Fence and gate questions, answered

Why do homeowners choose Build Rite Construction?

Speed, a fixed price and experience. A Build Rite crew puts up a typical home fence in one day, the price on your estimate is the price you pay, and demolition and haul-away are included. Igor, the owner, has built fences for more than 20 years. The company is licensed (#995609), fully insured and rated 4.9 stars from 59 reviews on Yelp.

How much experience does Build Rite Construction have?

Igor, the owner, has been building fences for more than 20 years, and Build Rite Construction has been in business since 2010. He still comes out for the estimate himself, so the person who prices your fence knows how it will be built.

Is Build Rite Construction licensed and insured?

Yes. Build Rite Construction is a licensed California contractor, license #995609 issued by the Contractors State License Board (CSLB), and is fully insured.

Who will build my fence?

A Build Rite crew builds your fence, and Igor, the owner, does the estimate himself. Customer Sal R. wrote: "Crews were punctual, clean & polite, Professional, & very detail oriented to everything." You can reach Igor directly at (916) 248-0572.

What areas do you serve?

Build Rite Construction is based in Elk Grove and works across Greater Sacramento: Elk Grove, Sacramento, Roseville, Folsom, Granite Bay, El Dorado Hills, Rancho Cordova, Galt, plus Natomas and the Pocket/Greenhaven area in Sacramento. We also take projects beyond this list. Call with your address.

What do customers say about Build Rite Construction?

Build Rite Construction has a 4.9-star rating from 59 reviews on Yelp. Chrishtia R. wrote that her estimate "was done in 5 minutes." Her project, about 270 feet of fence plus an RV gate, "started June 26th and was finished the next day!" Sal R. wrote: "This company really cares about customers' satisfaction & it shows!"

Source: Build Rite Construction on Yelp

How do I book a free estimate?

Call or text (916) 248-0572, Monday through Saturday, 7 AM to 5 PM, or send the estimate form on our home page with your address and the rough length of the fence. Igor calls you back to book the visit and measure the fence line.

How much does a new wood fence cost in Elk Grove and Sacramento?

At Build Rite Construction, a new 6-foot wood fence starts at $36 per linear foot. That price covers pressure-treated posts, redwood rails, 1x4x6 redwood boards with a dog-eared top, and tearing out and hauling away your old fence. At that rate, 100 feet of fence starts at $3,600 and 150 feet at $5,400, before gates.

What is included in the price of a new fence?

The per-foot price includes tearing out and hauling away your old fence, new posts, rails and boards, installation and clean-up.

What makes a fence cost more than the starting price?

Gates, RV gates, extra height, horizontal slats, lattice tops and steel posts add to the starting rate, which covers a standard 6-foot redwood privacy fence. PostMaster steel posts add $3 per linear foot. We write every item into the quote before any work starts.

Is the fence estimate free?

Yes. Igor, the owner, comes to your property, walks the fence line, measures it and gives you a firm price in about five minutes. Call or text (916) 248-0572, or send the estimate form on our home page.

Will the price go up after the old fence comes down?

No. Under the Build Rite Fixed Quote Guarantee, the number on your estimate is the number you pay, even after the old fence comes down.

What is the Good Neighbor Discount?

If you and your neighbor replace the fence between your yards at the same time, both households get a discount on the job. Mention it when you book the estimate.

How long does it take to install a fence?

One day for a typical home. A Build Rite crew tears out the old fence and builds the new one the same day. One customer's 270 feet of fence plus an RV gate started on June 26 and was finished the next day. You get the schedule before work begins.

What happens on installation day?

Our crew takes down the old fence and hauls it away, sets the new posts, then hangs the rails, boards and gates. Before leaving, the crew cleans up the work area. You leave for work with the old fence and come home to a new one.

Do you need to call 811 before installing a fence?

Yes. California law requires whoever digs to notify 811 (USA North 811 in the Sacramento area) at least two working days and no more than 14 calendar days before digging, so buried utility lines get marked. Drilling post holes counts as digging. The ticket is valid for 28 days. When you hire a licensed contractor to dig, the law puts the call on the contractor.

Source: California Government Code §4216.2 · USA North 811

Is redwood or cedar better for a fence?

Both work well above ground, and Build Rite builds with both. The USDA Forest Products Laboratory rates the heartwood of western redcedar and old-growth redwood as decay-resistant, young-growth redwood as moderately resistant, and recommends pressure-treated wood where wood touches the ground. That is why we build our standard fence with redwood rails and boards on pressure-treated posts.

Source: USDA Wood Handbook, ch. 14 (FPL-GTR-282)

Are steel fence posts better than wood posts?

Yes. Wood posts rot at the ground line, and that is what makes a fence lean after a few winters. PostMaster steel posts hide behind the boards, so the fence still looks like wood but stays straight longer. At Build Rite Construction they add $3 per linear foot.

Why is my wood fence leaning?

Rotted posts make a wood fence lean. A post that has rotted at the ground line can no longer hold a 6-foot fence against the wind, so it starts to tip. Replacing the rotted posts, or rebuilding on steel posts, fixes the lean.

What fence styles can you build?

