Fence Removal: Pricing, Demolition & Disposal Guide
Wood, chain link, and vinyl fences — a high-margin demo job where scrap metal revenue on chain link can make disposal net-positive every time.
Last updated: Mar 2026
Pricing Tiers
What to charge based on spa size and access complexity.
Small Fence (under 50 linear ft)
$200–$500
checkFull teardown of panels, rails, and hardware
checkPost removal — cut at grade or pulled if ground-set
checkAll debris hauled to appropriate disposal facility
checkSite raked clean along entire fence line
arrow_upwardCharge high-end: Charge $400–$500 when posts are concrete-set in clay soil requiring extraction, or when the fence is vinyl or composite that resists standard cutting and generates zero scrap revenue to offset disposal fees.
Medium Fence (50–100 linear ft)
$500–$800
checkFull demolition of all panels, posts, and hardware
checkOne full truck load hauled — typically fills 60–70% of a 16-ft dump trailer
checkPost extraction or cut-at-grade per customer preference
checkSite raked clean with post holes backfilled with loose dirt
arrow_upwardCharge high-end: Charge $700–$800 for 6-ft privacy fences with metal posts set in concrete footings, especially in rocky or compacted soil where extraction takes 5–8 minutes per post instead of the typical 2–3 minutes.
Large Fence (100–200 linear ft)
$800–$1,200+
checkFull property perimeter fence removal including corner and gate sections
checkMultiple loads possible — budget for 1.5–2 dump runs on 150+ ft jobs
checkPost extraction or cut-at-grade on all posts
checkComplete site cleanup with all nail and staple debris removed
arrow_upwardCharge high-end: Push above $1,200 when the fence mixes materials — e.g., wood privacy on three sides with chain link on the fourth — or includes commercial-grade galvanized chain link with top rail, tension wire, and concrete footings every 8 feet.
Commercial or Specialty Fence (200+ linear ft)
$1,200–$2,500+
checkLarge-scale perimeter fence teardown — parking lots, commercial lots, industrial yards
checkHeavy equipment may be needed — skid steer for post extraction on long runs
checkFull scrap metal sorting on-site for maximum recovery
checkMulti-day scheduling if needed with partial load hauls each day
arrow_upwardCharge high-end: Charge top dollar for wrought iron fencing cemented into masonry caps, or high-security chain link with barbed wire top rail — the barbed wire removal alone adds 30–45 minutes per 100 ft and requires specialized handling and disposal.
Pre-Quote Checklist
Linear footage and material type drive your price. Walk the full fence run before quoting — measure twice, quote once.
Linear footage
Measure the total run including all gate sections. A typical backyard privacy fence is 100–200 linear feet. Side-yard runs average 40–80 ft. Use a measuring wheel for accuracy on long runs.
Material type
Wood picket and privacy fences are the easiest teardown. Chain link generates $0.05–$0.12/lb in scrap revenue. Vinyl and composite resist standard cutting and have zero scrap value. Wrought iron is extremely heavy at 8–15 lbs per linear foot.
Post setting method
Driven posts pull in under a minute. Concrete-set posts need a post puller or Hi-Lift jack — budget 2–5 minutes each. Surface-bolted posts just unbolt. Always ask if the customer wants extraction or cut-at-grade before quoting.
Fence height
A 4-ft fence produces roughly half the material volume of a 6-ft privacy fence. Height directly affects labor time, truck space, and disposal weight. Most residential fences are 4 ft (front yard) or 6 ft (back and side yards).
Property line verification
Confirm the fence sits entirely on the customer's property. Shared boundary fences require written agreement from both neighbors before any demolition begins. Check for survey stakes or ask to see the property plat.
Overgrowth and vine coverage
Fences buried in ivy, honeysuckle, or bramble need 30–60 minutes of clearing before demo can start. Charge $75–$200 extra depending on density. Overgrown fence jobs look worse in photos than they actually are — walk the line before adding labor hours.
Adjacent landscaping and structures
Note flower beds, sprinkler heads, retaining walls, and anything within 3 ft of the fence line. Take timestamped photos of existing damage before starting. One cracked sprinkler head costs $25 to fix — but the argument costs you an hour and a review.
