Fence Removal
Fence removal is the residential trade that dismantles a wood or vinyl perimeter fence — boards or panels, top and bottom rails, posts, and the concrete footings underneath — and hauls the lumber sorted for recycling, from $600 for a 30-foot wood run with cut-at-grade footings to $2,000 for a 150-foot perimeter with concrete dig-outs and a gate. Cedar lumber sorted from pressure-treated at the dump trailer; vinyl panels recycled where the local stream accepts them. Concrete footings cut at grade by default — full dig-out is an upgrade and quoted per footing. Shared fence lines (the fence sits on the property line and the neighbor has skin in the game) get a coordination conversation on the booking call — we will not pull a shared fence without your neighbor's agreement.
Service
What Does a Fence Removal Include?
A Handis fence removal is the full dismantle of a residential perimeter fence — boards or panels, top and bottom rails, posts, gate hardware, and concrete footings — from $600 for a 30-foot wood run with cut-at-grade footings to $2,000 for a 150-foot perimeter with multiple gates and concrete dig-outs. Cedar sorted from pressure-treated at the dump trailer (different transfer-station bins and tip fees). Vinyl panels routed to recycling where the local stream accepts them. Per-foot pricing applies on runs over 50 feet. Shared fence lines coordinated with the neighbor on the booking call before any work is scheduled.
Boards or Panels First
Wood boards (cedar dog-ear, board-on-board, shadowbox) pried off the rails one at a time with a flat bar. Vinyl panels lifted out of the post brackets in whole panels. Fasteners (screws or nails) extracted from the rails or punched through with a punch. Boards stacked on the lawn for sort and haul; vinyl panels stacked separately for the recycling stream.
Top and Bottom Rails
Rails (typically 2x4 cedar or PT, or vinyl horizontal cross-pieces) unscrewed from the posts. Rail brackets and rail joiners pulled. Lumber stacked by species. Vinyl rails go with the vinyl panels to recycling.
Posts and Concrete Footings
Posts (typically 4x4 cedar or PT, or vinyl over a steel insert) cut at grade with a reciprocating saw by default — the buried concrete footing cylinder stays in place. Full footing dig-out is an upgrade and adds about 30 to 45 minutes per footing depending on depth and soil. Cut-at-grade is usually the right call when a new fence is going in over the same line and the old footings can be re-used; dig-out is the right call when the line is moving, the area is going back to landscape, or the new fence design needs deeper footings.
Gate Hardware and Posts
Gate hinges, latches, drop rods, and post-mount hardware unscrewed and pulled. Gate posts often have larger footings (one cubic foot of concrete or more); we cut or dig per the same strategy as the line posts.
Shared Fence Lines
A shared fence sits on the property line and is jointly owned with the neighbor. We will not pull a shared fence without your neighbor's explicit agreement (written or verbal documented on the work order). On the booking call we ask about the line, who owns what, and whether the neighbor is in the loop. Where they are not, we pause until the conversation happens.
Lumber Sort, Haul, Site Sweep
Cedar and pressure-treated sorted separately at the dump trailer. Vinyl panels and rails to the recycling stream where the local transfer station accepts them. Concrete from dig-outs to a concrete-recycling transfer station. Site swept with a magnet sweeper for fasteners along the old fence line.
How a Fence Removal Works
Six sequential steps from the shared-fence neighbor conversation through the site sweep — the actual sequence we follow on every Handis fence removal.
Shared Fence Conversation on the Booking Call
On the booking call we ask whether the fence is shared (sits on the property line, jointly owned) or solo (sits inside your property). Shared fences need the neighbor's explicit agreement before we touch them — we will not pull a shared fence on one owner's say-so. Where the conversation has not happened, we pause the booking until it does.
Footing Strategy Decision
Cut at grade by default — the buried concrete footing cylinder stays in place under the sod, cheaper and faster. Full dig-out is an upgrade and quoted per footing — adds about 30 to 45 minutes per footing depending on depth and soil. Right when the fence line is moving, the area is going back to landscape, or the new fence design needs deeper footings.
Boards or Panels Pried Off
Wood boards pried off the rails one at a time with a flat bar; vinyl panels lifted out of post brackets in whole panels. Fasteners extracted from the rails or punched through. Boards stacked by species; vinyl panels stacked separately for the recycling stream.
Rails, Brackets, Gate Hardware
Top and bottom rails unscrewed from the posts. Rail brackets and joiners pulled. Gate hinges, latches, drop rods, and post-mount hardware unscrewed. Lumber stacked by species; metal hardware to the metal-recycling stream at the transfer station.
Posts Cut at Grade or Footings Dug
Posts cut at grade with a reciprocating saw by default. Full dig-out per the booking-call decision — concrete cylinder dug out and hauled to a concrete-recycling transfer station, hole backfilled with native soil. Gate posts (often larger footings) follow the same strategy as the line posts unless the new design needs the hole re-used.
