What Type of Fence Installation Adds to the Property Value of Your Home?

Written by  Dusty Mills Posted On Friday, 03 July 2020 20:26

Trying to understand if installing fencing to your home will increase the property value is a complicated process.  A review of sources in the home building, home selling, and fence construction trades yield a lot of data.  In some cases, the data may be unreliable or even highly biased.  Understanding the issues involved in a fence installation can, at the least, make your decision more credible.

What type of fence installation adds to the property value of your home? Several issues are important when considering the installation of a fence on your property.

• The style of fence that you install
• The material used to construct the fence
• The overall cost of the fence with the value of the property
• Are you replacing an unsightly out of repair fence

Each of these considerations has its own set of features that may or may not enhance the value of your property.   You must make the best decisions to ensure that you aren’t negatively affecting your property value with your fence installation.

Fence Styles

Determining which fence style will have the best effect on your property value is challenging.  Each style of fence, in the proper setting, and on the right property, can be a positive addition to the home.  You should take into consideration these factors when deciding which style of fence best fits your needs.

Privacy Fence

Privacy fences are barriers meant to provide secluded space around a home.  Privacy fences generally surround backyards, patios, pools, or other outdoor features.  Materials vary widely, as does height.  Some privacy fences installations and designs help control noise from nearby roadways.  A well-designed privacy fence can turn an outdoor area into an extension of the indoor living space adding value and functionality to the home.

The Classic Look

Several different types of fencing fall under classic styles.  Some of the more well-known types of classic fence are:

• The Picket fence – Picket fences can come in many different variations.  Typically, picket fences are used as part of a front yard landscape to create a sense of boundaries or borders in the landscape.  A picket fence is a good addition to traditionally styled homes.
• Rustic Fences – whether it be a split rail or stacked rock fence, rustic fences are a traditional style rooted in your rural past.  Rustic fences can add a dramatic flair to a rural style home for subdividing large spaces.  These rustic style fences also make dramatic backdrops for landscape planting, such as fruiting vines.
• Lattice Designs – Fences using latticework can create elegant and inviting spaces where privacy is not an issue.  The design creates visual interest and can be a magnificent backdrop to landscapes.  Using a latticework fence around a patio or other outdoor living space can define the space yet afford a broader look at the overall landscape.
• Contemporary Designs – More contemporary homes call for a fence design that carries that contemporary and modern feel into the landscape.  A wide range of materials lends themselves to creating visually interesting designs that can be the foundation of a landscape.  Such designs often create outdoor spaces that add value to the home.

Security Fences 

Security fencing is often hard to integrate into a landscape design effectively.  The requirements of a security fence often make it hard to disguise or to enhance the attractiveness of the fencing.  Security fencing is almost always a perimeter type fence built tall enough and secure enough to keep unwanted visitors from accessing the property.

Types of security fences are limited to the requirements the fence must fulfill.  The most common types of security fences include:

• Chain Link – Chain link fence is a popular type of security fence.  It is available in heights up to 10 or 12 feet tall and is easily topped with security wire to prevent easy access over the fence.  Chain link is a very functional fence style but is considered by most people to be unattractive with an industrial look.   Integrating chain link fence effectively into a landscape is difficult.
• Stone or Concrete – Stone security fences can be both beautiful and effective.  A well designed and built stone wall can add tremendously to the aesthetic of a home.  Concrete walls can also be integrated into a landscape while maintaining curb appeal.  The downside to long expanses of tall stone or concrete fences is the cost and the isolation they tend to create around the home.
• Steel or Aluminum Security Fencing – To enhance security and maintain an elegant look around a home, steel of aluminum security fencing is available.  Many different styles of steel and aluminum fencing are available and can enhance the look of the home.  When combined with stone or brick columns, the fence can become a foundation for a landscape.

Fencing Materials

No matter which style of fence you choose to build, the choice of materials should figure into your decision.   Traditional materials for fencing include

• Wood
• Steel
• Stone
• Brick

However, today's newer materials are providing additional options in all the styles.  The newer materials available in fencing include:

• Plastics
• Manmade wood replacement materials
• Concrete

Whichever material you choose, keeping the appearance of the material compatible with the style of your home and landscaping is the major determining factor in adding value to hour property.  Putting the wrong material with the wrong look in your landscape can reduce the value of your home as easily as it increased that value.

Overall Cost vs. Property Value

If your goal is to increase the value of your property, you must calculate the value the fence will add versus the overall cost of the fence installation.  Economics dictates that you should get at least a breakeven on the cost vs. value equation.  The problem is valuing the fence in terms of its intrinsic value in addition to its monetary value.

When a Fence is a Negative Influence

In terms of resale value, an old, neglected, and poorly maintained fence can be a negative influence on property value.   In this instance, replacing a run-down fence with a new fence installation can positively affect the value of the property and add aesthetic appeal to the home that can increase buyer appreciation and interest.

Making the Decision

The factors that affect the value a fence installation adds to your property are hard to estimate.  Consulting professionals can often make that decision easier.  Real estate agents, builders, and appraisers can offer advice on the positive or negative impact that a fence installation can have on a property.  Remember that fence contractors have a vested interest in building fences, and their advice may be jaded in their direction.

We hope that the information provided in this article helps you on your way to making your decision about how installing a fence on your property may affect its value. 


Dusty Mills is a professional house painter in the Kansas City area, boasting over twenty years of experience in house painting services. Dusty learned the trade from his parents, who owned a successful house painting and contracting business for many decades before retiring, and he now enjoys sharing his painting and home repair expertise with others.

Rate this item
(0 votes)

Agent Resource

Limited time offer - 50% off - click here

Realty Times

From buying and selling advice for consumers to money-making tips for Agents, our content, updated daily, has made Realty Times® a must-read, and see, for anyone involved in Real Estate.