A new fence installation is a layout problem before it’s a building problem. Where the line runs, which way the finished side faces, where the gates land, and how deep the posts go are all decided before the first picket goes on, and they’re what the fence lives or dies by.
Building on open ground is the good version of this job. Nobody else’s mistakes are in the way, the boundary is still an open question rather than an inherited one, and the layout can answer what the property actually does. Call (512) 746-0980 or get us out to measure, and we’ll walk it with you.
If there’s already a fence standing and it’s failing, that’s a different job, and the cost and the sequence both change. This page is about starting from nothing.
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Where does the line actually go?
First question every time, and on a new install it’s genuinely open. You have a survey, and you have whatever your neighbors have built, and those aren’t always the same. Building to a neighbor’s fence because it’s there is how boundary disputes start, and once you’ve dug and filled thirty post holes, the conversation gets expensive.
So we want the survey before we set anything. If you don’t have one to hand, that’s worth sorting first, because it’s the one part of this job that costs almost nothing to get right and a great deal to get wrong. When the line is genuinely uncertain, most people set the fence a few inches inside it, keeping the whole structure on their own ground.
Then there are the rules. The city or your association decides height limits, corner-lot sightlines, and which way the finished side has to face, not your preference. The height limits that apply are worth checking before you settle on a design, and know what triggers a permit.
What does the ground decide?
More than the material does. West and north of the city, a post hole can dig cleanly for the first foot, then hit hard caliche or limestone right at the depth the post needs. It changes across a single property, so one end of a run goes in easily, and the other takes an afternoon.
On a new install, there’s no old fence to give you a clue, which cuts both ways: nothing is in the way, and nothing tells you what’s down there either. We go into an estimate in Cedar Park or on the west side already expecting rock, because planning for it is cheaper than meeting it on site with a crew and a schedule to keep.
What we won’t do is leave a post shallow because the digging got hard. That shortcut produces a fence that looks perfect for four years, then starts to lean, and it’s invisible the day it happens.
Grade matters just as much. A fence crossing a slope either steps down in sections or racks to follow the ground, and the choice affects both its appearance and the gaps beneath. On a lot dropping toward a greenbelt, that decision is the difference between a finished fence line and one with a foot of daylight at the bottom. Drainage gets the same attention, because a post sitting where water collects lasts less than one twenty feet away.
What should you build?
Most new fences here go up as wood privacy panels, which suits the neighborhoods and satisfies most association rules. Where containment matters more than screening, galvanized mesh does the same job for less and takes up almost no visual space.
Two other builds come up often enough to mention. Ornamental iron suits a property where the fence needs to mark a boundary without becoming the thing you look at, which on a hill-country lot is usually the whole point. And on anything with real acreage, livestock panel covers ground quickly, and once the runs get long, nothing else matches its cost per foot.
Decide on gates early rather than late. Where they go, how wide they are, and whether a vehicle needs to go through determine post sizes and hardware; moving a gate after the posts are set means resetting the posts. Planning the gates into the layout costs nothing at the estimate and a lot afterward. If you’re still choosing between materials, the comparison guide lays them out side by side.
How long does it take?
A residential build usually takes a few days. Longer runs, hard digging, acreage, and multiple gates add time, and concrete needs to set before a fence can take its full load, so a job with a lot of posts isn’t one to rush.
The part that sets your actual start date is usually approval, not us. In Circle C and other HOA neighborhoods, architectural committees meet on their own schedules, and any incomplete submission waits until the next meeting. If you’re building toward a move-in, a pool, or a new dog, begin that process well before you want the crew on site.
Working with us
We’re fully insured, and our work carries a 1-year craftsmanship warranty. What we’d want you to know beyond that is how we quote: nobody gets a number from us without a visit, because on a new build there’s no existing fence to read, and the property is the only source of information.
Our install footprint runs from the central Austin neighborhoods out through West Lake Hills, Barton Creek, Lost Creek, and Circle C Ranch to the south and west, and north through Northwest Hills, Great Hills, Steiner Ranch, and Old West Austin, reaching Lakeway and Bee Cave one way and Cedar Park and Round Rock the other. The digging is not remotely the same at both ends of that, which is the whole reason we quote on site.
Ready to get a line marked out? Call (512) 746-0980 or send us the details. We’ll come out, walk the boundary with you, and tell you what the ground is likely to do before anyone quotes a number.
FAQs
Q1. How much does fence installation cost in Austin?
It comes down to material, the length of the run, the terrain, and how many gates you need. Rock at post depth is the local variable most estimates from elsewhere miss, and it adds labor west and north of the city. We break down the drivers in our cost guide, and an estimate for your property is free.
Q2. Do I need a survey before you install a fence?
It’s strongly advisable on a new build. There’s no existing fence to suggest where the line runs, and a neighbor’s fence isn’t evidence of your boundary. Settling that question before we set posts costs almost nothing; settling it afterward costs a great deal.
Q3. Which way should the finished side face?
Toward the street or your neighbor, in most cases, and in HOA neighborhoods it’s usually specified rather than optional. Check your association’s rules before you decide, because it’s not a change that can be made after the fence is built.
Q4. How deep do the posts go?
Deep enough for the fence height and the soil we find, which is a judgment made on site rather than a fixed number. What matters more is that we don’t stop short when the digging gets hard. A post set shallow in rock gives no sign of itself until it starts leaning years later.
Q5. Can you build on a slope?
Yes. The fence either steps down in sections or racks to follow the ground, and which one suits depends on the grade, the material, and how much gap underneath you can live with. It’s a decision worth making at the time of the estimate rather than on the day.
Q6. Do I need a permit to install a fence?
Sometimes, and it depends on height, location, and corner-lot status. We’ll tell you what we’re seeing for your property, and permits are handled through our permit partners when a job calls for one. HOA approval is separate and usually takes longer.
Q7. How soon can you start?
It depends on the season and on your approval. The build itself is usually a few days for a residential job. If your neighborhood needs architectural sign-off, that’s what sets your start date, so it’s the first thing to get moving.
