What is a vinyl fence?
It’s a fence made of PVC: hollow posts, rails, and pickets or solid boards that lock together into panels. It won’t rot, termites don’t eat it, and it never needs paint or stain.
We build two kinds:
- Vinyl privacy. Solid 6 ft panels, the no-stain alternative to a wood privacy fence, at $30–44 a foot installed.
- Vinyl picket. A shorter, open fence for front yards and gardens, like the one in the photo. It usually costs less per foot than vinyl privacy, and we price it by the job.
Cost guides put vinyl’s life at 20 to 30 years or more in a hot, humid climate, against 10 to 20 for pressure-treated pine.
How do we build it?
Posts go in concrete every 6 ft, and the rails slide into holes routed through the posts, so each panel locks into the next one.
Routed posts. Because the rails fit into the posts, the panel width sets the post spacing. The layout gets measured to the panel before the first hole, and the last section of a run is cut down to fit.
Slopes. Vinyl panels are rigid, so they step. Each panel sits level and drops down from the one above it. On steeper ground that leaves a triangle of open space under the low end of each panel.
Digging. Much of the Upstate sits on Cecil series soil, very deep with a red clay subsoil, so the auger goes slowly, and rock or roots on the line add time. Before the first hole, we file the SC811 locate.
Gates. A vinyl walk gate runs $350–700 installed, and a drive gate $900–1,700. A wide gate hangs on its hinge post, so that post has to be set plumb and solid.
How do you keep vinyl clean?
Wash it once or twice a year with a hose, a soft brush and mild soap. Humid summers grow green mildew on shady sides, and rain splashes red clay onto the bottom rail.
Walhalla’s normal rainfall is about 61 inches a year, and the shady side of a vinyl fence shows it first. A hose and a soft brush take off most of it. A pressure washer on a low setting, held well back from the panels, handles the rest. White shows clay splash the most, so plan a wash after a wet spring.
What does a vinyl fence cost?
Six-foot vinyl privacy runs $30–44 a foot installed. That’s more than pine at $22–34 a foot, and in return you skip staining for the life of the fence.
| Example job | Ballpark |
|---|---|
| 100 ft of 6 ft privacy, one walk gate | $3,350–$5,100 |
| 150 ft of 6 ft privacy, one walk gate | $4,850–$7,300 |
| 200 ft of 6 ft privacy, one walk gate, one drive gate | $7,250–$11,200 |
Vinyl picket isn’t on the estimator. We price it per job, and it usually comes in under privacy. Taking out an old fence adds $3–5 a foot, and jobs start at $1,200. The Seneca fence cost guide covers corners, slopes and access, and the fence measuring guide gets you a footage before you ask.
Is vinyl right for your yard?
Pick vinyl if you want a privacy fence without staining or rot, and you plan to stay long enough to get its 20 years or more. Skip it if the lowest price up front matters most.
- HOAs. Some covenants set fence color, height or style. Read yours before you choose.
- Seneca’s historic district. The design guidelines keep privacy fences to side and rear yards and rule out stockade styles. The fence permits guide covers who to ask.
- Steep yards. Stepped panels leave gaps under each step. On a hillside, a racked aluminum fence follows the ground more closely.
- Budget. A wood privacy fence gives the same screening for less up front. The wood vs vinyl vs aluminum guide compares the three.
We check the town, county, HOA and lake rules before the layout is final, and we walk the finished line with you.
