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 Woodside
Fence installation in Woodside typically runs $3,500 to $9,000 for a wood fence, with aluminum running $4,000 to $10,000 and custom gates adding $1,500 to $6,000. The bigger variable here isn’t the lumber or the labor. It’s the permitting path through the Town of Woodside’s Architectural and Site Review Board, plus the fire code requirements that govern what materials can legally go in the ground. If you live on Mountain Home Road, Canada Road, or off Portola Road in the 94062 zip code, you already know what we mean. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll walk you through what your specific parcel will actually require before you spend a dollar.
Why Barrett & Sons Construction Is Woodside’s Preferred Fence Installation Company
Tom Barrett founded this company in 1998, and his sons run the crews. That’s not marketing copy. When we say a name, it’s a person who will be standing in your driveway in Woodside, not a dispatcher in another state. We answer our own phone, 24/7. We pull permits on every eligible fence job, and we know the Woodside Building Department’s process well enough to tell you which plan set will clear review on the first submission and which one will bounce back for revisions.
Our Fence Installation team has built and repaired fences throughout Woodside long enough to know where the trouble spots are. The clay soil up in the hills doesn’t drain like flatland dirt. A post set without gravel and the right footing will heave within two winters. We design for that from the start, not after the fence starts leaning. And every job, from a simple side gate to a full equestrian perimeter, comes with the written 90-Day Done Right Promise. If something isn’t right, Tom comes back and fixes it. One call.
Our Fence Installation Services in Woodside
Wood Fence
Wood fences in Woodside aren’t the stock cedar panels you see in Menlo Park subdivisions. Most properties here want horizontal cedar or redwood with steel frames, built to follow the contour of a hillside lot. Woodside’s Architectural and Site Review Board often requires the fence design to match the home’s architectural character, so a ranch-style estate gets a different treatment than a 1970s split-level. We handle that coordination. Wood fences in Woodside run $3,500 to $9,000 depending on lineal footage, grade changes, and whether we’re using clear cedar or knotty redwood.
Chain Link Fence
Chain link in Woodside usually ends up around equestrian paddocks, dog runs, and the occasional pool enclosure. But even a “simple” chain link fence here can trigger Chapter 7A review if it’s within 100 feet of a structure. We use heavier-gauge posts and set them deeper than standard because the clay soil on the Santa Cruz Mountain foothills expands and shifts seasonally. A chain link fence that doesn’t account for that will sag and pull within a few years.
Vinyl Fence
Vinyl gets requested for its low maintenance, but we’re honest with Woodside customers up front: vinyl doesn’t always clear the fire code for lot-line setbacks. Chapter 7A ignition-resistant requirements mean certain composites and plastics don’t qualify when the fence sits close to a structure or along a property line in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. We’ll tell you before you order materials whether vinyl is actually feasible on your parcel, or whether aluminum or properly treated wood is the smarter call.
Aluminum Fence
Aluminum is the quiet workhorse in Woodside. It holds up in the rainy season, doesn’t rot, and is easy to build to Chapter 7A ignition-resistant standards. We use a heavier gauge than stock spec because the wind coming down the foothills will flex a lighter rail. Aluminum fences in Woodside run $4,000 to $10,000, and they’re the most common choice for estate lot lines where the owners want security without blocking sightlines into the oak canopy.
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 Woodside
We believe in materials you can look up. For fence projects that integrate with hardscape, we’ll often tie into Belgard or Techo-Bloc for matching pillar caps and walkway transitions. Quikrete products are our standard for post footings because they’re consistent and spec’d for clay-heavy soil conditions. We don’t stock mystery brands off the back of a van. If it’s on your property, you should be able to find the manufacturer, read the warranty, and hold someone accountable. That’s the same reason we publish our license number and Tom’s name.
Common Fence Installation Problems We See in Woodside Homes
- Chapter 7A non-compliance: Most Woodside parcels sit in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. A fence built with standard posts and rails that don’t meet ignition-resistant requirements within 100 feet of a structure can trigger a stop-work order from the Building Department. We spec every fence for the fire code first, not after the materials show up.
- Heritage oak drip-line violations: The Town of Woodside protects heritage oaks with a drip-line exclusion zone, and digging post holes inside that zone without an approved site plan leads to fines and forced relocation. We check the oak inventory before we ever mark a post line.
- Wrong material for the fire code: Vinyl and some composites fail fire code for lot-line setbacks, and we’ve seen homeowners order materials only to find out they can’t be installed. We verify code compliance before any purchase order goes out.
- Post heave from clay soil: Woodside’s clay-heavy hillside soil expands in winter and contracts in summer. Posts set in native soil without gravel drainage and proper footings will heave. We over-excavate and pack with drain rock as standard practice on every fence line.