Equipment & PPE
REQUIRED
Reciprocating saw with demo blades
Use 9-inch wood demo blades for fence panels and bi-metal blades for cutting metal posts at grade. Budget $3–$5 per blade — you will burn through 2–4 blades per 100 ft of wood fence.
Pry bar (36-inch flat bar)
Essential for separating panels from posts, popping nails, and prying stapled pickets free. A 36-inch flat bar gives you the leverage to pop fence boards without splitting them, keeping debris manageable.
Post puller or Hi-Lift jack
A chain-clamp style post puller or a standard Hi-Lift farm jack with a chain attachment extracts concrete-set posts in 2–3 minutes versus 15–20 minutes of digging. The $50–$100 tool pays for itself on the first job.
Bolt cutters (24-inch minimum)
For cutting chain link fabric, tension bands, tie wires, and hog rings. A quality 24-inch bolt cutter handles 3/8-inch wire easily. Bring a spare pair — chain link dulls cheap cutters fast.
Measuring wheel
Walk the fence line and get exact footage for your quote in under two minutes. Beats pacing or eyeballing, and gives the customer confidence you are pricing accurately rather than guessing high.
RECOMMENDED
Angle grinder with cut-off wheel
For cutting metal posts flush at grade, removing wrought iron brackets, and slicing tension bars on commercial chain link. Use a 4.5-inch grinder with metal cut-off discs — keep 3–4 spare discs on the truck.
Round-point shovel and digging bar
For digging around stubborn concrete footings when the post puller cannot get a clean grip. A 6-ft digging bar breaks compacted soil and clay around footings faster than a shovel alone.
Magnetic sweeper (rolling)
Run a rolling magnet along the fence line after cleanup to catch every nail, staple, and wire scrap. Costs $25–$40 and prevents a callback from a customer who stepped on a nail in the grass — or worse, their kid did.
Cordless impact driver
Speeds removal of lag bolts, bracket screws, and gate hardware. Far faster than a standard drill on corroded fasteners. Bring a full set of hex and star bits — fence hardware is never standard.
shieldCut-resistant gloves rated ANSI Level 4 minimum — chain link edges slice through standard work gloves and will open up your palms
shieldSafety glasses or face shield when running the recip saw or angle grinder — wood splinters and metal sparks are constant
shieldSteel-toe boots — dropped posts and concrete footings will crush a regular work boot
shieldHearing protection (foam plugs or muffs) when running power tools for extended cuts
shieldLong sleeves or forearm guards for chain link jobs — the cut ends of chain link wire catch and drag across exposed skin
Step-by-Step Workflow
Execute the job safely and efficiently every time.
Verify ownership and mark scope
Confirm the fence is entirely on the customer's property before any work begins. For shared boundary fences, require written consent from both property owners — a text message screenshot works, but an email is better. Walk the full fence line with the customer and mark start and stop points with flagging tape. Note and photograph any pre-existing damage to adjacent landscaping, sprinkler heads, or structures.
do_not_disturbDon't proceed if: Fence is on the neighbor's property, is a shared boundary fence without written consent from both owners, or has an active property line dispute
Call 811 and check for utilities
If post extraction is part of the scope, call 811 at least 48 hours before the job. Underground water, gas, electric, and cable lines frequently run along property boundaries — exactly where fences are built. Utility locators will mark lines with spray paint. Do not extract any posts within 18 inches of a marked utility without hand-digging first. Skip this step and you risk a $2,000–$8,000 gas line repair and a potential evacuation.
do_not_disturbDon't proceed if: 811 markings show utilities running directly through the post line and the customer insists on full extraction rather than cut-at-grade
Remove panels and fabric first
Start at one end and work systematically. For wood fences, use the pry bar to pop panels off posts — most residential panels are nailed or screwed to horizontal rails with 2–3 fasteners per board. For chain link, disconnect tension bands at one end, then roll the fabric toward the other end using two people. Stack wood panels flat near the truck staging area. Roll chain link tight with tie wire to keep it manageable — a loose roll of chain link will spring open in the truck bed and double your load time.
Remove rails, hardware, and gates
Pull horizontal rails from post brackets. Remove gate hardware with the impact driver — hinges, latches, and wheel assemblies. Gates are heavy, especially on 6-ft privacy fences — a double-swing driveway gate can weigh 80–120 lbs. Have two people carry gates to the truck. Sort metal hardware into a separate bucket for the scrap yard — small hardware adds up to $3–$8 per fence in scrap value.
