Cedar privacy on steel posts
$38 to $52 per foot
Board-on-board cedar with a cap and trim board, hung on galvanized steel posts set in concrete.
Best forFull backyard privacy, dogs, most HOAs
Fence installation in Austin, TX
Austin fences, built to stay straight.Cedar, horizontal and metal on steel posts.
Austin clay swells after rain and shrinks in drought. That movement pushes wood posts out of line and leaves gates that won't latch. We hang every cedar fence on galvanized steel posts set in concrete, so it stays put.
01Galvanized steel posts in concrete02Cap and trim on cedar privacy03HOA packet with drawing and specs04Built by Sweat Decks in Austin
Price
What will my fence cost?
Most backyard fences we would build around Austin land between $8,000 and $20,000 installed. Pick a style and a length and you get a planning range you can actually budget around.
Step 1 of 2 Your fence
Planning range$8,500 to $12,100About $43 to $61 per foot, all in. Steel posts included.
Based on 2026 installed prices around Austin. The written quote after we measure is the real price.
| Style | Height | Per foot |
|---|---|---|
| Cedar privacy on steel posts | 6 ft | $38 to $52 |
| Horizontal cedar | 6 ft | $50 to $75 |
| Black ornamental and pool | 4 to 5 ft | $35 to $58 |
| Modern steel and cedar | 6 ft | $75 to $130 |
| Driveway gate, swing | each | $1,800 to $4,200 |
| Automatic opener | add | $4,500 to $9,000 |
Ranges come from 2026 installed prices published by Austin fence companies and local cost guides, adjusted for steel posts. The written quote after we measure is the price.
Styles
Which fence fits your yard?
Four standard builds. Each one is priced per foot with the posts, gates and hardware written into the quote.
Horizontal cedar
$50 to $75 per foot
Clear cedar boards run level between black steel posts, with tight, even reveals.
Best forModern homes, pool yards, front courtyards
Black ornamental and pool
$35 to $58 per foot
Powder-coated aluminum or steel pickets. Pool versions get code spacing and self-closing, self-latching gates.
Best forFront yards, pools, views you want to keep
Modern steel and cedar
$75 to $130 per foot
Welded steel frames with cedar slats or steel panels. Built as a wall, not a fence.
Best forHill Country modern homes, estate frontage
Driveway gates
Close off the driveway, too.
Cedar or steel double gates on welded steel frames, sized to your drive and hung so they don't sag. A manual swing gate usually runs $1,800 to $4,200. An automatic opener with keypad and remotes adds $4,500 to $9,000, depending on gate weight and power run.
Add a gate to my price
Built for Austin
Why do Austin fences lean?
Two reasons. Our clay soil moves with the weather, which works wood posts loose, and wood posts rot right at the ground line. Pine fences around here often need replacing within 8 to 12 years. Steel posts fix the part that fails first.
- Steel posts, set in concreteGalvanized steel posts no more than 8 feet apart, each in a concrete footing finished to shed water.
- Cedar where you see itCedar pickets, rails and cap on every wood fence, fastened with coated or stainless screws.
- Gates that keep latchingGates hang on steel frames with heavy hinges, and we set the latch after the concrete cures.
- Wood kept off the dirtPickets stop short of the soil so they don't wick water. Where the grade allows, a gravel strip or rot board takes the splash.
- Nothing hidden in the priceTear-out, haul-off, gates and cleanup each get their own line in your written quote.
Permits and HOA
Do I need a permit or HOA approval?
Usually not a permit, often an HOA. Inside Austin city limits, most backyard fences up to 6 feet on the property line don't need a permit. Most Austin-area HOAs do want to approve the style, height and stain first.
- Permit neededTaller than 7 feet anywhere, inside a floodplain, or taller than 6 feet along a public right-of-way.
- Property line height6 feet for a solid fence, 7 feet where the grade drops at least a foot. Up to 8 feet is allowed on or inside the building setback lines.
- Corner lotsNeed sign-off from Austin Transportation and Public Works so drivers can still see traffic.
- Replacing an old fenceReplace more than half of it and the whole fence has to meet Austin's Safe Fencing rules. We build to them.
- HOAsTexas law doesn't let an HOA ban a perimeter fence, but most control height, style and stain. You get a packet with the drawing, materials and stain spec to submit, and we start after approval.
Source: City of Austin Fencing Regulations, checked October 2026. Round Rock, Cedar Park, Georgetown and the other cities nearby set their own rules, so we check your address before we quote.
Process
How does it work?
Four steps from this page to a finished fence. You know the price before anything goes in the ground.
- 01
Send your fence details
Two minutes on this page. You see a planning range right away, before anyone calls you.
- 02
We measure and quote
We walk the line, check slope, trees, utilities and HOA rules, then send a written, itemized quote.
- 03
We build
We have utilities marked through Texas 811, set posts, let the concrete cure, then hang rails, pickets and gates. Most backyards take two to four days on site.
- 04
Walkthrough
We check every gate swing and latch with you, clean up and haul off the old fence.
Questions
Fence questions, answered straight.
How much does a new fence cost in Austin?
Most Austin-area backyard fences we would build land between $8,000 and $20,000 installed. Six-foot cedar on steel posts usually runs $38 to $52 per foot, horizontal cedar $50 to $75, black ornamental or pool fencing $35 to $58, and modern steel and cedar $75 to $130. Gates, removal of the old fence, slope and access move the number. The estimator above gives you a planning range, and the written quote after we measure is the real price.
Do I need a permit for a fence in Austin?
Inside the City of Austin, a fence needs a permit if it is taller than 7 feet anywhere, sits in a floodplain, or is taller than 6 feet along a public right-of-way. A solid fence on a property line is limited to 6 feet (7 feet where the grade drops at least a foot). Corner lots need approval from Austin Transportation and Public Works. Round Rock, Cedar Park, Georgetown and the other cities nearby have their own rules, so we check your address before we quote.
Will my HOA approve it?
Texas law does not let an HOA ban a perimeter fence, but most Austin-area HOAs control height, style, stain color and which side faces out. We put the drawing, material list and stain spec in a packet you can submit, and we do not start until you have approval.
Why steel posts?
Austin clay swells when it rains and shrinks in drought, and that movement is what loosens wood posts. Wood posts also rot right at the ground line. Galvanized steel posts set in concrete do not rot and hold their line, so the fence stays straight and the gates keep latching. The cedar you see is the same either way.
How long does installation take?
Most backyard fences take two to four days on site once materials are in. Horizontal and steel fences take longer because every board is fitted. Concrete needs to cure before gates are hung, and heavy rain on clay soil can push post setting back a day or two.
Do you take out the old fence?
Yes. Tear-out and haul-off are listed as their own line in your quote so you can see what they cost. If you are replacing more than half of an existing fence in Austin, the whole fence has to meet the current Safe Fencing rules, and we build to them.
My neighbor shares the fence. Who pays?
In Texas a neighbor does not have to split the cost unless they agreed to. Many neighbors do share it, and we are happy to quote it so both households can see the numbers. Your survey shows where the property line is.
Do you offer financing?
Not through this page yet. If financing would decide it for you, say so in your request and we will tell you plainly what is available before you commit to anything.
Your backyard, back to yourself
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