear ft installed for 6 ft privacy. We recommend cedar for buyers in Stonebriar, Willow Bend, and Carillon Park where HOA approval favors natural wood tones.
Pressure-Treated Pine (workhorse). The default DFW fence. Cheaper up front, but the lumber moves a lot in Texas humidity swings. Warping and twisting starts in year 3. Realistic lifespan is 10 to 12 years with wood posts. MSRP $18 to $25 per linear ft. We recommend pine for rental properties, back-of-lot screening, and budgets under $5,000.
Vinyl. Zero maintenance, no stain, no warp. Holds up to 130 mph wind when posted on steel inserts. The trade-off is the look (it reads plastic up close) and the hail rating (heavy 2 inch stones can crack thin-wall panels). MSRP $30 to $50 per linear ft. We recommend vinyl for pool surrounds, rental properties, and homeowners who refuse to ever stain a fence again.
Aluminum and Wrought Iron (open style). Open-picket, see-through, won’t block a view. Powder-coated aluminum is the modern spec, lasts 25+ years, and meets pool code at 48 inch and 54 inch heights. Wrought iron is heavier, rusts at the welds, and runs 40 percent more. MSRP $35 to $60 per linear ft. We recommend aluminum for front yards, pool barriers, and lots that back to a greenbelt or golf course.
| System | Lifespan in TX heat | Hail rating | MSRP per linear ft | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Red Cedar | 15-20 yrs | Excellent | $28-$40 | Privacy with curb appeal |
| Pressure-Treated Pine | 10-12 yrs | Good | $18-$25 | Budget privacy |
| Vinyl | 20-25 yrs | Fair (cracks on 2 in stones) | $30-$50 | Zero maintenance |
| Aluminum | 25+ yrs | Excellent | $35-$60 | Pool code, open view |
Call (214) 326-3106 for a free inspection.
6 vs 8 vs 4 foot, picking the right height.
Height isn’t just preference. It’s code, HOA, and what the fence is actually trying to do.
4 ft picket. Front yards. Decorative. Plano, Frisco, McKinney, and Southlake all cap front-yard fences at 4 ft as a matter of city code. Most HOAs cap it at 3 ft for street-facing sides. You’re not getting privacy at 4 ft, you’re getting a property line and a dog barrier.
6 ft privacy. The default. Backs and sides of the lot. Every DFW HOA we’ve worked with approves 6 ft cedar or pine in standard tones. Easy permit, easy build, blocks line-of-sight from neighbor windows.
8 ft privacy. The upgrade. Requires HOA approval almost everywhere and a city permit in Plano, Frisco, and Dallas. Worth it when you back to a busier street, a townhome with second-story windows looking down into your yard, or when you want true sound dampening. Add $4 to $6 per linear ft over 6 ft pricing because the lumber gets longer and the posts have to go deeper.
post setting: concrete vs metal post bracket vs steel post.
This is the single decision that determines how long your fence lives. Forget the pickets. The posts decide everything.
Wood post + concrete (the cheap default). A 4x4 cedar or pine post dropped in a concrete footing. Looks fine on install day. The problem is where the wood meets the concrete at grade level. Water pools there, the wood wicks moisture, and rot starts inside year 5. By year 8 you can kick the post and it moves. Realistic lifespan: 5 to 8 years before posts start failing one by one. Cost: baseline.
Steel post bracket on concrete pier (the middle option). A galvanized steel bracket cast into the concrete, then the wood post bolts to the bracket above grade. The wood never touches dirt or concrete. Rot at grade is eliminated. The wood post still ages from UV, but you’re getting 12 to 15 years easy. Cost: add $3 per linear ft.
Full steel post + cedar boards (the right answer). A 2.375 inch round or 2x2 square powder-coated steel post set in concrete, with cedar pickets attached to a steel rail or directly to the post via brackets. The steel carries the structural load. The wood is decorative. When a cedar picket fails in year 15, you swap the picket, not the post. Realistic lifespan: 20+ years. Cost: add $5 to $7 per linear ft.
The math is simple. A 200 ft cedar fence with wood posts costs $5,600 and lasts 7 years. That’s $800 per year. The same fence on steel posts costs $7,000 and lasts 20 years. That’s $350 per year. The “expensive” option is less than half the cost over time.
Call (214) 326-3106 for a free inspection.
the dfw wind loading code most installers skip.
The 2021 International Residential Code section R301.2.1.4 sets the wind loading spec for fences and screen walls. DFW falls in a 115 mph basic wind speed zone with a 130 mph design wind speed for risk category II structures. Translation: your fence needs to stand up to 130 mph gusts without failing.