Remove or cut posts
Cut posts at grade with the recip saw if the customer wants the fastest and cheapest option — the concrete footing stays buried and decomposes over decades. For extraction, clamp the post puller or Hi-Lift jack chain around the post at ground level and lever out the post with footing attached. A typical 4×4 wood post with a 10-inch concrete footing weighs 40–60 lbs. Stack extracted footings separately — concrete goes to clean fill, not C&D. On a 20-post fence, extraction adds 40–90 minutes versus cutting.
Load truck and sort materials
Separate materials on the truck for maximum revenue and minimum dump fees. Wood panels and posts go to C&D recycling at $25–$45 per ton. Chain link fabric and metal posts go to the scrap yard — roll chain link tight and bundle metal posts with ratchet straps to prevent shifting during transit. Concrete footings go to a clean fill site at $0–$18 per ton. A well-sorted load saves you $20–$40 in dump fees per job and earns you $20–$80 in scrap on chain link jobs. If you dump everything mixed at a landfill, you pay full MSW rates of $55–$85 per ton.
Rake site clean and fill post holes
Run a magnetic sweeper along the entire fence line to catch nails, staples, and wire scraps hidden in the grass. Rake the fence line 2 ft wide on both sides. Fill extracted post holes with loose dirt mounded slightly above grade — it will settle 1–2 inches over the next few weeks. Take after photos from the same angles as your before photos. Text the customer a completion photo before you leave the property — this takes 30 seconds and prevents 90% of callbacks.
Disposal Options & Costs
C&D recycling
DEFAULTWood fence panels, untreated posts, and mixed fence lumber route to construction and demolition recycling facilities. Most C&D facilities accept fence wood without issue. Treated lumber (green-tinted, CCA-stamped) may be rejected by some recyclers and needs to go to an approved landfill — check your local facility rules. Typical turnaround at C&D is 10–15 minutes for a single truck load.
Scrap metal recycling
Chain link fabric, galvanized and steel posts, tension bars, top rail, gate frames, and all metal hardware have scrap value. Roll chain link tight and bundle posts for easy weighing at the yard. Current scrap steel prices fluctuate between $0.05–$0.12/lb depending on your region and market conditions. A typical 100-ft chain link fence yields 200–400 lbs of scrap metal. Build a relationship with one yard — consistent sellers get better per-pound rates.
Clean fill or concrete recycling
Extracted concrete footings route to clean fill sites or concrete recyclers. Most municipalities have free or low-cost clean fill drop-off locations. Call ahead — some sites only accept concrete without rebar or metal attachments. If you cannot find a clean fill site, concrete goes to C&D at standard rates. On a 25-post fence, concrete footings total 800–1,200 lbs.
When to Decline the Job
Walk away from these. The margin isn't worth the risk.
Fence is on neighbor's property or shared boundary — require written consent from both property owners before scheduling
Underground utilities marked within 18 inches of post line — cannot safely extract posts without hand-digging, which triples labor time
Wrought iron fence cemented into a masonry retaining wall or brick cap — requires specialized masonry cutting tools and risks structural damage to the wall
Active electrical fence (livestock or security) — requires electrician disconnect before any demolition begins
Fence supporting heavy vine growth with roots embedded in a neighbor's property — vine removal may damage neighbor's landscaping and create liability
Why This Job Is Profitable
55–70% gross margin on residential wood and chain link fence removal — material is lightweight relative to volume, labor is straightforward, and disposal costs are among the lowest in the demo category at $25–$45 per ton for C&D
Chain link fences generate $20–$80 in scrap metal revenue per job, which offsets or eliminates disposal costs entirely — a 150-ft commercial chain link fence can yield $60–$80 in scrap, making disposal net-positive after dump fees
Per-linear-foot pricing ($3–$8/ft) is dead simple to quote over the phone or through ScaleYourJunk item-select booking — customers understand linear foot pricing intuitively, which reduces quote disputes and speeds the close rate
Fast work with power tools — a trained 2-person crew clears 100 ft of 6-ft wood privacy fence in 2.5–3 hours including post cutting and cleanup, yielding $600–$800 in revenue at an effective hourly rate of $200–$320 per crew hour
Fence removal pairs naturally with other yard demo work — deck removal, shed demolition, and yard waste cleanup — allowing you to upsell $200–$600 of additional scope on 30–40% of fence jobs when you walk the property during the quote
Key Insight
Chain link fence removal can be net-positive on disposal — scrap metal revenue regularly exceeds dump fees when you sort on the truck. Roll chain link fabric tight with tie wire, bundle metal posts with ratchet straps, and route metal separately from wood. One operator in the DFW market recovers $50–$80 per chain link fence in scrap and pays $0 in disposal — his fence removal margin runs 68% consistently.
