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 San Anselmo
A new fence in San Anselmo typically runs $3,500 to $9,000, depending on material, linear footage, and whether your property sits in a flood zone or on a hillside. Permits are required for most fences over 6 feet, and if you’re near San Anselmo Creek, the Town’s Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance adds requirements you won’t hear about from an out-of-area bid. Barrett & Sons Construction has been building fences in Marin County since 1998, and we pull every permit ourselves. Call (877) 610-1318 for a free estimate with a written, line-item scope.
We’re not a franchise dispatching strangers. Tom Barrett and his sons run the crews, and someone from our family walks every San Anselmo job before a quote goes out. If your property backs up to the creek, slopes toward Sir Francis Drake, or sits in the hills above town, we’ve likely built a fence on a lot like yours. That local knowledge saves you from a fence that heaves, sags, or gets red-tagged by the Town.
Key Takeaways
- Cost in San Anselmo: $3,500-$9,000 for a typical residential fence; repairs run $400-$1,800.
- Permit reality: Fences over 6 feet need a Town of San Anselmo permit, and flood-zone parcels trigger the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance.
- Wind and flood code: Marin County requires fences to withstand 85 mph wind loads; creek-adjacent lots need flood-compatible designs that allow water to pass.
- Who we are: Barrett & Sons Construction, founded 1998, owner-operated by Tom Barrett, with the 90-Day Done Right Promise written on every contract.
- Free estimate: Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll walk the property, pull the code requirements, and hand you a written scope before you commit to anything.
Why Barrett & Sons Construction Is San Anselmo’s Preferred Fence Installation Company
San Anselmo isn’t a town where you can drop a generic fence on any lot and call it done. Our Fence Installation team has set posts in the 94960 zip code and up in the hills of 94979 enough times to know what each neighborhood demands. The flat lots near Memorial Park drain differently than the sloped lots above Brookside School. The homes along the creek corridor near downtown carry flood-plain requirements that the Craftsman bungalows on the east side never see. We quote with those differences in mind from the first visit.
Tom Barrett puts his name, his address, and his license number on every contract. Ask anyone on your street, or look up the license number yourself. That’s how we’ve worked since 1998, and it’s why San Anselmo homeowners keep calling us back for the second fence, the gate repair, the front-yard refresh after a storm season.
Every Barrett & Sons job includes permits pulled and inspections signed on every eligible project. The permit inspector works for you, not for me, and we want that inspection on record. We also issue every scope and every price change as a written change order before work happens. The allowance that isn’t on paper is a surprise waiting for a date, and you won’t get one on our watch.
Our Fence Installation Services in San Anselmo
Wood Fence
Wood fences are the most common choice in San Anselmo, and for good reason. A redwood or cedar privacy fence fits the town’s Craftsman and bungalow character better than vinyl ever will. But wood in this valley rots at grade if posts aren’t set right. San Anselmo Creek funnels winter runoff through the center of town, and the ground stays wet for weeks. We set pressure-treated posts in concrete with proper drainage so they don’t heave or rot after the first atmospheric river.
Aluminum Fence
Aluminum fencing handles San Anselmo’s moisture better than steel or iron, and it’s a smart choice for creek-adjacent lots because water passes through the pickets rather than pushing against a solid panel. We install aluminum fences rated for the 85 mph wind load Marin County requires, with gate hardware that won’t sag on a sloped lot above the valley floor.
Fence Repair
Most San Anselmo repair calls we get are for fences built by someone else, often a handyman who set posts in soil with no concrete or used non-rated gate hardware on a hillside. We replace rotted posts, re-hang gates, and bring the whole run up to current code where the Town requires it. A repair might run $400-$1,800 depending on the damage, and we’ll tell you if a full replacement is smarter money before we touch anything.
Chain Link Fence
For side yards, utility runs, and creek-side property lines where a solid fence would trap water or block flow, chain link is often the code-compliant call. It won’t win a beauty contest, but it holds up to San Anselmo’s wet winters and it’s the most affordable full-perimeter option we install. We use galvanized and vinyl-coated systems that don’t rust out in the damp air along the creek corridor.
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 San Anselmo
We don’t stock mystery materials off a van. When we build with pavers or retain an existing hardscape around a new fence line, we bring brands like Techo-Bloc and Cambridge Pavers, the same ones you can look up and verify. For fence-specific work, our lumber comes from local Marin suppliers who know what redwood and cedar should look like before it goes in the ground. When a San Anselmo customer needs a gate frame that matches a Belgard paver walkway, we can order it locally and schedule the install without a two-week mystery wait.
