Independence Fence Company
Fence Builders in Independence, MO
Wood, aluminum, steel and vinyl fences built around your yard, your privacy and the way you use your home. Explore our Independence projects and the construction details that help them hold up.
Real local projects · Up to five years of workmanship coverage. Wood must be stained within the first year for full coverage.
Local company. Local projects.
Built for Independence homes
We plan each installation around the property layout, privacy needs and gate access. Wood, ornamental metal and vinyl offer different appearances and maintenance needs, which we can compare during the estimate.
Our work
Recent fence projects in Independence
Explore the materials, layouts and construction details in our local work.
6-foot privacy fence with a reinforced double gate
This Susquehanna Village project uses six-foot pressure-treated lumber for backyard privacy. The double gate is the detail to feature: we used metal posts at the hinges to give the heavier gate stronger long-term support and help reduce sagging as the wood moves over time.
6-foot pressure-treated privacy fence
This Stayton Place installation is a straightforward six-foot pressure-treated privacy fence built to create a more private backyard. The continuous wood fence line provides screening while fitting naturally into an established residential yard.
6-foot pressure-treated privacy fence
This Cape of the Woods project uses six-foot pressure-treated lumber to create full backyard screening. The layout follows the property around mature trees and includes a side-yard gate for everyday access without giving up the privacy of the enclosure.
6-foot white vinyl privacy fence
This Hall Manor project uses six-foot white vinyl for a bright, clean privacy boundary. Vinyl gives the homeowner solid screening without the staining requirements of wood, making it a strong option for customers who prefer a more consistent, lower-maintenance finish.
Let’s plan your fence project.
Tell us about your yard, your priorities and the way you want to use your outdoor space.
Make it your own
Fence options for your home
Start with the privacy, views and access you want for your yard. Then compare materials, fence styles and gate locations with your home and daily routine in mind.
Wood styles
Wood fencing
Pressure-treated pine and cedar options include privacy, picture-frame, board-on-board, shadowbox and open-picket styles. We can compare height, spacing and gate options at the estimate.
A consistent finish
Vinyl fencing
Privacy and decorative designs offer a consistent finish without a staining requirement. Hall Manor shows a local six-foot white vinyl privacy installation.
An open backyard view
Aluminum fencing
An open ornamental option for preserving the view. Different heights and decorative styles are available, including puppy-picket configurations for smaller dogs.
Ornamental steel
Steel fencing
A heavier ornamental option with a substantial architectural appearance. We can compare steel and aluminum based on the property, finish, maintenance and look you want.
Bring your priorities for privacy, pets and upkeep, along with any HOA guidelines. Think about where you walk, how equipment reaches the yard and which views you want to keep.
Plan with confidence
Fence permits and property requirements in Independence
We handle required city permitting for our fence projects.
We review the proposed design and property information before construction, including the conditions that can change the approved layout.
When a permit is needed
The city states that fences below six feet are permit-exempt and fences above six feet need a permit. We confirm the requirement for an exactly six-foot design.
How your property affects the plan
Forward-yard fencing is limited to 36 inches and must be at least 50% transparent. Corner visibility, property boundaries and pool barriers need their own review.
HOA approval is separate. Bring any HOA guidelines and available survey or plat to your estimate. Utility locating does not establish property boundaries.
Explore Independence fence requirements, diagrams and FAQs
Most standard residential fences under six feet high do not need a building permit in Independence. They still must meet city rules for height, front and street-side placement, transparency, corner visibility, finished appearance, approved materials, property lines, utilities and pool safety.
Does an Independence fence need a permit?
A fence less than six feet high does not require a building permit. A fence exceeding six feet does require a permit. The city generally limits fences to eight feet, except for certain fences serving tennis courts, swimming pools and similar recreational facilities. The city FAQ does not explicitly resolve a fence exactly six feet high, so we confirm that threshold before work begins.
Under six feet
No building permit is required, but every location, height, material, visibility and maintenance rule still applies.
Over six feet
A permit is required. The general maximum fence height is eight feet unless a specific recreational-facility exception applies.
Thirty-six inches when forward
In front of the residence, and along a street side in front of the residence, a fence is limited to 36 inches and must be at least 50% transparent.
Twenty-five-foot corner clearance
A fence cannot be located within 25 feet of the extended point where the street rights-of-way intersect.
Where can a standard residential fence go?
A fence may be constructed up to the property line, but the property owner is responsible for locating that line accurately. A taller privacy fence normally belongs beside or behind the residence. Any portion in front of the residence, including the forward portion of a corner lot’s street side, is limited to 36 inches and must remain at least 50% transparent.
