Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
Fast, Reliable Fence Installation Across Modesto
If you’re staring at a rotted fence line off McHenry Avenue or a leaning stretch of chain link along Briggsmore, you already know the problem isn’t going to fix itself. Fence installation in Modesto carries a few wrinkles that don’t show up in coastal towns: valley clay that heaves fence posts out of plumb, summer heat that warps cheap vinyl in a single season, and older ranch homes in 95354 where the original redwood fencing has simply reached the end of its life. A new fence here typically runs $3,500 to $9,000 depending on material, linear footage, and what’s hiding underground at the post holes. We’re Barrett & Sons Construction, and we’ve been answering our own phone for Modesto homeowners since Tom Barrett founded the company in 1998. Call (877) 610-1318 and a live person picks up, day or night.
Why Barrett & Sons Construction Is Modesto’s Preferred Fence Installation Company
Tom Barrett publishes his name, his address, and his license number. That matters more than any marketing line, because the last contractor most Modesto homeowners used told them permits were optional and the final invoice was a surprise. Our Fence Installation team runs on a different model: every scope in writing, every price change as a written change order before work happens, and a 90-Day Done Right Promise printed on the contract. If something isn’t right, one call brings Tom back. No fine print, no dispatch center in another state.
We understand Modesto’s housing stock, from the post-WWII ranches in the older core to the stucco subdivisions that went up fast on the east side in the late 1990s and 2000s. Those homes saw a lot of ownership churn after the 2008 foreclosure wave hit Modesto harder than almost anywhere in the country, and a lot of fences got patched instead of replaced during those years. We see the results when we pull old posts: rotted footings, undersized concrete, post spacing that never met code. Knowing what’s likely under the soil in 95355 versus 95356 saves you from paying for surprises later.
Our crew members are Tom’s sons and their teams, not subcontractors drawn from a labor pool. They’re background-checked, uniformed, and they carry the Barrett name on every visit. Ask anyone on your street, or look up the license number yourself. A live person answers the phone 24/7, and we show up when we say we will.
Our Fence Installation Services in Modesto
Wood Fence
Wood remains the most common fence material in Modesto’s established neighborhoods, and for good reason: nothing else delivers the same privacy on a modest budget. We build with pressure-treated pine, redwood, and cedar depending on your lot and exposure. In the older 95354 corridor, we regularly replace original 1950s and 1960s redwood that has gone soft at the base from decades of sprinkler overspray. A properly set wood fence in Modesto needs posts below the clay shrink-swell zone, or it starts leaning within two or three winters.

Chain Link Fence
For rental properties, side yards, and dog runs across Modesto, chain link is the practical choice. Galvanized and vinyl-coated options are both widely available, and we can match existing fence height on commercial easements. We see a lot of chain link in West Modesto and Bret Harte that’s been bent by years of overgrown oleander and ivy; removing the old frame cleanly before setting new line posts saves you money on the back end. Chain link runs more affordably than wood, which is why property owners with long lot lines on the east side keep coming back to it.

Vinyl Fence
Vinyl fence in Modesto has to be rated for Central Valley heat. Cheap vinyl from a big-box store turns brittle and chalky after a couple of 105-degree summers, and we’ve replaced plenty of it. We spec heavier-gauge vinyl with UV inhibitors built for this climate, and we set the posts deeper than the manufacturer’s minimum because valley clay moves more than the national average. White and tan vinyl privacy fence is particularly popular in the newer subdivisions around 95356 and 95357 where HOA guidelines allow it.

Aluminum Fence
Aluminum works well in Modesto for decorative front-yard enclosures, pool code compliance, and low-maintenance perimeter fencing. It won’t rust, doesn’t warp in heat, and is light enough that the moving clay doesn’t stress it the way it does a rigid steel frame. Aluminum fence installation in Modesto typically runs $4,000 to $10,000 depending on grade and gate count. We often pair aluminum fencing with driveway gate work on larger east-side lots.

