Wood Fences, Lattice Privacy Screens & Fencescaping
I specialize in designing and building fine custom and high end wood and composite privacy fences, screens and fencescaping which reflect the style of your home and garden. Below is more information about the type, style and pricing for the structures I design and build.
Design Guide Pricing Information Related Links Portfolio Photos
Design Guide For Wood Fences & Privacy Screening
This design guide provides information on how to create a great fence or screening design which reflects the architectural look of your home.
Design Elements For Fences
Many different wood fence styles can be created by design elements and material details such as:
- fence board size and patterns
- post size (width and height)
- railing size
- joinery techniques
- screening material size and visibility
- custom touches (wood inletting, post caps and finials)
- wood texture, color and finish
- metalwork
- lighting
Harmonizing Your Wood Fencing With Your Garden & Home
Your fence or privacy screening should harmonize with the style of your garden landscaping, as well as the look and feel of your home:
- Open structures like picket fences and lattice fences for more casual gardens and cottage style homes
- Rustic fences for haciendas and pueblos
- Bamboo fences for Asian style homes and Zen gardens
- More formal and detailed solid fences for California and Craftsman bungalows
If your home has a distinctive architectural or artistic style, you may want to have your fence match it. For example:
- Craftsman and Greene & Greene Fences ~ One of the most popular Los Angeles area styles can be achieved with smooth planed wood assembled using simple decorative pegged joints. Beams with rounded edges, "japanese" style joinery and the "cloud lift" motif echo the look and feel of the Greene & Greene style. You can also create a simple fencing pattern, use stylized rail accents or post caps and accent with wooden embellishments to get an Arts & Crafts feel.
- Modern, Asian & Whimsical Fences ~ For a modern look, you can design a fence with classic clean lines with sleek trim and hardware. Or you can make imaginative use of patterned boards, create symbols cut out in relief, or apply whimsical figures onto fence board panels to achieve a whimsical style.
- Mission, Spanish & Southwestern Fences ~ Start with natural wood posts and fence boards and accent them with period post caps or decorative rustic metalwork.
- Cottage, Colonial & Ranch Fences ~ I like to give a sophisticated look to the standard cottage fence with arches, custom fence board details and decorative post caps. You can also cut the end of fence boards into a decorative pattern to create a unique design. For a ranch style, repeat the crossed beam (X motif) effect and accent them by painting them a contrasting color.
- Medieval, Tudor & Mediterranean Fences ~ I like to use large posts, beams and rails stained or painted a dark color. To complete the look, add on decorative aged metal work of spikes, studs and bolts.
The overall dimensions should also fit with the proportions of the garden. If your fence is intended to support plants or containers, the size and proportions should be matched to the size, weight and density of the plant.
The final color should compliment the colors used in your landscaping. If you want to blend into the landscaping, the natural color of the wood or browns and greens work well. If you want the structure to stand out or highlight nearby plants, strong colors like white or black can be used. Using the same color and trim details on the fence or screening as on your home will give your property a distinctive look.
Design Criteria & Location Considerations for Fencing
- Use ~ The most important design factor is what you need your fencing or screening to do. Common fence and privacy screen requirements include: creating visual privacy, limiting access to the property, providing security as a barrier to entry, defining a property line, enclosing a pool or play area, creating wind resistance or shade, and creating a backdrop for viewing a garden. The requirements of the structure will also impact:
- height (the standard 6 feet can be can be added to with removable panels, usually made of lattice)
- terrain following (with multiple levels)
- flow around a natural landmark (tree, boulder or stream)
- privacy (using solid panels)
- access by pathways and gates
- built-ins (plant containers, benches, privacy nooks, plant shelves, vine trellises, and lanterns)
- utilities (electricity for lights and access to water outlets)
- Neighbors & Your Property Line ~ Before a design is approved, it is very important to obtain consensus with all your neighbors on the style, height, orientation (of the good and bad side) and finish of the proposed fence. It is also wise to verify the official property line and work out construction access and pet containment before work begins.
- View ~ A fence provides a natural way to obscure the surrounding neighborhood or highlight views of your garden. Consider what you do and don’t want to see, both walking around and sitting. Framed openings can highlight a distant focal point.
- Wind ~ In areas that experience high winds, a more open design, extra bracing, and heavy duty hardware may be needed. Prevailing winds may create the need for the fencing to create an area of wind resistance or protection.
- Water ~ Excessive moisture (from rain, hosing down, sprinklers and deep shade) can lead to premature aging, structural damage from rot and musty smells. The structure should be designed to shed rain and dew readily and have good drainage away from site, leaving no standing puddles. For a long life, ivy and heavy vines should be kept off the fence with a climbing trellis mounted in front to minimize contact. For the longest life, the structure should be allowed to dry out well after raining or watering plants, especially if you plan for it to support vines.