Lumber Sort, Haul, Magnet Sweep
Cedar and pressure-treated sorted separately at the dump trailer. Vinyl panels and rails to the recycling stream. Concrete from dig-outs to concrete-recycling. Site swept with a magnet sweeper along the old fence line for fasteners that hit the soil; lawn mowers and bare feet appreciate it.
Fence Removal Pricing
Final pricing depends on linear footage, fence height, material (wood vs vinyl), gate count, and the footing strategy (cut at grade vs dig-out). Shared fences require the neighbor's agreement before scheduling. Request a free estimate for an accurate quote.
Send the fence length, height, material, gate count, and whether the line is shared with a neighbor — we will quote the demo.
Why Handis for Fence Removal
Most fence removal calls have one easy variable (linear footage) and four harder ones (footing strategy, gate count, material, and whether the fence is shared with the neighbor). We learned the shared-fence question the hard way years ago — pulled a 90-foot shared fence on one homeowner's say-so and the neighbor came home to find their fence gone. Now we ask the question on the booking call every time and pause until both owners agree. The other three variables we quote off photos and a quick walk along the line.
Shared fences only with the neighbor's agreement
A shared fence sits on the property line and is jointly owned. We will not pull a shared fence on one owner's say-so — the neighbor has skin in the game and a legal interest. On the booking call we ask whether the fence is shared or solo; where it is shared we ask whether the neighbor is in the loop. Where they are not, the conversation happens before we schedule. Once both owners agree (verbal documented on the work order or a quick email), we proceed.
Footing strategy matches the next use of the line
Cut-at-grade leaves the buried concrete in place under the sod — right when a new fence is going in over the same line and the existing footings can be re-used, or when the line is going back to landscape with shallow plantings. Full dig-out removes the concrete cylinder and backfills with native soil — right when the line is moving to a new location, the area is going back to deep-root garden, or the new fence design needs different-depth footings. We pick the strategy on the booking call and price the dig-out per footing where it applies.
Lumber sorted by species at the dump trailer
Pressure-treated lumber and cedar go to different transfer-station bins with different tip fees. Vinyl panels and rails go to the recycling stream where the local transfer station accepts them. Salvageable boards in good condition (more common on solo fences taken down before they failed than on rotted shared fences) get staged for your projects per your direction. Treated-lumber tip fees pass through at cost.
Site swept with a magnet along the old fence line
Fence demo drops screws and nails into the soil along the old line — a hazard for lawn mowers, bare feet, and pet paws. We sweep the entire line with a long-handled magnet sweeper where the soil and turf allow, collect what comes up, and dispose with the metal-recycling stream. The line is fastener-free when we leave.
Insured, background-checked, 30-day workmanship guarantee
Every Handis demolition tech carries liability insurance and has cleared a background screening. The 30-day workmanship guarantee covers what we did to the site — a lawn divot from a footing dig-out that should have been properly backfilled, a damaged plant adjacent to the line that should have been protected, a missed fastener that the magnet sweep should have caught. Demolition damage to the fence itself is by design — that is the demo target.
Estimate
Tell us the linear footage, the fence height (4-foot, 6-foot, 8-foot), the material (cedar, PT, vinyl, chain-link), the gate count, whether the line is shared with a neighbor, and what is going in over the line after the demo (new fence, landscape, hardscape). We will quote the demo and the footing strategy.
Customer Reviews
Fence removal reviews from real Handis customers.
90-foot cedar fence along the back property line, shared with my neighbor — both of us wanted it down for a new shadowbox going in. Handis asked on the booking call if both of us were on board (we were) and put the neighbor's agreement on the work order. Crew came out, pulled the boards, rails, and 4x4 posts in a day, cut footings at grade because the new fence used the same line. Cedar sorted for recycling. Magnet sweep on the lawn.
150-foot full perimeter fence around a quarter-acre lot — solo, all mine, just tired of the old PT fence. Two days. Crew of three on day one for the long run, two on day two for the gates and dig-outs (we are going back to landscape, so all the footings came out). Concrete cylinders to recycling. Yard is bare ground ready for the landscape contractor.
Vinyl fence panels along the side yard, about 60 feet. The vinyl was sun-faded and brittle after 15 years. Crew lifted the panels out of the brackets cleanly, pulled the rails and the steel-insert posts, hauled the vinyl to a recycling drop they had a relationship with. Done in a long morning. They asked if I wanted the panels for a friend; we sent them to recycling.
Small 25-foot section of cedar fence between us and the side yard, separating a planting bed from the lawn. Not shared — fully on our property. Tech pulled it in three hours, cut the four posts at grade because we are putting in a low hedge over the line. Cedar boards in good shape staged for me; I made plant trellises from them. Quote held to the dollar.
80-foot wood fence with a double-gate driveway entry. Three gate posts, six line posts, all in concrete. We were re-doing the driveway and wanted the fence and the gates fully gone. Crew dug out every footing (eight total), hauled the concrete cylinders to recycling, and swept the line with a magnet for the asphalt crew coming the next day. Smooth handoff.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about fence removal — pricing, shared fences, footing strategy, lumber disposal, and the booking process.