Two kinds of fence cost
A fence has a price on the day you sign and another set of costs that arrive over the years: stain, a sagging gate, a cracked board, a panel that needs replacing. The first number is easy to compare across bids. The second takes questions, since a build price on its own says little about what the fence will ask of you later. Looking at both can make the choice clearer.
St. Joseph in Census QuickFacts
Census QuickFacts gives St. Joseph a population estimate of 71,001 for July 1, 2025 (V2025).
QuickFacts lists St. Joseph's households for 2020-2024 at 28,756, with 2.36 persons per household.
What the build price covers
Ask each company to break its total into parts you can read:
- Material: posts, rails, infill, fasteners, caps and any concrete or gravel.
- Labor: layout, digging, setting posts, building sections and hanging gates.
- Tear-out: removing any old fence, pulling or cutting its posts and dealing with old footings.
- Hauling and cleanup: old material, packaging, offcuts and the soil from new holes.
- Paperwork: any application the company files, and the fee if one applies.
A bid that lumps everything into one line leaves you guessing about what changed between two companies. Ask for the split in writing.
Material choice and what it asks of you later
Each material carries its own pattern of upkeep. Ask every bidder to describe it plainly:
- Wood can take stain or paint and lets you swap out a single board. Ask which species and grade were priced, whether posts are rated for burial, and when the first coat of finish can go on.
- Vinyl has its color built in. Ask how it is cleaned, how a cracked piece is replaced, and what the maker's warranty excludes.
- Aluminum and steel give an open look. Ask about the coating, how a scratch is touched up and whether touch-up paint comes with the job.
- Chain link is plain and practical. Ask about wire gauge, the top rail and whether a coating or privacy slats are in the number.
Write the answers beside each price. Two totals that look close can part ways once upkeep is added in.
Ground and grade
Digging is a place where a price can move. Ask each company how deep it plans each hole, what fills the hole around the post, and how it prices a hole that strikes roots, rock or buried rubble. Ask whether it will stop and call you before adding a charge. On a sloped yard, ask whether sections will step down or follow the ground, how any gap under the bottom rail will be closed, and whether that choice changes the labor.
Gates and hardware
A gate is the part of a fence you handle by hand, so its parts deserve their own questions. Ask for each gate on its own line with its width, swing, hinges, latch and bracing, and ask what the hardware is made of. Ask whether heavier posts carry the gate, and what an adjustment visit costs if a gate drops out of line over time.
Finish and first-year care
For new wood, ask whether stain or sealer is in the price, who applies it and when. If it is not included, ask what the company would charge to come back. For any material, ask what care the maker calls for in the first year, and write it down where you will find it.
Warranties, read closely
Ask for the material warranty and the workmanship warranty as separate papers. For each one, ask what it covers, how long it lasts, what voids it and whether it passes to a later owner of the house. A warranty described only out loud is hard to rely on, so ask for it in the contract.
Repairs and spare parts
Ask the company to leave a few spare boards, pickets or a panel, and to write down the product name, color and style. Matching a fence years later can be hard without them. Store the spares flat and dry, out of the sun.
License and coverage questions
Ask each company: "What state license or registration, if any, covers this work, and what is the number?" Ask for proof of liability coverage and workers' compensation, and clip it to that company's bid. Questions about your own homeowner's policy go to your insurer.
Payments and changes
Ask what is due at signing, what is due at each stage and what is held for the final walk-through. Ask how a change during the job is priced and approved, and agree that nothing is added without a written change you sign. Pay in a way that leaves a record.
A comparison sheet with room for the years ahead
Give each company a column on one sheet. Down the left, list: material, labor, tear-out, hauling, paperwork, gates, finish, warranty, spare parts, payments, and a last row for expected upkeep in that company's own words. Fill in the squares from each bid. A blank is a question for that company. Compare totals only once every column describes the same fence and its care.