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 Mountain View
A new fence in Mountain View typically runs $3,500 to $9,000 for vinyl and $4,000 to $10,000 for aluminum, depending on the lot, the materials, and whether the property sits in the Moffett Field Part 77 airspace corridor. We’ve been building and repairing fences across Mountain View since 1998, and we know the difference between a fence that looks good for two years and one that holds square for twenty. If you’re pricing a fence in the 94040, 94041, 94042, or 94043 ZIP codes, call Tom Barrett’s crew at (877) 610-1318 for a written, line-by-line estimate. No dispatch, no call center. You’ll get a live person who actually works in Mountain View.
Why Barrett & Sons Construction Is Mountain View’s Preferred Fence Installation Company
Tom Barrett started this company in 1998 because he was tired of watching national outfits quote one price on the phone and hand over a different invoice when the job was done. That hasn’t changed. Every Mountain View fence job we take gets the same treatment: a scope in writing, allowances in writing, and any price change arrives as a written change order before work moves. You’ll see Tom or one of his sons on-site most days. Not a stranger in a rental truck.
We’ve built fences from Old Mountain View to Cuesta Park to the newer developments off Shoreline. We know which lots drain fast and which hold groundwater. We know which west-facing runs eat paint in the afternoon fog. And we know that in the 94043 ZIP near Moffett Field, a fence post can trigger an FAA Part 77 review that no residential contractor from Sunnyvale or Palo Alto has ever heard of. That local knowledge shows up in the estimate, not in a surprise add-on later. Our Fence Installation work across Mountain View has earned us a strong local reputation, and Tom publishes his name, his address, and his license number so you can verify all of it before you sign anything.
If something isn’t done right, one call brings Tom back. That’s the 90-Day Done Right Promise, and it’s written on every contract, not buried in fine print.
Our Fence Installation Services in Mountain View
We install and repair four main fence types across Mountain View, and the right one usually comes down to two things: moisture exposure and what the city will actually let you build. Here’s the honest version of each.
Wood Fence
Redwood and cedar fences are still the most common choice in Mountain View’s older neighborhoods, especially around Cuesta Park and Old Mountain View where the postwar homes call for something that looks period-appropriate. The problem here isn’t the wood. It’s the hardware. Untreated steel post anchors and gate hinges corrode within three to five years in the bay-influenced moisture and salt air along North Bayshore. We set pressure-treated posts in concrete with stainless-steel post anchors and use marine-grade galvanized gate frames on every wood fence we build in Mountain View. It costs more up front. It costs a lot less than re-hanging a sagging gate in year six.
Chain Link Fence
Chain link works for utility lines, dog runs, and commercial perimeters, and it’s still the most affordable option per linear foot in Mountain View. But near the 94043 reclaimed tidelands, posts set directly in bay-mud-adjacent soil without concrete collars heave and tilt as groundwater rises. We pour a concrete collar on every post here, even for a basic galvanized chain link run. The city’s inspectors expect it, and your fence line won’t drift out of square after two wet winters.
Vinyl Fence
Vinyl has become the go-to for Mountain View homeowners who don’t want to paint every few years. It handles the morning fog and sprinkler overspray far better than unsealed wood, and it’s what we recommend for privacy runs along the west-facing property lines where the marine layer hangs longest. A typical vinyl fence installation in Mountain View runs $3,500 to $9,000 depending on length, style, and whether we’re tearing out an old fence first. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll give you a written number, not a ballpark.
Aluminum Fence
For Mountain View’s higher-end properties and any lot with a pool, aluminum is the quiet choice: it doesn’t rot, doesn’t rust, and holds its finish for decades. But there’s a catch most contractors don’t mention. Standard-grade aluminum fence hardware from a big-box supply house won’t hold up along the bay-influenced corridors. We specify coastal-grade aluminum rails, brackets, and fasteners on every Mountain View job, and a full aluminum installation typically lands between $4,000 and $10,000. The cheap-spec version of the same fence will show rust stains at the joints within a decade.
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 Mountain View
We stock and install fence lines from brands that put their specs on paper, because that’s what lets us stand behind the install. On Mountain View fencing jobs, we regularly specify materials from Simonton, Ply Gem, and PGT depending on the style and the exposure. We keep common replacement parts for these brands in the local yard, so a repair doesn’t mean waiting two weeks on a backordered bracket. If you’re in Mountain View and you already have a brand preference, tell us. If you don’t, we’ll walk you through what holds up and what doesn’t in this specific microclimate.
Common Fence Installation Problems We See in Mountain View Homes
Over the decades, we’ve seen the same failures repeat themselves on Mountain View lots. Most of them trace back to two things: the bay-air moisture and contractors who used inland-spec hardware on a coastal lot.
- Rust-stained posts and sagging gates within five years. Untreated steel post anchors and gate hinges corrode fast in the salt air along North Bayshore. The first sign is a line of rust running down from the post base. The fix is a full post replacement with stainless or hot-dip galvanized hardware, something we do on nearly every fence we touch in Mountain View.
