Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
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AfterFast, Reliable Fence Installation Across Hillsborough
Fence installation in Hillsborough typically runs $3,500 to $9,000 for a full project, and most homeowners here need a design that clears the Town’s Architectural Review Board, not just a building permit. That’s the difference between a fence that gets approved and one that gets torn out. We schedule estimates across the 94010 ZIP every week, and our crews know the roads, the rules, and the people who enforce them. If you’ve been told a fence plan is too complicated for Hillsborough, call us at (877) 610-1318 before you give up on it.
Hillsborough is its own animal when it comes to fencing. The Town has zero commercial zoning, which means no corner hardware store to grab a quick answer from and no local permit office that rubber-stamps anything. Every fence taller than a low picket, and plenty of shorter ones, gets looked at through the lens of the Architectural Review Board. We’ve spent years working those meetings and knowing what the board flags before a plan ever gets submitted. That local knowledge saves you weeks of back-and-forth.
Why Barrett & Sons Construction Is Hillsborough’s Preferred Fence Installation Company
Tom Barrett put his name on this company in 1998, and his sons run the crews that work in Hillsborough. You’ll see the same faces from estimate to final inspection, not a rotating cast of subcontractors. When a fence question comes up mid-project, the person answering it is someone who has already walked your property line with you.
Hillsborough customers tend to ask harder questions than most. They want to know what the ARB will say about a six-foot board-on-board fence, whether the heritage oak near the property corner changes the setback rules, and whether the rotted posts in the existing fence suggest a drainage problem that will just eat the next fence too. We answer those questions with specifics, in writing, before you sign anything. That’s why much of our Hillsborough work comes from neighbors talking over the actual fences we’ve built.
Scheduling an estimate in Hillsborough is straightforward. We coordinate from our San Francisco Bay Area office, and crews serve Hillsborough locally. Call (877) 610-1318 and a live person answers, not a voicemail box. We’ll get a walkthrough on the calendar and give you a written line-item quote, not a ballpark number over the phone.
Our Fence Installation Services in Hillsborough
Wood Fence
Wood fences make up a large share of what we build in Hillsborough, and for good reason. The Town’s design standards lean heavily toward natural materials, and a well-built cedar or redwood fence fits the established character of the older estates. We use galvanized steel posts set in concrete, not pressure-treated lumber buried in soil, because Hillsborough’s winter rains and clay soil rot wood posts faster than most homeowners expect.
Chain Link Fence
Chain link gets used in Hillsborough less as a front-facing fence and more as a practical boundary on the deep lots and hillside rear lines where visibility and drainage matter more than curb appeal. If you need to enclose a sloped back acreage or keep a dog in without blocking the view corridor, galvanized or vinyl-coated chain link does the job without triggering the same ARB design review as a solid fence.
Vinyl Fence
Vinyl fences in Hillsborough work best on the flatter, eastern side of town, where wind isn’t a constant fight and the fence won’t be judged as harshly against the adjacent architecture. Modern vinyl panels have come a long way from the chalky white sections of twenty years ago, and for a homeowner who wants a low-maintenance option without the rust concerns of metal, it’s a solid fit. Just know the Town will still want to see the plan.
Aluminum Fence
Aluminum fence installation in Hillsborough typically runs $4,000 to $10,000, and it’s the right choice where a decorative black metal look suits the home’s Mediterranean or Spanish Colonial lines. The material handles the wet winters without rusting the way iron does, and the lightweight panels make installation on the narrow, winding upper roads much less punishing than heavy steel. We stock aluminum fencing in styles that the ARB has approved on other Hillsborough properties, which helps the process move faster.
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Trusted Brands We Service in Hillsborough
We install fence materials from names you can look up and verify, not mystery brands off the back of a truck. On Hillsborough properties where hardscape ties into fence lines, we regularly use Belgard and Techo-Bloc paver products for gate piers, mow strips, and transition details between a fence and a driveway. For aluminum and vinyl systems, we source from manufacturers with solid warranties and local supply availability, so a replacement panel or gate hardware order doesn’t stall your project for three weeks.
Common Fence Installation Problems We See in Hillsborough Homes
- Clay soil and winter saturation rotted the old posts. Expansive Bay Area clay holds water against wood, and fence posts that were set too shallow or without proper drainage give out in five to eight years. We set posts deeper, in concrete with drainage gravel at the base, so the new fence doesn’t repeat the old one’s timeline.