Common Fence Installation Problems We See in San Anselmo Homes
- Posts heaving in flood-zone soils: In the AE zones along San Anselmo Creek, a fence set without accounting for hydrostatic pressure will heave or wash out after a creek overflow. We design flood-zone fences so water moves through or around the structure, not against it. The finished fence shouldn’t act like a dam.
- Sagging gates on hillside lots: The valley funnel winds along Sir Francis Drake put real stress on gate hardware. Non-rated hinges and posts set shallow will sag within a season. We size posts and hardware to the wind load, not to what’s cheapest at the supply house.
- Permit stop-work orders: A fence over 6 feet in San Anselmo needs a Town permit, and one in a Special Flood Hazard Area triggers the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance on top of standard Marin County building requirements. Skipping it gets you a red tag and rework. We pull it before a single post hole is dug.
- Rotted wood at grade from winter runoff: The narrow inland valley stays wetter than coastal Marin towns. Pressure-treated posts set in concrete with drainage are the difference between a fence that lasts 20 years and one that leans after two storm seasons.
Pricing for Fence Installation in San Anselmo, CA
A typical residential fence installation in San Anselmo runs $3,500 to $9,000. That’s the honest range for a quality job that meets local code, not a phone quote from someone who hasn’t seen the lot. What moves the number: linear footage, material choice, slope, and whether your property sits in a flood zone along the creek. Flood-zone compliance adds cost to materials and sometimes to the design, but it’s not optional, and a cheap quote that skips it isn’t a bargain. It’s a future stop-work order.
Here’s how our pricing breaks down for San Anselmo:
| Service | Price Range in San Anselmo |
|---|---|
| Vinyl Fence Installation | $3,500-$9,000 |
| Aluminum Fence Installation | $4,000-$10,000 |
| Fence Repair | $400-$1,800 |
Call (877) 610-1318 for a free estimate. We’ll walk the property, check the flood maps and wind requirements, and give you a written line-item quote before you decide anything.
We Also Serve Cities Near San Anselmo
Barrett & Sons Construction runs crews throughout central Marin. If you’re in San Anselmo or just over the line, our teams also cover Fairfax, Kentfield, San Rafael, and Larkspur, with the same written-scope discipline and the same 90-Day Done Right Promise on every job. Dispatch and scheduling are coordinated from our San Francisco Bay Area office, and our crews live and work in the towns they serve.
Serving San Anselmo, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the San Anselmo 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 San Anselmo
Yes. Fences over 6 feet require a Town of San Anselmo building permit, and any fence on a parcel within a FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Area must also comply with the Town’s Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance. That means flood-resistant materials and designs that allow water to pass without creating an obstruction. A compliant quote includes this review; a cheap one skips it. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll pull the permit paperwork before any work starts.
Marin County building code requires exterior structures, including fences, to be engineered for an 85 mph basic wind speed. That affects post depth, concrete footing size, and gate hardware rating. We build to that standard on every San Anselmo fence, not just the ones on exposed hillside lots. If you’re comparing quotes, ask the other contractor what wind rating their posts are set to meet. Then call us at (877) 610-1318.
Maybe, but not as a standard solid panel. In the creek corridor, a solid privacy fence can create a flood obstruction, and the Town may require a design with flood vents or open pickets that let water move through. We’ve built plenty of fences along the creek, and we’ll tell you exactly what the ordinance will pass before you spend a dollar. Call (877) 610-1318 for a site walk.
It can, indirectly. A fence that fails flood-zone compliance can flag your property with the Town and complicate an insurance claim after a creek overflow. A properly permitted, code-compliant fence, documented with inspections, gives your insurer one less reason to dispute. We keep that paperwork clean and hand it to you with the final invoice. A good fence shouldn’t raise your premium, and a documented one won’t hang you up at claim time.
We treat hillside lots differently than valley-floor lots. Upper San Anselmo hillsides are classified as High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones under CAL FIRE maps, which means materials and design choices matter. We recommend ignition-resistant assemblies where appropriate, and we set posts and gates to handle the wind and slope those lots throw at a fence. The design starts with the fire hazard and the wind load, not with whatever was on sale. Call (877) 610-1318 for a quote that accounts for your specific lot.
Call Barrett & Sons Construction for Your San Anselmo Fence
Before you sign anything, get a written scope. We’ll walk your property, check the flood maps and wind requirements for your exact lot, and hand you a line-item quote in writing. Tom Barrett publishes his name, his address, and his license number, and a live person answers (877) 610-1318 any time you call. The 90-Day Done Right Promise is on every contract: if it’s not done right, one call brings Tom back. We live twenty minutes away, and if something’s wrong with your fence, we want to know about it.
Written by Tom Barrett, Owner at Barrett & Sons Construction, serving San Anselmo and Marin County since 1998.