What happens when you call
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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 Modesto
We don’t install mystery brands off a van. On fence and adjacent hardscape projects in Modesto, we regularly work with Techo-Bloc and Cambridge Pavers for post bases, pavers, and hardscape accents, and Quikrete products for concrete footings. Using materials you can look up yourself means you know what you’re paying for before the first post hole is dug. We keep common parts on hand for Modesto jobs, and most fence installations are scheduled within days of your estimate, not weeks.
Common Fence Installation Problems We See in Modesto Homes
- Posts leaning from clay movement. Modesto sits on expansive adobe-clay soils that swell in wet winters and shrink in drought summers. Posts set too shallow or in undersized concrete ride that movement and lean within a few seasons. We dig and set posts below the active movement zone.
- Rot at the post base from sprinkler overspray. In older neighborhoods around 95354, lawn sprinklers hit the same post bases for 30 years. The wood looks fine up top but is soft underground. We check every old post before reusing any section.
- Fences built without permits on property lines. Modesto property lines in the older core don’t always match where the old fence sits. We survey-verify before we build, and we pull permits on every eligible job rather than telling you they’re optional.
- Gate hardware failing in summer heat. Gates on east-side lots take direct afternoon sun, and cheap hardware sags and binds within a season or two. We install heavy-duty hinges and latches that hold up to Modesto’s July and August temperatures.
Pricing for Fence Installation in Modesto, CA
Most fence installation projects in Modesto land between $3,500 and $9,000. A standard wood privacy fence on a 50-foot lot line usually runs $4,200 to $6,500, while a vinyl privacy fence of similar length falls closer to $5,500 to $9,000. Chain link is more affordable, starting around $3,500 for a typical residential side yard. Aluminum decorative fencing runs $4,000 to $10,000 depending on grade and gate hardware. What moves the price: linear footage, material grade, post depth requirements based on your soil, gate count, and any old fence removal. We give you a written line-item quote before work starts, and if anything changes, you sign a change order before it touches the job. Call (877) 610-1318 for your free fence installation estimate.
We Also Serve Cities Near Modesto
Beyond Modesto proper, our fence crews regularly work in Bret Harte, West Modesto, Ceres, and Riverbank. If you’re on the edge of 95355 and not sure whether we cover your street, call and ask. And while we’re on your property, we can also talk through Driveway & Pavers in Modesto or Home Additions & ADU in Modesto if you’re planning bigger work down the line. We’re Modesto‘s local crew, and we answer the phone.
Serving Modesto, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Modesto 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 Modesto
We schedule estimates in Modesto within a few business days, and because our crew coordinators work out of the Central Valley office, we’re not routing anyone from the coast. A live person answers the phone 24/7 at (877) 610-1318, and we’ll give you a firm window for the visit.
Yes. We work throughout 95354, 95355, 95356, and 95357, including the older ranch blocks near downtown, the east-side subdivisions, West Modesto, and the Bret Harte area. Each neighborhood has slightly different soil and setback conditions, and we plan for them before we dig.
We do both. If a section of your fence came down in a storm or a car clipped the corner, we can repair just that run. But in Modesto’s clay, partial repairs sometimes make more sense as a full post reset on that section, and we’ll give you both numbers before you decide. Call (877) 610-1318 for a straight answer.
Pricing is generally the same across the Modesto-Ceres-Riverbank area. Material costs don’t change at the county line, and our crew scheduling is already built around serving all of these communities. What changes more is soil: Modesto’s east side often needs slightly deeper post holes than some flatter parts of Ceres, and we price that honestly in the written estimate.
Every fence installation is covered by our 90-Day Done Right Promise, written on the contract. If something isn’t right during that window, one call brings Tom back to make it right. Manufacturer warranties on materials run separately and we register them for you. Call (877) 610-1318 for the full details on any project.
Written by Tom Barrett, Owner at Barrett & Sons Construction, serving Modesto and the Central Valley since 1998.







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