Fence Installation in Kensington - Free On-Site Quote, HOA Approval Handled

Fast, Reliable Fence Installation Across Kensington

Fence installation in Kensington, CA typically runs $3,500 to $9,000 for a standard backyard, depending on the material, the slope of your lot, and what we find underground when we start digging. Most jobs take two to four days from the first post hole to the final gate hinge. We answer the phone at (877) 610-1318, we come out to measure, and you get a written line-item quote before anything gets scheduled. Kensington’s hills change how we set posts, how we handle drainage, and how long a fence will actually stand up. We’ve been building fences on these ridges long enough to know that a fence in the Kensington hills isn’t the same job as a fence on flat ground in El Cerrito.

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Why Barrett & Sons Construction Is Kensington’s Preferred Fence Installation Company

Tom Barrett started Barrett & Sons Construction in 1998, and the “Sons” in the name isn’t marketing. His sons run the crews, and Tom is on site for every fence job in Kensington, from the first layout to the final walkthrough. That has not changed in 29 years. When a Kensington homeowner calls, a live person answers, and the person standing on your property next week is the same person whose name is on the truck, whose license number is published and verifiable, and who lives close enough to come back if anything isn’t right. That’s the entire reason we’re still here.

Kensington homeowners have told us the same stories for years: the national outfit quoted one number on the phone, showed up with a crew they’d never met, and handed over a bill that didn’t match the handshake. That doesn’t happen with us because every scope change, every allowance, and every price shift arrives as a written change order before work proceeds. If it isn’t on paper, it doesn’t exist. We also carry the 90-Day Done Right Promise on every contract, in writing. If something isn’t done right, one call brings Tom back. No fine print, no phone tree.

We know Kensington specifically. We know the fog that sits in the hills above Arlington and the way it keeps wood damp longer than homeowners realize. We know the steep side yards off Coventry and the lots along the Arlington corridor where post-hole digging means chasing the Hayward Fault’s fractured rock. We know the permits go through Contra Costa County’s Department of Conservation and Development in Martinez, not a city hall counter, because Kensington is unincorporated county land. That’s not a detail. That’s the thing that changes your timeline, your budget, and whether your fence passes inspection the first time.

Our Fence Installation Services in Kensington

We build the fence that fits your hillside, your view, and your privacy needs, not the fence that’s easiest for a crew to throw up in a weekend. Here’s what we do most often in the 94530 zip code.

Wood Fence

Redwood and cedar are the two staples around here, and we build them to handle Kensington’s fog-wet air better than the pre-fab panels you can grab at a big box store. We set posts in concrete with proper drainage gravel at the base, use galvanized hardware so the fasteners don’t rust out in the marine layer, and space pickets so the fence can breathe without warping. On sloped lots, we step the fence properly rather than racking panels to death, which gives you a straighter, longer-lasting line. A wood fence in Kensington runs $3,500 to $8,000, with redwood at the higher end and cedar in the middle.

Chain Link Fence

Chain link is the pragmatic choice when you need to keep a dog in or a deer out and don’t want to block the view of the Bay. The powder-coated galvanized option holds up best against the fog and the salt air that drifts up from the Richmond side. We dig deeper footings where tree roots run shallow, which is most of Kensington. Count on $3,000 to $6,500 depending on height, gauge, and linear feet.

Vinyl Fence

Vinyl has one serious advantage in Kensington: it doesn’t rot, which matters when the fog sits on the west-facing slopes for weeks at a time. The tradeoff is that vinyl doesn’t love extreme slope work as much as wood does, so we’ll tell you honestly when a stepped wood fence will look better and last longer. For level or gently sloped yards, it’s a smart, low-maintenance pick. Vinyl fence installation in Kensington typically runs $3,500 to $9,000.

Aluminum Fence

Aluminum works brilliantly around pools, along retaining walls, and anywhere you want a clean sightline without abandoning security. It won’t rust in the coastal air, and it’s light enough that we can set it cleanly on the steepest lots off the Arlington corridor without disturbing your existing hillside landscaping more than necessary. Budget $4,000 to $10,000 for a standard Kensington yard. We also build iron fence for homeowners who want the traditional look with the modern corrosion resistance.

Trusted Brands We Service in Kensington

We install Simonton and Ply Gem product lines, both of which have held up well in the East Bay hills’ fog-and-sun cycles. We don’t stock mystery brands off the back of a van; we use materials you can look up yourself. For Kensington customers, we maintain solid relationships with local suppliers so replacement pickets, gate hardware, and post caps don’t take two weeks to arrive. Most repair parts are in our hands within a day or two, which keeps a temporary dog-run panel from becoming a permanent feature in your side yard.

We also handle Fence Installation beyond what’s covered here, including privacy fences, fence gates, and commercial fencing. The process is the same: written quote, written change orders, permits where required, and the 90-Day Done Right Promise.

Common Fence Installation Problems We See in Kensington Homes

Kensington’s hills and its older housing stock create a specific set of fence failure patterns. We see them every week, and we build to prevent them from the start.

• Rot at the post base from trapped fog moisture. The marine layer that rolls through the Kensington hills keeps wood damp far longer than in Albany or Richmond below. We set posts with drainage gravel under the concrete and seal the end grain before the post goes in. That single step adds years to a fence’s life here.
• Sloped lots pushing fences out of plumb. Steep side yards along the ridge lines put lateral pressure on posts that flat installations never see. We over-dig footings on slope-facing posts and use deeper concrete collars to anchor against soil creep. A fence on a Kensington hillside is a retaining system, not just a boundary line.
• Rock and fractured ground from the Hayward Fault trace. Digging a post hole in parts of Kensington means hitting shattered rock right below the topsoil. We bring the right auger bits and hand tools to work around it without destroying your yard or your sprinkler lines.
• Older lots with buried surprises. Kensington’s 1920s-to-1950s homes often have abandoned drain lines, old redwood stumps, or concrete debris buried just below the lawn. We perform a utility locate before any digging starts and flag anything we find in the written quote so you’re not surprised at the end of the job.

Pricing for Fence Installation in Kensington, CA

We Also Serve Cities Near Kensington

Our crews work all over the East Bay hills and flats. In addition to Fence Installation in Kensington, we regularly build and repair fences in El Cerrito, Albany, Richmond, and Berkeley. If you’re on the border, chances are we’re already working a street or two away. We also handle Driveway & Pavers in Kensington and Home Additions & ADU in Kensington, so if your fence project turns into a bigger hardscape or addition conversation, the same crew can handle the whole thing.

FAQs - Fence Installation in Kensington