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Fence or deck costs in Los Angeles

Here’s the ballpark for common fence or deck jobs around Los Angeles, CA. Want one for your own project? A photo is all it takes.

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Los Angeles

What it usually costs

  • Build a wood fence$29 – $52 per linear foot
  • Build a vinyl or metal fence$17 – $68 per linear foot
  • Build a chain-link fence$11 – $45 per linear foot
  • Build a wood deck$17 – $57 per sq ft
  • Build a composite deck$28 – $91 per sq ft

A ballpark, not a quote. Some of these are national averages adjusted for Los Angeles prices, so your job could land outside them.

Fence or deck in Los Angeles

In Los Angeles, start your fence plan at the front yard, because that's where the zoning code is tightest. On lots in the R zones, LADBS caps a front-yard fence at three and a half feet. Anything taller out front, up to eight feet, takes approval from the Department of City Planning.

Out back, the limit depends on your lot. Side and rear fences can reach eight feet when the lot is at least 40 feet wide and sits outside a hillside area. On a narrower lot, or anywhere in the hillside area, the cap is six feet. So two houses on the same street can end up with different fence heights.

What the fence is made of matters too. A masonry or concrete fence over three and a half feet needs a building permit. If you picture a block wall along the street, plan on plan check.

On a sloping lot, LADBS has its own method for working out the maximum height, so a fence that steps down a hill isn't measured like one on flat ground.

The bulletin also carries a warning worth taking to heart: don't assume the inside edge of the sidewalk is your property line. Find the real line before the first post hole, or your new fence could sit on land that isn't yours.

Sources

Questions homeowners ask

How accurate is a photo estimate?
It’s a ballpark, not a quote. A photo tells us a lot about the material and size, but a local pro who walks the yard will always be more precise. Use our number as the range to expect before you start calling around.
How is a fence priced versus a deck?
Fences are usually priced by the foot and decks by the square foot. We’ll ask one quick question to tell which you’re after, then size it from your photo and your answers.
Which materials can you estimate?
Wood, vinyl, chain-link and metal for fences; pressure-treated wood and composite for decks. Material is the single biggest price swing, so it’s worth picking the one you want.
Is this really free?
Yes. No signup, no credit card, no spam. We only make money if you choose to connect with a local pro — and that’s up to you.
What photo works best?
A wide shot of where the fence or deck will go — or of the old one you’re replacing — works best.

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