We build classic dog-eared redwood privacy fences, lattice-top fences, modern horizontal slat fences, custom heights and finishes, and gates to match.

Do you build RV gates?

Yes. RV gates are our specialty. We size each gate around the trailer, boat or RV it has to clear, not around a standard kit, and build it to swing true and stay square.

How wide should an RV gate be?

Measure your widest trailer, boat or RV including its mirrors, then add room to turn in from the street or driveway at the angle you back in from. Igor sets the width and picks a single or double swing gate when he comes out for the estimate.

Why do wooden gates sag?

A gate sags when its hinge post leans or its frame pulls out of square under its own weight. Wide gates sag most, and a hinge post rotting at the ground line makes it worse. Our RV Access Specialist gates are built to swing true and stay square.

What does California require for a pool fence?

A fence used as the pool barrier at a California home must be at least 60 inches tall and sit no more than 2 inches off the ground. It can have no gaps a 4-inch ball can pass through, and no handholds or footholds a child under five could use to climb over. Gates must open away from the pool and close and latch on their own, with the latch at least 60 inches above the ground.

Source: California Health & Safety Code §115923

Is a fence required for a new pool in California?

A fence alone is not required. Since January 1, 2025, a new or remodeled pool or spa at a single-family home needs at least two of seven drowning prevention features listed in state law, and an enclosure that separates the pool from the house is one of them. The local building inspector checks them before final approval. In Elk Grove, the permit exemption for fences up to 7 feet does not cover pool barriers.

Source: California Health & Safety Code §115922 · City of Elk Grove: Do I need a building permit?

Do you build pool fences?

Yes. Build Rite builds wood pool fences to California's barrier rules: at least 60 inches tall, no climbable gaps, and gates that close and latch on their own. Tell Igor at the estimate that the fence is a pool barrier, and the height, gaps and gate hardware are planned around it from the start.

Should I repair my fence or replace it?

Repair it if the posts are solid and only a few boards or one section are damaged. Replace it if posts are rotted along most of the line, because fixing one spot moves the problem to the next post. Igor tells you which one at the free estimate.

Do you fix leaning and storm-damaged fences?

Yes. We repair leaning posts, sections knocked down by storms and rotted boards. Call or text a photo of the damage to (916) 248-0572.

Do retaining walls need a permit?

In Elk Grove and Sacramento, a retaining wall up to 4 feet tall, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, is exempt from a building permit unless it supports a surcharge. A fence built on top of the wall counts as a surcharge. Elk Grove's zoning code also limits where new retaining walls can go, so call Igor with your address before you plan one. Build Rite builds retaining walls that drain properly, and fences on top of them.

Source: City of Elk Grove: Do I need a building permit? · Sacramento County handout CO-48

Do I need a permit to build a fence in Elk Grove?

Not for a typical backyard fence. The City of Elk Grove exempts fences up to 7 feet tall from a building permit, and its zoning code requires no planning permit for fences that stay within the height limits. Going to 8 feet in a side or rear yard takes a building permit, a fence over the zoning limits needs a minor design review permit, and pool barriers are not covered by the exemption.

Source: City of Elk Grove: Do I need a building permit? · Elk Grove Municipal Code ch. 23.52

How tall can a fence be in Elk Grove?

In Elk Grove, a fence in the required front yard can be up to 3 feet tall, and a fence in the interior side or rear yard up to 7 feet, or 8 feet with a building permit. On the street side of a corner lot, the limit is 3 feet within 5 feet of the back of the sidewalk and 7 feet beyond that. In the clear-visibility area at intersections and driveways, the limit is also 3 feet.

Source: Elk Grove Municipal Code §23.52.050

How tall can a fence be in the City of Sacramento?

In the City of Sacramento, a fence in the front or street-side yard can be up to 4 feet tall, or 6 feet if it is open wrought iron or tubular steel. Along rear and interior side property lines the limit is 6 feet, or 8 feet next to a school, park, alley or nonresidential use. Fences up to 7 feet need no building permit, but the city's planning limits still apply.

Source: Sacramento City Code §17.620.110 · City of Sacramento: required permits

What are the fence rules in unincorporated Sacramento County?

In unincorporated Sacramento County, a solid fence in the front yard setback is limited to 3 feet, picket or chain link to 4 feet, and open wrought iron to 7 feet. Fences in interior and street-side yards can be up to 7 feet. A fence over 7 feet, or any fence built on top of a retaining wall, needs a building permit.

Source: Sacramento County Zoning Code §5.2.5 · Sacramento County handout CO-48

Who pays for a fence between neighbors in California?

Under California's Good Neighbor Fence Act (Civil Code §841), neighbors are presumed to share the reasonable cost of a boundary fence equally unless they agree otherwise in writing. The neighbor who wants to build or replace it must give 30 days' written notice describing the problem, the proposed fix, the estimated cost, the proposed cost split and the timeline. Separately from the law, the Build Rite Good Neighbor Discount lowers the price for both households when you replace the fence together.

Source: California Civil Code §841

Do you work with HOAs?

Yes, regularly. We have built to HOA specs across El Dorado Hills, Granite Bay and the newer Elk Grove developments, and we match your HOA's approved style. If your HOA requires architectural approval, get it before the install date.