Fence Companies Detroit installs fences across Detroit, the city at the heart of the metro and the anchor of our brand. You get a local crew, honest up-front pricing, and a fence built for Michigan: posts set below the 42-inch frost line in concrete, so it stands straight through every freeze-thaw winter instead of leaning by spring.
The classic backyard privacy fence
A 6-foot wood privacy fence is still the best value in the Detroit area for turning a close-set backyard into your own space. We build with quality cedar or pressure-treated pine, proper post spacing for our wind and snow, and clean gate work that latches right for years.
Every fence we build is set for Michigan. The frost line here runs about 42 inches deep, so we set posts below it in proper concrete footings. Posts set shallower get gripped by the freeze-thaw cycle in our clay-heavy soil and jacked out of plumb a little more every winter, which is why so many older fences lean. Ours do not.
Styles we build
- Solid privacy - full 6-foot screening between close neighbors.
- Board-on-board and shadowbox - looks good from both sides.
- Picket and decorative - classic curb appeal for front-facing runs where allowed.
- Custom gates - single walk gates and double drive gates, framed square so they do not sag.
Which wood fence style fits your purpose?
Wood is the most flexible fencing material there is, and the right style depends on what you are solving for. Solid stockade privacy is the classic pick when the goal is full screening between close-set lots, the kind you find on the bungalow blocks of Warren, Dearborn and Livonia. Board-on-board overlaps the pickets so gaps never open up as the wood dries, which is worth the upgrade if the fence line faces your patio. Shadowbox alternates boards on each side of the rail, so it looks finished from both yards and lets breeze through, a genuinely good-neighbor fence on a shared line. Picket stays low and open for curb appeal, the style front-yard rules and historic guidelines are friendliest to.
On material, cedar resists rot and insects naturally, weathers to a clean silver-grey if you let it, and takes stain beautifully. Pressure-treated pine is the budget workhorse and lasts well in our climate as long as the posts are set right and the boards stay off the soil. We quote both so you can compare real numbers instead of guessing.
What a fence costs in Detroit
Fence pricing is by the linear foot. In the Detroit market, chain link is the most affordable, treated-wood privacy sits in the middle, and cedar, vinyl and ornamental aluminum run higher, with gates, tear-out of an old fence, and corner or slope work adding to the job.
- Footage - longer runs cost more in total but less per foot.
- Material - chain link, treated pine, cedar, vinyl and aluminum each price differently.
- Gates - each walk or drive gate is a real line item, priced honestly.
- Tear-out - removing and hauling an old fence is quoted separately so you see it.
These are general Detroit-area ranges to set expectations, not a quote. Your price depends on footage, material, gates, tear-out and site conditions, and our written estimate is always free.
Wood or vinyl in Michigan?
Wood wins on up-front price and classic looks; vinyl wins on zero maintenance. In our freeze-thaw climate the fence that fails is almost never the panels, it is the posts, which is why we set every post below the 42-inch frost line in concrete regardless of material. Pick the look and budget you want, and the bones will be right either way.
Detroit permits and historic districts
Fence work in Detroit typically runs through BSEED, with heights generally capped around 4 feet in front yards and 6 feet in side and rear yards. If your home sits in a historic district like Boston-Edison, Indian Village or Palmer Woods, fence plans also get a Historic District Commission review, with rules that favor wood picket, ornamental iron looks and open styles. We handle that paperwork for you.
The side lot advantage
Thousands of Detroit homeowners have bought the vacant side lot next door through the Land Bank, and fencing in that new, doubled yard is usually the first improvement. We fence side lots every week: chain link for value, privacy wood for the backyard feel, all set below the frost line so it stands straight.
Why Detroit homeowners choose us
- Posts below the frost line, 42 inches down in concrete, so the fence never leans.
- Honest, itemized pricing with gates and tear-out priced clearly.
- Permits handled, including neighbor forms and HOA paperwork where they apply.
- Local crew that answers the phone and shows up when we say.
Serving Detroit and nearby
We cover Detroit and the surrounding Detroit-metro cities. Wherever you are within about 30 miles of Detroit, the standard is the same.
Common questions
How long does a wood fence last in Michigan?
Built right, a cedar privacy fence lasts 15 to 20 years or more here. The keys are posts set below the 42-inch frost line, quality lumber, and keeping boards off the soil. Staining or sealing every few years extends the life further.
Cedar or pressure-treated pine?
Cedar costs more up front but resists rot and insects naturally and looks better as it ages. Treated pine is the budget workhorse. We quote both so you can compare, and we build either one the same correct way.
How deep do you set fence posts?
Below the Michigan frost line, roughly 42 inches, in concrete footings. That is the single biggest difference between a fence that stands straight for decades and one that leans after a few winters.
Do I need a permit for a fence in Detroit?
Fence work in Detroit generally goes through BSEED, and heights are typically limited to about 4 feet in front yards and 6 feet in side and rear yards. Historic districts add a Historic District Commission review. We confirm and handle the permit for your specific property.
Why do so many fences around Detroit lean?
Frost heave. Posts set too shallow get gripped by the freeze-thaw cycle in our clay soil and pushed out of plumb a bit more every winter. We set posts below the 42-inch frost line in concrete so ours stay straight.
Can you fence the side lot I bought from the Land Bank?
Yes, we do it all the time. Once the lot is yours, we can enclose it with your existing yard, chain link for value or privacy wood for a true backyard, built to Detroit's fence rules.