How Long Does It Take to Build a Fence?

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One of the more common questions people ask about fences is how long does it take to build a fence. Like many things in the fence world, the answer is that it depends on a lot of factors. How much fencing do you need? What kind of fence are you having installed?

Assuming you are talking about a residential fence around a backyard, which would usually be anything from about 100 to 200 linear feet, let’s look at the numbers.

How Long Does It Take to Build a Back Yard Fence?

Most people who are looking for backyard fences are looking for something like a chain link, wood fence, or vinyl fence. At this scale, the timing won’t be too different between the different options, and you’re probably looking at a few days. The timing will usually be as follows:

• Day one, deliver materials to site, set out fence, and dig holes
• Day two, set posts in concrete or pound posts – usually, you need to let concrete set at least overnight before you can do anything else to the fence
• Day three, building or cladding the fence
• Day four, hanging gates – this happens at the end of the job to give the concrete footings more time to set

The timing of your fence installation might differ slightly from this, and if you are using screw piles or pounded posts, your fence company might be able to get it done faster, but for most residential fence projects, it will probably take less than a week from start to finish.

Things That Could Slow Down or Delay Your Fence Project

Of course, when you’re talking about how long does it take to build a fence, you’re always going to assume the best-case scenario, but there are several things that could slow down or delay your fence project. These include:

• Your fence company’s lead time – most fence companies get booked up early in the year since most people want their backyard fences by the summer – so there might be several weeks’ wait before they can get to your project
• If you have an existing fence that needs to be taken down, that will add some time to the project and cost extra
• If you have not done underground locates and marked cables, gas lines, and so on, there’s always a chance that a fence installation could result in a break, which will add a lot more time and cost to the project
• If you want fence material that is not readily available, you will need to wait for it to be ordered and delivered before your fence project can start
• If you don’t have permits and you don’t know where your boundary pegs are, it will take longer for your contractor to get the job done, and you will probably have to contact the local building department

If you want your fence project to happen quickly and smoothly, it’s a good idea to take care of all of these things first and to make sure that your site is ready for your fence company.

Be sure to ask how long it will take to get to your project when you get your quote, too and ask your contractor if they stock the materials you need for your fence.

How Long Do Larger Fence Projects Take?

If you have a larger fence project, it’s a good idea to ask your fence contractor for an estimate of the time it will take to complete the project. Most commercial and high-security fence contractors will also be able to give you a project schedule that will set out all the steps and tasks that make up the project.

Larger fence projects often involve more complex specifications and project administration, so it’s very hard to estimate how long they will take without knowing the specification and scope of work.