Material & Design Options For Wood Fences
- Materials ~ To maximize the life expectancy, the frame should be made of pressure treated lumber set in steel column bases. The posts and fence boards can be made from Redwood, Mangaris™ (Red Balau), Ironwoods (Ipe) or Cedar. Better wood grades and thicker fence boards and beams lengthen the life expectancy of your project.
- Finishes ~ Heat and light contribute to weathering, so a UV protective finish is important. If it will eventually be covered with hard to remove plants, it is very important to apply multiple coatings. Stains (clear, tinted, or solid) and paint are popular finish choices.
- Accessories & Built-ins ~ Trim, moldings, lattice, post caps, finials and fence art add to the uniqueness of your fence. Adding accessories can enhance your fence’s functionality. These include built-ins such as benches, privacy nooks, plant containers and shelves, vine trellises, and lanterns.
- Metalwork ~ Accents, such as copper post caps or blackened iron joining straps, can enhance the appearance of your fence or screening.
- Lighting ~ The choice of lighting style and fixtures (such as lanterns hung from posts, mounted sconces, and spot lighting) can create an immediate sense of style.
Pricing Information For A Wood Fence
If you are wondering how much you need to spend for a wood fence, its easy to get a idea of the cost. Most fence prices are quoted by the length of the fence. So to calculate a "ballpark price" for your new fence, just measure or estimate the length and multiply by the prices per foot below to get a price.
There are three price ranges for wood fences: basic, custom and high end.
- A basic range fence, such as a cedar dog ear fence or picket fence, costs from $15 to $30 per foot. This price should include all materials and labor but may not include demo of your old fence or painting the new one. For this type of fence, please see my related links.
- In the custom price range, which is much of what I build, fences cost from $30 to $70 per foot. Since my fences are designed to fit your architectural style and built with high quality materials and techniques, my fences start at $50 per foot.
- A high end fence, which I am happy to build for my clients if their budget permits, costs from $70 to $150 per foot.
If you are purchasing pre-made fence panels, remember to include the cost of on-site installation and additional materials (posts, concrete, hardware and brackets) in your budget.
Additional Resources and Related Links
If you need additional ideas or inspiration for your design, you might be interested in these resources:
If you live outside the Los Angeles area and are looking for a local builder of beautiful fences, you might be interested in:
Portfolio of Wood Fences & Privacy Screens
My online portfolio features project photos so you can get an idea of the variety of fences and privacy screening I can build. I specialize in creating client inspired designs -- so if you see an example of exactly what you want (or something close), we can use that as a starting point for your design. Or you can let me create a custom design that matches your home's architectural style.
If you need ideas and inspiration, check out the resources above, clip magazine pictures, look through your vacation photos and keep an eye out for what you like in the neighborhood. The more you know about what you like and don't the easier it is to create and build something you will be delighted with for years to come.
Craftsman and Greene & Greene Fences
Greene & Greene Inspired Wood Fence
South Pasadena, California 2001
Redwood posts, beams, panels & trim
120 feet by 6 feet
Budget: $65 - 95 per foot
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Craftsman Inspired Decorative Lattice Fence with Arbored Gates
South Pasadena, California 1997
Redwood with pressure treated frame and posts
Fence: 80 feet by 4.5 feet with a 2 foot lattice panel extension
Back Gate: 4 feet by 32 inches with 8 foot arbor
Budget: Starting at $75 per foot
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Modern & Asian Style Fences
Modern Horizontal Redwood Fence
(complex design)
West Los Angeles, California 2005
All pressure treated wood framing with hand selected clear redwood fence boards
45 feet by 6 feet
Budget: $75 - $120 per foot depending on the wood used
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Gate photo |
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Modern Horizontal Cedar Fence
(simple design)
Los Angeles, California 2005
All pressure treated wood framing with cedar fence boards
65 feet by 6 feet
Budget: Starting at $55 per foot
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Rustic Zen Style Cedar Fence
South Pasadena, California 2004
Cedar fence boards with pressure treated frame
60 feet by 6 feet
Budget: Starting at $50 per foot |
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Mission & Southwestern Fences and Privacy Screens
Mission Style Wood Fencing with Arched Gates
South Pasadena, California 2000
Redwood panels and trim on pressure treated frame
Fence: 150 feet by 36 inches by 5 feet
Front, Side & Back Gates: 32-34 inches by 6 feet
Budget: Starting at $56 per foot
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Gate photo
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Cottage & Colonial Fences & Screening
Decorative Cottage Fence
South Pasadena, California 1990s
Custom cut redwood fence boards with pressure treated frame
120 feet by 6 feet
Budget: Starting at $75 per foot with custom board cutouts |
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Handmade Open Lattice Perimeter Fence
Pasadena, California 1998
All redwood construction
168 feet by 4 feet
Budget: Starting at $85 per foot for custom made lattice |
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Decorative Lattice Panel Privacy Screening
South Pasadena, California 1997
Redwood with pressure treated wood posts
20 feet by 8 feet
Budget: Starting at $4,000
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Lattice Privacy Screening with Patio Cover
Los Angeles, California 2002
Redwood
Two story lattice screening with arbor
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