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Fence and deck guides

The questions people ask before they call a contractor, answered with real numbers and the sources behind them. Every guide links to the calculator that goes with it.

Fences · 4 min readHow Much Does a Fence Cost in 2026?Prices per foot by material, what a typical backyard costs, and the extras people forget to budget for.Read the guide Fences · 4 min readWood vs Vinyl Fence: Cost, Lifespan and UpkeepWood is cheaper to put up, vinyl is cheaper to keep. Here's how the money works out, and how long each one lasts.Read the guide Decks · 5 min readDo You Need a Permit to Build a Deck?The four conditions that let a deck skip the permit, how cities change them, and what the process looks like.Read the guide Decks · 4 min readHow Long Does a Pressure-Treated Deck Last?Why the answer ranges from 10 to 30 years, what decides it, and how to tell when a deck is near the end.Read the guide Fences · 4 min readHow to Measure Your Yard for a FenceFind the line, measure the length, place the gates and count the posts before you ask anyone for a price.Read the guide Fences · 3 min readHow Deep Should Fence Posts Be?Hole depth for every common fence height, how wide to dig, the frost line, and how much concrete each post takes.Read the guide Fences · 3 min readWhen Is the Best Time to Build a Fence?What each season means for digging, concrete, prices and how long you'll wait for a crew.Read the guide Decks · 3 min readHow Often Should You Stain a Deck?The usual interval, the water test that tells you it's time, and what each staining costs.Read the guide Fences · 5 min readWho Pays for a Fence Between Neighbors?Usually nobody has to chip in unless they agree. California is the big exception, and farm states have their own rules for livestock fences.Read the guide Fences · 4 min readHow Close to the Property Line Can a Fence Be?Usually right up to it in the backyard, with extra rules near sidewalks, streets, corners and easements.Read the guide Fences · 3 min readHow Tall Can a Fence Be?About 6 feet in the backyard and 3 to 4 in front in most towns, with real examples and the exceptions.Read the guide Fences · 4 min readDo You Need a Permit for a Fence?Often not for an ordinary backyard fence, but it depends on your town. How to find out, and what the application involves.Read the guide Decks · 5 min readHow Much Does a Deck Cost?A whole 12 × 16 deck added up line by line, with what moves the price and what quotes tend to leave out.Read the guide Decks · 5 min readHow High Does a Deck Railing Have to Be?36 inches under the model code, 42 in California, 34 on stairs. How it's measured, and when you need one at all.Read the guide Decks · 5 min readHow Far Apart Should Deck Joists Be?Usually 16 inches on center, and 12 for diagonal boards. The code's tables, with a 12-foot deck worked through.Read the guide Fences · 4 min readFence Rules by CityFront-yard limits, back-yard limits and permit rules for 50 US cities, each linked to the city's own page.Read the guide

Find what you need

Pricing a project

Start with what a fence costs or what a deck costs. Choosing a material? Compare wood and vinyl fences. Timing it? See the best time to build a fence.

Rules, permits and neighbors

Look up your city in our table of fence rules by city. Most projects begin with two questions: do you need a permit for a fence, and do you need one for a deck. After that come how tall a fence can be, how close it can go to the property line, who pays for one between neighbors and how high a deck railing has to be.

Planning and building

Get the details right before anyone digs: measuring your yard for a fence, how deep fence posts should go and how far apart deck joists should be.

Looking after it

A wood deck lasts longer with care. See how long a wood deck lasts and how often to stain it.

Where the numbers come from

The prices in these guides are the same ones our calculators use, reviewed in . When a guide quotes a rule or a lifespan, the source is listed at the bottom of the page. The formulas are on the method page.