Fence installation is building a new wood, vinyl, aluminum or composite fence on a residential lot. In Northern Virginia that means a located property line, posts set in concrete below the roughly 24 inch frost depth, panels that follow the slope, and a design that meets county zoning and HOA rules. It suits homeowners replacing a leaning fence or enclosing a yard.
Fences lean because posts move, and posts move when set too shallow, in holes with no drainage, or in clay that heaves every winter. A post that stops above the frost line, roughly 24 inches down, heaves until gates drag and panels pull loose. Wood posts also rot at grade when flat-finished concrete holds water against them.
We dig every hole below frost depth, typically 24 to 30 inches for a 6 foot fence, with gravel under the post for drainage. Concrete is crowned above grade to shed rain. Posts are plumbed to a string line before panels go on, finished side out where the HOA requires it, as on our deck building.
Material follows the job: privacy, pool barrier or front yard accent.
Six foot board fences in treated pine, dog-ear or flat top, on 4x4 posts and three 2x4 rails. The most affordable solid fence; stain it after the first season.
Western red cedar resists rot and insects and weathers to silver gray. Privacy, picket and horizontal styles, with stainless or coated fasteners so boards do not streak.
PVC panels and posts in white, tan or gray that never need paint. Gate and corner posts get steel or wood inserts, since hollow vinyl flexes under a gate.
Powder-coated pickets 4 to 6 feet tall for front yards, pool enclosures and open views. Panels rack to follow slopes; pool-barrier styles use tighter spacing and self-closing gates.
Composite fencing such as Trex for a long-lived privacy screen, and board-on-board wood whose overlapping boards leave no gaps as they shrink. Both look finished from both sides.
Walk and double drive gates with adjustable hinges and a drop rod, removal and haul away of the old fence, and resetting leaning posts when panels are still sound.
Five stages, from the first walk along the line to the last gate.
We walk the line with you, find pins or your survey plat, note grade, trees, utilities and gate locations, and settle height, style and which side faces out.
You receive a written scope with footage, heights, materials and gate sizes, plus the fence drawn on your plat for HOA review and for county zoning approval where it is required.
Virginia 811 marks buried utility lines, with at least three working days of notice before we dig. We string the line and mark post centers, usually 8 feet apart.
Holes go below frost depth, gravel goes in the bottom, and posts are plumbed to the string and set in crowned concrete, which cures before panels load the posts.
Rails, boards or panels go on, stepped or racked to the slope. Gates are hung to latch cleanly, old fencing is hauled away, and we walk the line with you.
A short clip moving toward an open vinyl fence gate as it swings closed, with a breeze in the maples and afternoon light moving across the lawn and panels.
The three common materials differ in upkeep, privacy and slope handling.
| Wood (pine or cedar) | Vinyl | Aluminum | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Privacy | Full in privacy styles | Full with solid panels | None, open pickets |
| Upkeep | Clean and stain every few years | Rinse only | Rinse, touch up chips |
| Typical service life | Pine 10-15 years, cedar longer | Often 20-30 years | Often 30 years or more |
| Slopes | Stepped or racked, cut on site | Stepped, limited racking | Racks to most grades |
| Gates | Heavy, needs a stout post | Needs a reinforced post | Light, stays square |
| Relative installed cost | Lowest to mid | Mid | Mid to high |
As of 2026, a new fence in Northern Virginia typically runs $30 to $55 per linear foot installed for a 6 foot pressure-treated pine privacy fence, $40 to $75 for cedar, $40 to $80 for vinyl privacy, $45 to $90 for ornamental aluminum and $60 to $120 or more for composite. These are market planning ranges, not our quote.
What moves the number:
For your lot, request an on-site estimate and we will measure the line and price it in a written scope.
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Usually not a building permit, but often a zoning approval. Virginia's statewide building code exempts "fences of any height" from a building permit unless required for pedestrian safety or "used for the barrier for a swimming pool." Fairfax County, as published, caps front yard fences at 4 feet and side or rear yard fences at 7 feet, and a corner lot has two front yards. Loudoun County's zoning ordinance limits residential front yard fences to 3 1/2 feet and other residential fences to 8 feet, and exempts most fences from a zoning permit outside overlay districts. Prince William County requires zoning approval for any fence, drawn on your survey plat: 42 inches in front yards and on a corner lot's street side, generally 6 feet in side and rear yards. Arlington County requires a permit for any new or replacement fence, filed in Permit Arlington with a plat, and publishes height limits as a zoning diagram. Alexandria lists fences over 6 feet as needing a permit. Confirm with your county or city first.
HOAs in Ashburn and South Riding typically set height, style, color and which side faces out, and approve before any county filing; see our guide to HOA approval for exterior projects. In Great Falls and Clifton a fence often tops a retaining wall, and we work across our Northern Virginia service area.
Below frost depth, roughly 24 inches here, so a 6 foot privacy fence post typically sits 24 to 30 inches deep in a hole about three times the post width. Shallower posts heave in clay and the fence leans.
Generally not a building permit. Fairfax County publishes that building permits are not typically required for fences of any height, unless the fence is a pool barrier or required for pedestrian safety. Zoning still applies, as published: 4 feet in front yards, 7 feet in side or rear yards.
Often yes, once you know where the line is. We work from your survey plat and pins, and on an uncertain line we recommend a surveyor rather than a guess. Many HOAs expect the fence just inside the line.
Both work. Racked panels follow the grade with no gap underneath; wood and aluminum rack well, vinyl less so. Stepped panels stay level and drop at each post, suiting steep grades but leaving gaps we close with a kickboard.
Pressure-treated pine fences commonly last 10 to 15 years here and cedar longer, posts failing first. Keep soil and mulch off the bottom rail, keep sprinklers off the boards, and have it cleaned and stained every few years.
In many Northern Virginia HOAs the finished side, the one without exposed rails and posts, must face the street and neighbors, so the rails end up on your side. Board-on-board and shadowbox styles look the same from both sides.
Long-form guides on fence installation from the crew that does the work, with Northern Virginia costs, timing and permit detail.
Guard height, the 4 inch sphere, Virginia's 8 1/4 inch riser, handrail height, ledger bolt spacing, 24 inch footings and lateral ties: every deck code number a Northern Virginia homeowner should know before anyone starts digging.
A Fairfax County deck permit runs through PLUS, needs a sealed plat and either drawings or the county's Typical Deck Details, and ends with footing, framing and final inspections. What to prepare, what it costs and what gets plans sent back.
Every deck in Loudoun County needs a building permit and a zoning permit, filed through LandMARC with a marked plat and either drawings or the county's Typical Deck Detail. What the county publishes on fees, setbacks, review times and inspections.
All guides in this category · Planning guides · Glossary · FAQ
Custom deck building is the design and construction of a new pressure-treated wood or composite deck sized to your house and yard.
A retaining wall holds back soil so a slope becomes level, usable ground.
Landscape design and installation is the planning and planting of beds, trees, shrubs and screening around a home, with the soil preparation, edging and mulch that help them establish.
Deck and fence cleaning and staining is the process of washing weathered wood with a wood cleaner at low pressure, brightening it, letting it dry, and applying a stain or sealer that sheds water and blocks sun.
Tell us about your property and what you want to fix or build. We will visit, measure and send a clear written estimate. We serve Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William and Arlington counties.
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