Most installers don’t know this exists. They dig a 24 inch hole, drop a post, mix one bag of Quikrete, and walk away. That fence fails at 60 to 70 mph straight-line wind, which DFW sees every spring.
The spec we build to: post hole 30 inches deep minimum, 12 inches wide, belled at the bottom to 14 inches. 2,500 PSI concrete, two 80 lb bags per hole minimum. Post spacing at 6 ft on center for 6 ft fences, 5 ft on center for 8 ft fences. Steel post or steel bracket upgrade on every cedar bid. This spec passed inspection through the May 28 2023, April 9 2024, May 23 2024, and June 17 2024 DFW storms with zero panel loss on any fence we installed since 2022.
the rapid roof response process.
We run fence installs on the same five-step process we use for roof replacements. Transparent, written down, and the same crew on your job from quote to closeout.
Step 1: free on-site measure. Mahmoud or one of our crew leads walks the line with you, measures linear footage with a wheel, flags grade changes, and photographs the line. Same visit, we pull your HOA covenant from the association portal so we know height and material limits before we quote. Usually 45 minutes.
Step 2: written quote with three tiers. You get a PDF within 48 hours with cedar, vinyl, and aluminum priced out at the same footage. Steel post upgrade is a separate line item. Tear-out, haul-off, permit fee, and HOA submittal are all line items, not hidden assumptions. You can see exactly what each upgrade costs.
Step 3: permit, locate, HOA submittal. Once you sign, Sara files the city permit (Plano, Frisco, and Southlake all require one over 4 ft), calls Texas811 for the underground utility locate 48 hours ahead of dig day, and submits the HOA architectural packet with drawings, material spec sheets, and stain color samples.
Step 4: build. Tear-out day one. Posts set in 2,500 PSI concrete day one or two. We wait 48 hours before hanging pickets so the concrete actually cures and carries the load. A 200 ft fence finishes inside 3 working days.
Step 5: final walk and stain. We walk the line with you, sign a punch list, and hand over a printed warranty packet plus photos. Cedar gets stained 30 days after install once the moisture content drops under 19 percent (any sooner and the stain peels).
Call (214) 326-3106 for a free inspection.
what a fence install costs in dallas.
Here’s the real math on a 200 linear ft fence install, which is roughly a typical Plano or Frisco backyard.
Cedar 6 ft privacy with wood posts. $25 to $32 per linear ft installed. 200 ft = $5,000 to $6,400. Add stain at $2 per linear ft = $5,400 to $6,800 total. Lifespan 12 to 15 years.
Cedar 6 ft privacy with steel posts. $32 to $40 per linear ft. 200 ft = $6,400 to $8,000. Lifespan 20+ years. This is the option we recommend most often.
Pressure-treated pine 6 ft privacy. $18 to $25 per linear ft. 200 ft = $3,600 to $5,000. Lifespan 10 to 12 years. Budget option for rentals or back-of-lot.
Vinyl 6 ft privacy. $30 to $50 per linear ft. 200 ft = $6,000 to $10,000. Lifespan 20 to 25 years. Zero maintenance.
Aluminum 4 ft pool fence with code-compliant gate. $35 to $50 per linear ft. 150 ft pool surround = $5,250 to $7,500. Lifespan 25+ years.
Wrought iron 4 ft decorative. $50 to $60 per linear ft. 100 ft front yard = $5,000 to $6,000.
Add 8 ft height: $4 to $6 per linear ft. Add 3 ft single gate: $400 to $700. Add 8 ft double drive gate: $1,200 to $2,400. Add demolition and haul-off of existing fence: $3 to $5 per linear ft.
hoa rules in plano, frisco, and southlake.
Three of our busiest service areas, three different HOA cultures.
Plano (Stonebriar, Willow Bend, Deerfield). 6 ft max in side/rear, 3 ft max in front-facing setback. Western Red Cedar approved in natural, cedar tone, or clear sealer. Painted fences require committee review. Architectural review runs 21 to 30 days.
Frisco (Phillips Creek Ranch, Stonebrook, The Trails). 8 ft allowed in side/rear with HOA approval, 6 ft default. Cedar and steel post upgrades both approved. Stain colors limited to a published palette, usually 4 to 6 options. Pool fences must be aluminum or steel picket, not wood.
