How much does a fence cost in Durham?

Most Durham homeowners pay between $2,606 and $5,240 for a new fence, and the average is $3,840, according to Angi's cost guide set to Durham (Angi, Durham). The national average is $3,276 (Angi).

These figures come from cost guides, not from quotes for your yard. Angi and HomeAdvisor publish the same national numbers, so they do not confirm each other. Treat every figure here as a guide and get written quotes.

Cost per foot by material

Fence prices are usually quoted per linear foot, installed. Labor is about half of the total (Angi).

What typical projects cost

In Durham, an 8-foot fence only works in side and back yards away from the street, or on a Rural Tier lot. Between the house and the street the limit is 4 feet everywhere outside the Rural Tier (Durham UDO 9.9).

What raises the price

• Height. Going from 6 to 8 feet can add 25% to 35% (HomeAdvisor).
• Gates. Basic side gates start at $150, and premium ones run $400 to $1,200 (HomeAdvisor). Driveway gates run $1,000 to $6,000 installed (Fixr).
• Removing an old fence. HomeAdvisor puts it at $3 to $5 per foot (HomeAdvisor); HomeGuide says $10 to $20 per foot, depending on the fence and the hauling distance (HomeGuide). Ask for it as its own line in the quote.
• Slopes, rock and poor soil. These take more time and cost more than a level yard with soil that drains (HomeGuide). Durham's clay is covered in the materials guide.
• Tree roots. Clearing roots from a post hole often runs about $50 each (HomeAdvisor).
• Utilities. Working around buried lines can add 10% to 30% (Angi).
• A survey. If you are not sure where the property line is, a survey adds about $200 to $545 (HomeAdvisor), and some guides go as high as $1,200 (HomeGuide).

Durham fees you might pay

An older Building and Safety fee sheet lists $150 for a small floodplain permit, so confirm the current fee before you apply.

Ways to keep the price down

• Book in winter. Fence crews are slower then and "much more likely to cut you a deal, which might be a discount of 10% to 25%" (Angi).
• Ask every contractor to quote the same thing: height, material, post spacing, post depth, gates and removal of the old fence. Then the totals compare.
• Keep the front-yard section at 4 feet. A taller one needs a variance, which costs $831 before any fence is built (Durham fee menu).