Fence Removal Jobs by Fence Type
Wood and Vinyl Fence Tear-Out
Panels or boards come off the rails first, then the rails, leaving the posts standing for the next step. Pressure-treated posts are treated wood waste under California rules, so they can't simply be chipped or burned and need a disposal site that accepts them.
- Removal and disposal: $10 to $20 a linear foot
Chain Link Removal
The mesh is cut free of its ties and rolled up, the top rail is unbolted, and the steel posts come out last. Posts set in concrete still leave footings to deal with. If you only want privacy, slats added to sound chain link may beat removing it; see chain link privacy slats.
Post and Concrete Footing Extraction
Posts set in concrete come out with the footing still attached, or the post is cut and the concrete broken up in place. Ask which method the crew plans, whether the holes will be backfilled, and whether footings are left below grade. A concrete block wall is a heavier demolition job priced separately.
- Concrete or block wall demolition: $5 to $16 a linear foot
Haul-Away and Disposal
Cost-guide removal prices include disposal. If you plan to do the tear-out yourself, a rented dumpster or a junk hauler is the alternative. Either way, keep treated wood separate, and don't remove the tags that mark it as treated.
- 10-yard dumpster rental: $220 to $580 a week
- Construction debris removal: $300 to $1,000 a load
Removal Before a New Fence
When a new fence follows, removal is usually priced into the replacement. National guides put a full replacement at $3,600 to $7,800 with removal included. On a wood fence of the same kind, sound posts can sometimes stay in place with only the panels replaced. If new holes will be dug, the utility-marking call comes first; see chain link fence installation.
- Replacement, new fence included: $30 to $80 a linear foot
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
What Fence Removal Costs
| Job | Typical national range |
|---|---|
| Remove and dispose of an old fence | $10 to $20 per linear foot |
| Typical 100 to 200-foot fence, removal and disposal | $600 to $800 |
| Block or concrete wall demolition | $5 to $16 per linear foot |
| Dumpster, 10-yard, one week | $220 to $580 |
The two fence guides disagree. At $10 to $20 a foot, a 150-foot fence works out to $1,500 to $3,000 (our arithmetic), well above the $600 to $800 the other guide assumes. Get a quote for your own line. The guides tie the price mainly to the fence type and the hauling distance.
How a Fence Tear-Out Goes
- 1
Agree what stays
Mark any posts, gates or sections to keep, and talk to the neighbor on a shared line. - 2
Strip panels, boards or mesh
Sort treated wood, metal and other debris as it comes down. - 3
Pull or break out the posts
Footings come out whole or are broken up in place. - 4
Backfill and clean up
Holes filled, nails and ties picked up from the soil. - 5
Haul away
Each load goes to a site that accepts that material.
California Disposal Rules for Old Fence Material
California handles treated wood differently from ordinary lumber. Pressure-treated wood carries preservatives such as arsenic, chromium and copper, and households mostly produce it when a fence or deck is replaced. It can't be burned, chipped, ground or mulched, and it goes to landfills the state water board has approved to take it. The marking that identifies it as treated shouldn't be removed. Ask any crew you hire where the old posts will end up, and check that the disposal fee is on the quote rather than added later.