Southlake (Carillon, Timarron, Stone Lakes). Most restrictive of the three. Cedar required on street-facing sides, stain color from approved palette only, steel posts required where lot backs to common area or greenbelt. Submittal must include scaled drawing and a material sample. Review window 30 days.
We’ve submitted fence packets to 20+ DFW HOAs since 2022. Sara handles the paperwork side, so you don’t have to.
Call (214) 326-3106 for a free inspection.
payment plans.
Cash jobs are always welcome, and on qualifying projects we offer an in-house zero interest payment plan. A larger upfront deposit gets the work started, and the balance is split over flexible terms depending on the size of the project. Details on our payment plans page.
We’re a Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Preferred Vendor, and every payment plan is handled in house from start to finish, no third parties involved.
anti-storm-chaser warning.
After every spring storm, out-of-state guys show up in DFW with magnets on the truck door and a clipboard. They knock for roofs first, then they pitch “while we’re here” fence repair. Two warnings.
One: fence damage from wind is often a covered claim, but it has to be documented separately from roof damage. A roof-only adjuster will miss leaning posts and racked panels because they’re walking the roof, not the property line. Get a fence-specific scope or you’ll leave money on the table.
Two: under Texas Insurance Code 4102.163, a roofer or fence contractor cannot negotiate your claim with the carrier. Anyone who says they will “handle the claim for you” or “make sure you get paid” is breaking state law. We document damage, meet adjusters on site, and provide a written scope. The claim is between you and your carrier. Anyone who tells you different is the same operator who’ll be gone by next storm season.
dfw neighborhoods we serve.
We install fences across the same DFW footprint we cover for roofing.
- In Plano we work Stonebriar, Willow Bend, Deerfield, Carillon Park, and Russell Creek.
- In Frisco we cover Phillips Creek Ranch, Stonebrook, The Trails, and Newman Village.
- McKinney takes us into Stonebridge Ranch and Tucker Hill.
- Allen covers Twin Creeks, Watters Crossing, and Star Creek.
- In Dallas we build in Lakewood, Lake Highlands, Preston Hollow, and Bishop Arts.
We also build in Richardson, Highland Village, Wylie, Garland, Carrollton, Coppell, Lewisville, Flower Mound, Grapevine, Keller, Southlake, Prosper, and across the metroplex into Fort Worth, Arlington, and Grand Prairie.
related services.
If you’re rebuilding a fence after storm damage, you’ll probably want a roof inspection on the same visit. We also handle fence repair for individual sections, deck building tied into the same backyard footprint, and gutter replacement where fence tear-out exposed old downspout runs.
Call (214) 326-3106 for a free inspection, or schedule online and we’ll have Mahmoud or Sara out within 48 hours.
What's included
- Site walk with HOA covenant review and city permit check
- Material spec sheet with Western Red Cedar, pine, vinyl, and aluminum options
- Post setting in 2,500 PSI concrete to 30 inch depth minimum
- Steel post or steel frame upgrade quoted on every cedar bid
- Stain or sealer application within 30 days of install
- Old fence tear-out, haul-off, and dump fees included in line item
- Underground utility locate through Texas811 before any digging
- Final walk with homeowner and punch list signed before invoice
- Workmanship warranty in writing, 3 to 10 years by system
- Photo documentation for HOA closeout and insurance file
How it works
- Free on-site measure and HOA check. Mahmoud or one of our crew leads walks the line with you, measures linear footage, flags grade changes, and pulls your HOA covenant from the city or association portal so we know height and material limits before we quote.
- Written quote with three material tiers. You get a line-item PDF with cedar, vinyl, and aluminum priced out at the same linear footage. Steel post upgrade is a separate line so you can see the math, not a hidden assumption.
- Permit pull, utility locate, and HOA submittal. We pull the city permit where required (Plano, Frisco, and Southlake all require one over 4 ft), file the Texas811 locate ticket 48 hours ahead, and submit drawings to your HOA architectural committee with stain color samples.
- Tear-out, post setting, and 48 hour concrete cure. Old fence comes out day one. Posts go in day one or two, set in 2,500 PSI concrete to 30 inches deep with a 12 inch bell. We wait 48 hours before hanging pickets so the concrete actually carries the load.
- Pickets, cap rail, gates, and stain. Pickets, top cap, and gate hardware go on after cure. Self-closing hinges and a magnetic latch on pool-code gates. Stain or sealer goes on within 30 days once the cedar moisture content drops under 19 percent.
- Final walk and warranty packet. We walk the line with you, hand over a printed warranty packet, photo file, and the HOA closeout letter. Sara handles the paperwork side so you have a clean record for resale.
