Free tool
Fence cost calculator
Enter the length and material for a typical installed range, with tear-out, gates and the permit for your city listed separately. No contact details needed, and the result updates as you go.
Footage times the material range sets the number. Everything else says where in it your fence sits.
Estimate your fence
Fence and removal: typical Southern California range
$4,950 to $11,700
| 150 ft of wood privacy, redwood or cedar at $30 to $70 per ft | $4,500 to $10,500 |
|---|---|
| Tear-out and haul-away at $3 to $8 per ft | $450 to $1,200 |
Separate lines: gates
- Walk gate (1)Priced by scope: gate width, frame material, hinges and latch, the size of the gate posts and their footings, and self-closing, self-latching hardware if the gate is part of a pool barrier.
City of Ontario permit
The City of Ontario requires a building permit for wood, chain link and wrought iron fences over 3 ft. The fee is set by the valuation the city assigns under its Table A: a minimum of $47.50, plus a plan check fee of 80% of the permit fee when plans are reviewed, and a small state earthquake fee.
Example only: a project valued at $6,000 carries a $125.25 permit fee, about $226 with plan check. The city sets the valuation, so confirm the fee with the Building Department at (909) 395-2023.
Where your fence may fall
- Good to knowRedwood and board-on-board styles sit toward the top of the wood range; cedar and simple dog-ear styles sit lower. Pine or fir pickets belong at the low end.
- Good to knowThe range is for a 6 ft privacy fence, so your height matches it.
- Toward the low endA flat run with open access and workable soil points toward the low end.
- Good to knowOld posts set in large concrete footings, heavy vinyl panels and iron sections push removal toward the top of its range.
Taken together, your answers point toward the low end of the range.
These are typical Southern California ranges, not a quote. Gates, the permit, staining and any survey are priced on top. The price for your fence comes after someone walks the line.
How the estimate works
The range is the length you enter times a typical Southern California installed range per linear foot for the material, materials and labor together, at normal access and in workable soil. Removing an old fence adds its own per-foot range. Nothing else changes the dollar figures.
| Fence type | Typical installed range per linear foot |
|---|---|
| Wood privacy, 6 ft, redwood or cedar | $30 to $70 |
| Vinyl privacy, 6 ft | $35 to $75 and up |
| Wrought iron, tubular steel or aluminum | $35 to $100 |
| Chain link, 4 to 6 ft | $18 to $38 |
| Old fence removal and haul-away | $3 to $8 |
Vinyl has no fixed top because heavier tongue-and-groove systems and decorative tops can run past it. Height, slope, a long hand carry and rocky digging each add a note saying whether they push the job toward the high end or the low end. There is no honest way to turn those into a percentage, so the calculator doesn't.
Gates have no dependable per-foot figure. A walk gate depends on its width, frame, hardware and the posts it hangs from; a double drive or RV gate on its span, swing or slide, footings and any opener. They appear as separate lines, priced from the scope.
The permit line
The City of Ontario requires a building permit for wood, chain link and wrought iron fences over 3 ft. Its Building Department fee schedule sets the fee by the valuation the city assigns, with a $47.50 minimum, plus a plan check fee of 80% of the permit fee when plans are reviewed and a small state earthquake fee. As an example of the city's table, a project valued at $6,000 carries a $125.25 permit fee, about $226 with plan check. That is arithmetic on the table, not a quote; confirm the fee with the Building Department at (909) 395-2023.
In unincorporated San Bernardino County, a residential chain link, wood or wrought iron fence permit is $117 plus a $57 intake fee, $174 in all, under the County Land Use Services fee schedule. Rancho Cucamonga and Chino Hills do not require a building permit for a typical fence up to 6 ft. Anywhere else, the rule is confirmed for the address. The permit and height rules guide covers each city.
Why local prices sit where they do
Fence erectors in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metro earn a mean wage about 11% above the national mean, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. A wage is not a billing rate, since a contractor's price also carries insurance, licensing, vehicles, disposal and overhead, but it explains part of why local ranges sit above national ones.
What the range leaves out
- Gates, priced by their own scope
- The permit, and plan sheets if the city asks for them
- Staining or painting a new wood fence
- A property survey when the line is in doubt
- Sprinkler, planting or concrete repair along the line
Read the Ontario fence cost guide or find out whether to repair or replace.
Get an exact quote
Send the footage, material and gates, and a walk of the line turns this range into a price. Your estimator answers are added to the request.
Call (909) 324-5352Grove Ontario Fence Builders780 E Francis St, Ontario, CA 91761
office@groveontariofencebuilders.com
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 6 PM; Saturday and Sunday, 9 AM to 2 PM
Outside these hours, emergency calls only
Photos of the old fence or the open yard help.