Fence or deck costs in Wilmington

Hurricane Florence came ashore near Wrightsville Beach on September 14, 2018. Wilmington's airport recorded a 105 mph gust and more than 23 inches of rain, and the city was cut off from the outside world for several days.

Wind and wet ground decide how a fence lasts here. A solid privacy fence catches wind like a sail, so post depth and spacing matter more than the boards. If your yard is sandy, it drains fast but grips a post loosely. Salt air near the water eats plain steel nails and hangers, so ask for hot-dipped galvanized or stainless.

The permit side is split. The city's zoning team checks that your project fits the Land Development Code. But New Hanover County's Department of Permits and Inspections issues every building permit inside city limits, including for accessory structures.

If you live in one of the city's local historic districts, the historic preservation staff can approve some projects on their own. A fence qualifies, unless you're on a corner lot. So does a deck in the rear yard. You send a plot plan, the design and the materials, and a complete application usually gets reviewed in 7 to 10 business days. A corner-lot fence or anything outside those lines goes to the Historic Preservation Commission instead.