- Rot at grade on original redwood posts. In Cuesta Park and Old Mountain View, the original fence posts from the 1960s and 70s were set directly in dirt with no concrete collar. Decades of irrigation runoff and morning fog have soaked the base. The post looks fine from the top and disintegrates below ground. We core out the old post, set a new pressure-treated one in concrete, and raise the base above the soil line.
- Heaving and tilted posts on reclaimed tideland lots. In the 94043 ZIP, especially near Shoreline and North Bayshore, the soil was once bay mud. When groundwater rises, posts set without proper concrete footings shift. Some fences we see have leaned a full six inches in three years. The fix is a deeper post hole and a concrete collar wider than the post, which is code here but rarely done by out-of-area crews.
- Premature rot on west-facing picket runs. The marine layer hangs on the west side of Mountain View longer than most people realize. Unsealed wood pickets on those runs absorb moisture from fog and sprinkler overspray, then fail years before the east-facing side. We seal all sides of the picket, not just the face, and we recommend a semi-transparent stain that breathes instead of trapping moisture under a film.
Pricing for Fence Installation in Mountain View, CA
Fence pricing in Mountain View is higher than in inland South Bay cities for one reason: the coastal-spec materials and the extra concrete work that actually hold up here. Here are the numbers we quote most often.
| Project | Typical Mountain View Range |
|---|---|
| Vinyl Fence Installation | $3,500 - $9,000 |
| Aluminum Fence Installation | $4,000 - $10,000 |
What moves the number within those ranges: linear footage, whether we’re removing and hauling an old fence, post depth and footing requirements, gate count, and whether the property sits in the Moffett Part 77 airspace corridor. The cheap-spec version of an aluminum fence might save you $1,500 on install day. It will cost you a full replacement within ten years, and in Mountain View, that’s not two decades. It’s four or five years before the fasteners start to fail. Call (877) 610-1318 for a written estimate. It’s free, and it’s line-item.
We Also Serve Cities Near Mountain View
Our crews cover Mountain View and the surrounding communities, including Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Sunnyvale, and Stanford. If you’re in one of those cities and you’re pricing a fence job, the same rules apply: written scope, written change orders, and a name you can look up. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll give you the same straight answer we give at the hardware store.
Serving Mountain View, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Mountain View 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 Mountain View
Yes, if your fence post height penetrates the FAA Part 77 obstruction surface that radiates from Moffett Federal Airfield, which applies to many lots in the 94043 ZIP near Google’s North Bayshore campus. We submit a Form 7460-1 Notice of Proposed Construction and wait for the no-hazard determination before digging. Most residential fence contractors from Sunnyvale or Palo Alto have never filed one. We have, more than once, and we’ll handle it for you. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll check your lot before you spend a dollar.
A Cuesta Park wood fence should use stainless-steel post anchors, hot-dip galvanized gate frames, and stainless or coated deck screws rated for coastal exposure. The standard steel hardware from a big-box store will show rust staining at the base and hinge points within three to five years in Mountain View’s bay-influenced air. We specify the marine-grade version on every wood fence we build here, and the cost difference is a few hundred dollars, not thousands. Call (877) 610-1318 for an exact quote on your fence line.
Fences on the former tideland parcels in the 94043 ZIP, especially near North Bayshore and Shoreline, sit on bay mud and high groundwater that creates settlement and moisture movement. A geotechnical report tells us how deep the posts need to go and what kind of concrete collar will keep the line square over time. It’s not required on every lot, but we recommend it in those areas because we’ve seen what happens when it’s skipped. If your fence will run near those areas, we’ll tell you during the estimate walk.
On its own, a fence replacement usually does not trigger a seismic retrofit, but if the fence is part of a larger remodel that pulls a significant building permit, the state’s current Building Code may require cripple-wall bracing or foundation upgrades on older Mountain View homes with original slab-on-grade or cripple-wall construction. That’s why we look at the whole property, not just the fence line. If the city will require it, we’ll say so before you sign. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll walk you through what applies to your specific lot.
The coastal-spec aluminum fence hardware typically adds about 10 to 15 percent to the hardware line item on a Mountain View fence, which for most residential aluminum fences translates to roughly $400 to $1,200 depending on gate count and linear footage. The inland-spec version saves that money now and fails with visible rust staining at the joints and hinge points within four to seven years in this bay-air environment. We only quote the coastal-spec. If another contractor quotes you the cheaper number, ask them whether the brackets are marine-grade. Call (877) 610-1318 for the honest number.
Written by Tom Barrett, Owner at Barrett & Sons Construction, proudly serving Mountain View with straight answers and written change orders since 1998.
Ready to price your fence? Call (877) 610-1318 for a free, written estimate. You’ll talk to a live person who knows Mountain View, knows the Moffett airspace rules, and won’t hand you a surprise invoice at the end. That’s not how we work. It never has been.