Dog Run and Kennel Types
Chain Link Kennel Panels
Chain link is the most common dog run material, usually galvanized steel. Welded wire costs less but usually needs replacing sooner.
- Galvanized steel run for a large dog: about $300 to $800
- Chain link: $5 to $20 a foot materials, $10 to $20 a foot installed
- Welded wire: $1 to $3 a foot, materials only
Dog Runs Along a Side Yard
Building a run against the house or a wall saves money because the run only needs three sides. The floor matters as much as the fence: concrete, artificial grass, rubber matting or bark is easier to clean than dirt and helps stop digging.
- Concrete floor: $3 to $20 a square foot installed
- Artificial grass: $5 to $20 a square foot
Dig-Proof Bottom Wire and Aprons
An L-footer is wire mesh run down into the ground along the fence line and bent outward at 90 degrees, so a dog that digs at the fence line hits wire. Use hardware cloth instead of chicken wire, and keep the cut edges turned away from paws.
- Depth: about 12 inches
- Outward leg: a foot or more
- Rocky ground: the footer can lie on the surface, pinned down
Puppy-picket panels for small dogs are on our aluminum fence page.
Covered Runs for Sun
A cover gives shade, keeps weather off and adds security. The material sets the price.
- Tarp awning: usually under $100
- Corrugated metal or plastic: between tarp and shingle
- Shingle roof: $500 or more installed
Climb-Proof and Jump-Proof Heights
Six feet is the standard dog run height, and big dogs and jumpers need more. A taller run costs more in posts and fabric.
- Standard run height: 6 feet
- Large dogs and jumpers: taller than 6 feet
- Aluminum fencing for dogs: 4 to 6 feet, posts in concrete
Why Hesperia homeowners call Hesperia Expert Fencing
- Calling or using the form doesn't cost you anything
- We send your job to one contractor, so your phone isn't ringing all week
- Ask for posts, footings, gates and haul-away priced line by line
- Look up the C-13 (fence) or C-29 (block wall) license at cslb.ca.gov
Dog Run and Kennel Cost
National cost guides put most dog runs between $150 and $1,000, with $800 as a typical price. Custom runs with a kennel building run $3,500 to $10,000.
| Run | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Basic puppy pen | $50-$80 |
| 3 x 10 ft chain link run, 6 ft tall | $150-$1,000 |
| Galvanized steel run for a large dog | $300-$800 |
| Custom run with integrated kennel | $3,500-$10,000 |
A worked example (our arithmetic): a 3 by 10 foot run against a wall needs about 16 feet of fence. At $15 to $40 a foot for chain link materials and installation, that is $240 to $640, before a floor, a cover or dig guard. A large run may need a building permit, which HomeAdvisor puts at $200 or more.
Building the Run
- 1
Size it to the dog
Note the breed, weight and whether it digs or climbs. - 2
Prepare the floor
Grade for gravel, turf or a concrete pad. - 3
Set posts and the footer
Posts go in concrete, and the dig guard goes in before the fabric. Get buried lines marked first, as explained on our chain link fence page. - 4
Hang panels, gate and cover
Check that the gate latches on its own before the final payment.
Building a Dog Run in Hesperia
Hesperia's Development Code, as we read it through a third-party copy, requires animal enclosures to use materials treated and installed to withstand the environment, to suit the animals kept in them, and to be kept in good repair. A galvanized or powder-coated finish helps steel resist rust, and wood posts face the city's heavy termite hazard, covered on our wood fence page.
A roof on a run has to stand up to wind as well as sun. Hesperia's design wind figures are on our wind-damaged fence repair page, so ask how the roof will be fixed to the posts. Before building a large or roofed run, ask the city whether it needs a permit.