Washington, DC
Super Fabrications fences Washington, DC — low iron and open picket along Capitol Hill and Dupont frontages, privacy runs in the alleys and rear courts, and rowhouse gates sized to tight passages. DC permits differ from Maryland's, so we sort DOB from DDOT before we price, estimate free on your property, and walk the finished fence with you.
Fence installation in Washington
Washington fences obey the street wall. Along rowhouse frontages in Capitol Hill, Dupont, and Shaw, the fence is low and open — iron or aluminum at three to four feet, picket where a garden wants company, sight lines kept to the sidewalk. Brick, iron, and boxwood do the styling; the fence only has to keep up. Privacy lives in back, where the alley gates and the rear courts do the real work. Those heights are not taste alone — the district's public-space rules shape what a frontage can be, and we design inside them from the first sketch.
Alleys shape the build. Gates swing where cars and trash carts actually pass, posts land on lines drawn by others, and every inch of access counts. Bins, bikes, and the odd sedan share the same gravel, so the layout respects that. We measure passages before ordering, hang gates on hardware that survives daily use, and set operators only where a drive genuinely earns one. Passages get measured with the gate hardware in hand, so clearances come from fact, not guesswork.
The district also runs on two permit tracks, and mixing them up costs weeks. We sort the property line from the public space at the estimate, file the right application with the right office, and keep the schedule honest. Rowhouse rear gates get specified for the way the household actually moves — bins, bikes, strollers — and the run follows the gate, not the other way around. Where the alley is gravel and the front is brick, the two fences get two designs on one estimate.
DC frontages favor aluminum fence installation and iron looks at low heights, while rear alleys take wood fence installation in board-on-board for real privacy. Chain link stays popular behind garages along the alleys, black coating keeps it quiet against the brick, and composite earns its place on shady courts where wood never dries.
Repair and replacement
City fences wear from use, not weather alone. Alley gates take a thousand cycles a year, rowhouse rear gates sag on brick anchors, and iron frontages loosen where bikes and deliveries lean. We re-hang gates, re-anchor into sound masonry with the right anchors for the wall, and straighten bent pickets. If a rear run needs replacement, the new gate goes where the old one earned its keep. Frontage sections usually repair; failed rear runs usually replace.
Sagged and dropped gates re-hung on fresh hardware, with brick anchors renewed where they pull and the leaf back to square in the same visit.
Bent pickets straightened, finishes touched, and anchor bolts replaced section by section, with the finish matched to the existing black.
Tired alley runs rebuilt in board-on-board, with gates placed for daily traffic and hinges rated for it.
Recent work
District work shows in the details: a sliding gate clearing a tight passage, a four-foot aluminum line at the front walk, and hardware set square between posts. Passage widths, curb lines, and gate swings are measured on the first visit, so nothing on the invoice arrives as a surprise. Materials are ordered after the permit question is settled, never before. Every DC job starts with the free on-site estimate and the permit question answered before pricing.
A wood-slat slider that clears the passage without eating the parking space, riding a track that keeps the leaf off the ground.
Black aluminum marking a front garden while keeping the street sight line open, pickets close enough for pets and open enough for the roses.
Cost
DC pricing carries city logistics — parking, staging, and narrow access all add hours to honest work, and we stage from the truck, not the curb, where the block allows it. Most wood privacy fences land between $30 and $60 per linear foot installed, and vinyl between $40 and $70; low aluminum frontages usually fall between $40 and $75. Rear runs and gates move totals more than footage does; your estimate confirms the number for the whole job.
| Wood privacy (per linear foot, installed) | $30–$60 |
|---|---|
| Vinyl privacy (per linear foot, installed) | $40–$70 |
| Aluminum open fence (per linear foot, installed) | $40–$75 |
| Walk gate | $600–$1,500 |
| Old fence removal | Quoted on the estimate |
Read the full fence cost guide for Northern Virginia and Maryland.
Permits
Washington, DC splits fence rules by height and by ground. Fences over 6 feet need a building permit from the Department of Buildings (DOB), and street-abutting residential fences top out at 7 feet. Anything between your property line and the curb is DDOT public space: front and corner fences there stay low and mostly open, and they need a DDOT public-space permit. We measure the parkway width on site, so the public-space question is settled with a tape measure before the application starts.
Historic districts add design review to the file, which is normal work in neighborhoods like Capitol Hill. Design questions get answered before materials are ordered, and the file goes in complete the first time. Public-space questions are settled before the design visit ends, not during install. We file DOB or DDOT as the address requires, and call 811 so underground lines are marked before digging — the locate is free and the law requires it. Rules change; we confirm current requirements when we quote.
FAQ
It depends on height and location. Fences over 6 feet need a DOB building permit, street-abutting fences cap at 7 feet, and anything between the property line and the curb needs a DDOT public-space permit. Historic districts add another review layer, and we confirm which rules apply from the address before we quote.
Typical planning figures: wood privacy $30 to $60 per linear foot installed, vinyl $40 to $70, and low aluminum $40 to $75. Alley access and parking add city hours, and staging is planned into the quote. Your estimate confirms the figure for your address.
Street-abutting residential fences can reach 7 feet with the right permit, but front and corner fences in DDOT public space stay low and mostly open. We measure where your line meets the curb and tell you what each section allows. When a low open fence is the answer, we show iron and aluminum at the same height for comparison.
Board-on-board wood or solid vinyl closes the court, and the gate matters more than the run — wide enough for bins and bikes, hinged to swing clear of the alley. Heavy strap hardware carries the daily use, and a drop-rod keeps the leaf still on windy days, so the court works the day the crew leaves.
They add design review to the permit file, and frontage styles get a closer look in places like Capitol Hill. Bring us the address and we pull the district overlays before the design visit. Review time goes into the schedule up front, and we bring styles that match the streetscape.
Reviews
★★★★★
Picket fence came out better than expected. Ray helped with the whole process, including the Miss Utility.
★★★★★
Ray and his team did a fantastic job installing our aluminum fence! They were communicative, responsive, and very helpful throughout the process. We really enjoyed working with them and are thrilled with the end result!
Estimate
Tell us the Washington address, the fence you have in mind, and whether the old one comes out. If you would rather talk now, call (888) 820-6099.
Ask about financing when you request the estimate.