Pricing for Fence Installation in Woodside, CA
Here’s what you can expect before you pick up the phone. The numbers are honest ranges for Woodside, not national averages pulled from a chart.
| Fence Type | Typical Range in Woodside |
|---|---|
| Wood Fence | $3,500 - $9,000 |
| Aluminum Fence | $4,000 - $10,000 |
| Fence Gates | $1,500 - $6,000 |
What moves the price on a Woodside fence is lineal footage, grade, material grade, and whether the Town requires design review before a permit issues. Design review can add weeks to the calendar and require an architect’s drawing set, but it protects you from building something the Town will red-tag later. We handle that process end to end. And every price we quote arrives as a written change order before work starts, not a surprise invoice at the end. Call (877) 610-1318 for a free estimate.
We Also Serve Cities Near Woodside
While this page covers Fence Installation in Woodside specifically, our crews work the whole Peninsula. We build fences in Menlo Park, Redwood City, San Carlos, and Atherton, and we bring the same permit-driven, fire-code-aware approach to every one of those towns. If you’re a few minutes down the road and wondering whether we’ll come out, the answer is yes. Call (877) 610-1318 and ask.
The Woodside-Specific Challenges Most Fence Companies Don’t Mention
Woodside’s properties are almost entirely in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, so any fence we install must meet Chapter 7A standards for ignition resistance, especially within 100 feet of structures or property lines. This isn’t a suggestion from a building inspector. It’s a code requirement that determines what materials you can use, how close a fence can sit to your home, and whether your project needs architectural review before a permit is even accepted. Neighboring Portola Valley and Atherton clients simply don’t face this to the same degree.
On Mountain Home Road, we just wrapped a custom horizontal cedar fence with a steel frame for a ranch-style estate. The Architectural and Site Review Board required the fence to stay outside a heritage oak’s drip line, so we floated the posts on helical piers and used a 1-inch ground clearance to avoid root disturbance. Our clients appreciated the permit-ready drawing package, and the final inspection sign-off came on the first try. That’s what happens when you design for Woodside’s actual rules instead of showing up with a generic plan and hoping.
There’s a triple layer here that no other Peninsula town combines. Fire code. Heritage oak protection. Discretionary design review. The Town’s heritage oak ordinance can override the building envelope on paper, meaning a planned fence corner sitting inside a protected oak’s drip-line zone forces a full site-plan revision before the Building Department will even accept the application. That’s information you won’t get from a generic fence contractor site.
Serving Woodside, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Woodside 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 Woodside
Yes, in most cases. If your parcel sits in the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone and the fence is within 100 feet of a structure or along a property line, the replacement fence must meet Chapter 7A ignition-resistant requirements. The old fence may have been grandfathered in, but a new installation triggers current code. We verify the specific distance and requirements for your parcel before we quote a single figure. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll check your parcel while you’re on the phone.
Often, yes. The Architectural and Site Review Board reviews fence designs on many Woodside properties, especially estates, ranch-style homes, and parcels with heritage trees. The review adds time to the schedule, but it also means the Town won’t red-tag your fence after it’s built. We prepare the drawing package that matches Town expectations, which is why our Woodside permits tend to clear on the first submission.
Not without an approved site plan and typically not without shifting the fence line or using alternative footings. Woodside’s heritage oak protection ordinance legally constrains where you can dig, and the drip-line exclusion zone often overrides the property line on paper. On a recent Mountain Home Road job, we floated posts on helical piers and kept a 1-inch ground clearance to avoid disturbing roots while satisfying the Board. If the oak sits on your property line, expect the design to change before the permit issues.
Woodside’s clay-heavy hillside soil expands in winter and contracts in summer, which heaves fence posts set in native soil without drainage. We over-excavate post holes, pack them with drain rock, and set posts deeper than standard spec. It’s more work on the front end, but it’s the difference between a fence that stays straight for 20 years and one that starts leaning after two rainy seasons.
The permitting timeline in Woodside can add anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months depending on design review requirements and whether heritage oaks are in play. Materials are rarely the bottleneck. The Town’s review calendar is. We tell you up front what your specific parcel will require and then order materials once the permit is in hand, not before. Call (877) 610-1318 and we’ll map out the full timeline for your property.
Get a Free Estimate for Fence Installation in Woodside
You’ll get a written, line-item quote. You’ll get the fire code and oak tree reality check before you spend a dollar. You’ll get Tom’s name, our license number, and a company that answers its own phone at (877) 610-1318. Whether you’re fencing a full equestrian perimeter or just need a gate that actually latches, call today and we’ll come out to Woodside, walk your property with you, and tell you what’s real. The estimate is free, and the information is yours either way.
Written by Tom Barrett, Owner at Barrett & Sons Construction, serving Woodside and the surrounding Peninsula communities.