Fence or deck costs in Kansas City

Kansas City spreads across a state line, so the fence rules you follow come from the city you live in. Independence, on the Missouri side, shows how detailed they can get.

There, a fence needs a permit only once it passes six feet. Eight feet is the cap, except around pools, tennis courts and similar spots. In front of the house, and along a street side in front of it, the limit is 36 inches, and the fence has to be at least half see-through: chain link, pickets, wrought iron or split rail. No fence can sit within 25 feet of the point where two street lines would meet at a corner.

Looks count, too. You can mix no more than two materials on one fence, and temporary plastic, plywood, canvas or sheet metal won't pass as a permanent fence. The color has to look like traditional wood, so bright orange or red is out. And Independence expects upkeep: missing or rotted pickets get replaced with the same quality of material.

Decks are simpler. In Independence, every deck needs a permit, whatever its size.

Footings matter here because the ground freezes often. Kansas City's airport averages 108 days a year with a low of 32°F or colder, and ground that freezes and thaws can lift a post that isn't set deep enough.