- Heritage oak roots and tree-protection rules changed the fence line. Hillsborough’s tree ordinance means a mature oak near a property boundary can dictate where the fence runs, and an arborist report is sometimes required before grading starts. We’ve navigated enough of these to flag the issue before you pay for a survey.
- Sloped lots make a standard fence look wrong. The rolling terrain in the 94010 ZIP means at least half the fences we see need to be stepped or contoured, not just racked. A fence that follows the ground line looks cheap against the estate homes here. We build stepped sections that track the grade cleanly.
- The ARB flagged the design after installation was already planned. Contractors who mostly work in San Mateo or Burlingame get caught by Hillsborough’s Architectural Review Board, or Historical Preservation Committee reviews. The addition of a design review layer means a fence plan that passes in a neighboring city can sit for weeks here. We prepare plans with the ARB’s checklist in mind from the first site walk.
Pricing for Fence Installation in Hillsborough, CA
Most full fence installations in Hillsborough land between $3,500 and $9,000, with aluminum and decorative metal on the upper end, and a straightforward wooden boundary fence on the lower end. A 150-foot redwood privacy fence with steel posts and two gates typically runs $6,200 to $8,500 when arborist reports and plot surveys aren’t required. What moves the number: terrain, access for crews and material, the type of gate hardware, and whether plans need architect or arborist stamps for Town review. We give every Hillsborough customer a written line-item quote before work starts, and any change to that scope arrives as a written change order. Call (877) 610-1318 to set up a free estimate and get exact numbers for your property.
| Fence Type | Typical Hillsborough Range |
|---|---|
| Wood fence (cedar or redwood, steel posts) | $4,500 - $8,500 |
| Vinyl fence | $3,500 - $9,000 |
| Aluminum fence | $4,000 - $10,000 |
| Fence repair (per section, wood) | $300 - $800 |
| Gate installation (single or double) | $600 - $2,400 |
We Also Serve Cities Near Hillsborough
Our Fence Installation crews work throughout the San Mateo County Peninsula, including Burlingame, Millbrae, San Mateo, and San Bruno. If you’re planning a fence in one of those neighboring cities, we’re happy to walk the property line there too. And for Hillsborough homeowners working on a larger project, we also handle Driveway & Pavers in Hillsborough and Home Additions & ADU in Hillsborough, which often means one crew for the fence, the gate, and the hardscape that ties them together.
Serving Hillsborough, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Hillsborough area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs - Fence Installation in Hillsborough
We schedule Hillsborough estimates every week, and most property walkthroughs happen within a few days of your call to (877) 610-1318. Because we coordinate from our Bay Area office and crews already work the Peninsula, we’re not fitting you in from a distant dispatch center.
Yes, we work the full 94010 ZIP, including the narrow upper roads where material staging takes more care. Those roads were laid out for much smaller vehicles, so we plan deliveries and crew logistics accordingly rather than promising crane access that isn’t possible.
In many cases, yes. Hillsborough’s Architectural Review Board reviews fencing plans that trigger the Town’s design standards, especially for taller fences, solid privacy fences, and anything visible from a public right-of-way. We prepare plans with that review in mind from the start, which is the single biggest time-saver available on a Hillsborough fence project.
Hillsborough fence work generally runs 10 to 20 percent higher than comparable work in Burlingame or San Bruno, driven by terrain, access, and the additional design review layer. A fence that costs $6,000 in Millbrae might be $6,800 to $7,200 in Hillsborough when those factors apply. Call (877) 610-1318 for an exact quote, estimates are free.
Every completed fence is backed by the written 90-Day Done Right Promise, which means if something isn’t done right, Tom Barrett comes back and makes it right with one call. Materials carry their own manufacturer warranties, and we handle the claim paperwork for you if a defect shows up down the line.
Call Barrett & Sons Construction for Fence Installation in Hillsborough
If you live in Hillsborough and you’re tired of contractors who don’t know the Town’s rules, call (877) 610-1318. We’ll walk your property, tell you what the fence will really cost, and put every number in writing before the first post hole is dug. Tom Barrett’s name, address, and license number are published and verifiable - the same can’t be said for the out-of-town outfits that quote Hillsborough jobs without ever having stood in front of the ARB.
Written by Tom Barrett, Owner at Barrett & Sons Construction, serving Hillsborough fence installation since 1998.