Common Margin Leak
Not charging separately for concrete post extraction. Pulling 20 concrete-set posts adds 60–90 minutes of labor versus cutting at grade. At $15–$30 per post, that is $300–$600 in add-on revenue you leave on the table if you include extraction in your base linear-foot price. Quote cut-at-grade as default and offer extraction as a clearly priced upgrade. The customer who wants a new fence installed in the same post locations will happily pay for extraction.
Insurance & Liability
General Liability
Standard general liability covers fence demolition. The primary risks are damage to adjacent landscaping, sprinkler systems, underground irrigation lines, and the neighbor's property on shared boundary lines. Carry $1M per occurrence minimum — most residential customers do not ask, but commercial and HOA clients will require a certificate of insurance.
Demolition Exclusion
Fence removal is classified as demolition by most insurers. Verify your GL policy does not carry a demolition exclusion — approximately 15% of standard junk removal policies exclude demo work by default. If your policy excludes demo, adding a demolition endorsement typically costs $200–$400 per year.
Workers Comp
Required in most states for any crew. Fence removal carries specific injury risks: chain link wire cuts through standard gloves, concrete footings drop on feet during extraction, and flying debris from recip saws and angle grinders causes eye injuries. Workers comp for junk removal and light demo runs $8–$14 per $100 of payroll in most states.
Critical: 240V Electrical
Fences frequently run along or over underground electrical conduit, gas lines, water mains, and cable TV drops — all of which follow property lines. Call 811 at least 48 hours before any post extraction. One clipped gas line triggers a fire department response, a mandatory utility repair at $2,000–$5,000, and potential evacuation of adjacent homes.
Operator Tips
Always call 811 before pulling posts
Underground gas, water, electric, and cable lines run along property boundaries — exactly where fences are built. A clipped gas line costs $2,000–$5,000 in emergency repair and shuts your job down for the day. 811 locates are free and take 48 hours. Schedule the locate when you book the job, not the day before.
Scrap every chain link fence
Chain link fabric, metal posts, top rail, and tension bars are all recyclable scrap steel. A 100-ft fence yields 200–400 lbs of metal at $0.05–$0.12/lb — that is $20–$80 in revenue per fence. Roll the fabric tight with tie wire so it does not spring open in transit. Build a relationship with one scrap yard for consistent per-pound pricing.
Cut posts vs extract — price them differently
Cut-at-grade is 1–2 minutes per post with a recip saw. Extraction is 3–8 minutes per post with a puller. On a 25-post fence, that is a 50–150 minute difference. Quote cut-at-grade as default and offer extraction at $15–$30 per post as an upgrade. Customers only need extraction if a new fence is going in the same post holes.
Invest in a post puller — it pays for itself day one
A chain-clamp style post puller or Hi-Lift jack with a chain attachment costs $50–$100 and extracts concrete-set posts in 2–3 minutes versus 15–20 minutes of digging with a shovel. On a 20-post job, the puller saves you 4–5 hours of labor. That is $200–$300 in crew cost saved on a single job.
Run a magnetic sweeper after every fence job
A $25–$40 rolling magnetic sweeper catches every nail, staple, fence tie, and wire scrap buried in the grass along the fence line. One missed roofing nail means a barefoot homeowner steps on it two days later, calls you angry, and leaves a 1-star review. Thirty seconds with the magnet prevents that entirely.
“Dump fee tracking shows scrap revenue offsetting disposal costs on chain link jobs. Per-job profitability reporting captures scrap income as a revenue line item, so you see true margin on every fence removal — not just what you charged minus what you dumped.”
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Fence Removal: FAQ
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Dispatch assigns demo-equipped crews. Dump fee tracking captures scrap revenue as income. Per-job profitability shows your true margin on every fence teardown.
Included in Starter ($149/mo) — no per-user fees, no contracts