Homeowners in Vancouver prefer building beautiful fences around their homes to have privacy and security. Creating an all-season garden to complement these fences has also been in trend among Vancouver homeowners for a long time. You can get vinyl fencing, cedar fencing, aluminum or galvanized steel fencing, concrete fencing, composite fencing or wood retaining walls for your home. Based on your requirements and needs, a professional fence expert in Vancouver can guide you on which type of fencing option to choose. After examining your property they will also be able to provide you with a cost and time estimate to complete your fence project. You can also refer to this cost guide, based on 6 verified Vancouver homeowner reviews, to create your own estimate.

Fencing Costs in Vancouver

TaskAverage Cost*Lowest Reported*Highest Reported*
Cedar Fence$4,126$960$8,000

Costs as of December 2020*

Cedar Fence

  • Cedarwood fences are naturally resistant to warpage, rotting, decay and insects. They have strong durability and can withstand extreme heat, rain and cold weather. Given its beautiful grainy and layered appearance, it’s a favourite choice of many Vancouver homeowners. A professionally built and regularly maintained cedar fence can last up to 20 years.
  • When you hire a professional fence builder, you just have to choose the type of wood. The builder can get the wood on your behalf. You can be assured that they will be getting high pressure treated wood for your project. Cedarwood fences are built around concrete fence posts, minimizing dirt build up around them in the future.
  • Given Vancouver’s rainy weather, it’s important to get an overlap flow-through fence system that will allow the water to easily drain and dry out. This will prevent water build-up and saturation of moisture which can rot the wood. When you plan to get a cedar wood fence, make sure you make a weather-cautious decision for your project. It may cost you up to $8,000 to build a cedar fence in Vancouver.

Factors Impacting Fencing Costs in Vancouver

The Friendly Neighbour

  • If planned correctly, a house fence can work on both sides, serving the privacy and security of you and your neighbour’s home as well. Before getting started, you can discuss the details of your fence project with your neighbours. Make sure they are on board with your project as the fence you build will be covering a side of their property as well.
  • If possible, you can plan this project together and split the costs to build the fence. Fences can be expensive and require space to be built up. Doing this project in collaboration with your neighbours can not only save you money but also be able to create a strong bond.

Material & Parts

  • In addition to your basic fence material like wood, you will require additional supplies to build your fence posts and gate. This includes different hinges, screws, wire or woodcutters, protective paint and much more. Based on your base material and type of fence project, a professional fence expert will get all the necessary materials.
  • Buying these parts and supplies on your own can be very expensive. You might not find everything you need in one store and in the exact quantities. We recommend you leave the material gathering to the fence builders and they can add these costs to your final bill at the end of the project.

Labour

  • Many homeowners in Vancouver build fences only for their backyard or front yard whereas some prefer fencing their whole property. Based on the size of your project and its timeline, you may need a team of 2-5 people to work on your project. Your fence building contractor will hire professional labourers to work on your project. Make sure you discuss their labour costs and method of payment with the contractor before you sign a contract for your project.

Digging

  • One of the first steps to build any type of fence is to create fence posts. To build the fence posts in the ground you will have to dig a hole that is three times the width of the post and the depth should be ½ or ⅓ the post height above the ground. Digging these holes may seem like an easy task but based on the density of the soil and type of ground, it may take up to 2 days.
  • It’s important to hire a professional to do the digging and installation of fence posts. Professional fence builders in Vancouver have the experience and the expertise to dig holes without damaging the utility lines running below the ground. They will also know how to work around strong tree roots going through your backyard. Any damages to the utility lines or the trees can create a huge mess and may cost you extra to clean it up. That’s why we recommend you hire only an expert fence builder to dig into the ground.

Permits

  • In Vancouver, if you’re planning to build a fence in the front yard, it shouldn’t be more than 1.2 meters in height and for the rear or side yard, it shouldn’t be more than 1.9 meters.
  • The City of Vancouver has created fencing by-laws that specify fencing permit requirements and exemptions, location and height regulations, prohibited materials to use in fencing projects and other civic guidelines.
  • A local fence expert who knows all these rules will be able to build your fence adhering to these bylaws. If you fail to follow any of these rules, you may have to pay heavily in damage fees.

Hiring a local and experienced fence builder can be beneficial to understanding the fence building process and procuring all the required materials. You can choose a fence builder on HomeStars by browsing through a list of local companies or filling out a quote request form to get a custom quote from up to 3 local fencing contractors. You can check their Star Score, verification badge and homeowner reviews on their HomeStars profile before hiring them.