Typical interior lot: the 36-inch, 50%-transparent rule applies in front of the residence. A taller fence may generally be placed beside or behind the home, subject to the permit threshold and eight-foot maximum.
Enlarge diagram · scroll sideways to read labels
Rear property line
A fence may generally extend to the rear property line, provided it does not enter public right-of-way or conflict with easements, utilities, drainage, floodplain controls or private restrictions.
Interior side property line
A fence may generally extend to an interior side property line. Confirm the boundary and allow for utility access, drainage and maintenance.
Front yard
In front of the residence, a fence cannot exceed 36 inches and must be at least 50% transparent.
Corner street side
Along the street side in front of the residence, the same 36-inch and 50%-transparent rule applies. The 25-foot intersection clearance also controls the corner.
Corner lots need a right-of-way check
Independence prohibits fencing within 25 feet of the extended point where two street rights-of-way intersect. That measurement begins from the rights-of-way, not automatically from the pavement or curb. The city notes that right-of-way may be estimated at about 11 feet from the pavement edge as a rule of thumb, but Jackson County records or a survey are needed to determine its actual location.
Representative corner lot: the red line shows the forward street-side fence area and the gold triangle represents the required 25-foot clearance from the extended right-of-way intersection. This is explanatory, not a survey or scaled site plan.
Enlarge diagram · scroll sideways to read labels
Corner lotsDouble-frontage lotsPoolsUtility easementsHistoric areasDrainage and floodplain
*The recorded plat or survey, actual right-of-way, easements, utilities, drainage, floodplain status, zoning, HOA rules and site visibility can change the usable fence line. An address-specific review is necessary.
Materials, appearance and maintenance
Conventional materials: The city lists synthetic wood, vinyl or PVC, chain-link, wood and wrought iron as normal fencing materials. Temporary plastic construction fence, plywood, canvas, metal sheets and similar materials cannot be used as permanent fencing. No more than two different types of fence material may be used.
Finished side out: The finished side must face outward. Posts and support beams must face inward unless they are incorporated into the finished appearance. Colors must be similar to traditional wood-fence colors; bright colors such as bright orange or red are prohibited.
Prohibited types: Barbed-wire and electrified fencing are prohibited except for bona-fide farming activity.
Ongoing condition: Fences must remain reasonably maintained and vertical. Missing or deteriorated pickets, slats and structural parts must be replaced promptly with comparable material and workmanship.
Property lines, rights-of-way, easements and utilities
Property lines: The city allows a fence up to the property line but places responsibility for locating that line on the property owner. An old fence, mowing line or utility marker is not a boundary determination.
Public right-of-way: Do not use the curb as the property line. Independence describes roughly 11 feet from the pavement edge only as a general estimate; records or a survey establish the actual right-of-way.
Easements and utilities: An easement may or may not lie within the public right-of-way. Easement holders retain access rights. Missouri 811 marks participating public utilities, not boundaries, sprinklers, invisible dog fences or every private line.
Historic or environmentally sensitive locations: Work near historic districts, designated landmarks or environmentally sensitive areas may require additional review.
Special situations need an additional check
Swimming pools
Independence’s posted residential pool packet calls for a six-foot fence or barrier around the pool. It must use conventional, nonclimbable fencing material and have no gaps larger than four inches. The packet specifically states that chain-link and lattice are not acceptable pool barriers.
- Pool gates must be self-closing and self-latching.
- An inside latch must be at least 48 inches above grade; an outside latch must be at least 54 inches above grade.
- If the house forms part of the barrier, a door into the pool area must be self-closing and have either a self-latching device 54 inches above the floor or an audible alarm of at least 70 decibels.
- The city’s general FAQ says a pool permit is required when the pool has sidewalls 24 inches or taller or holds 5,000 gallons or more.
The city currently lists the 2024 International Residential Code among its adopted codes, while the linked pool packet is dated 2020. Because pool barriers are life-safety features, the city should confirm the current requirements for the specific pool and gate before construction.
Taller fences
A fence exceeding six feet requires a permit, even though the city’s general height limit allows up to eight feet. Engineering or additional review may be needed for unusual walls, retaining-wall conditions or structural designs.
Homes associations
An HOA may impose stricter limits on style, material, color, height and location. HOA approval does not replace city compliance, and a city permit exemption does not replace HOA approval.
How Total Home Fence and Deck helps
We review the proposed fence style, height, gates and site conditions before construction, including the home’s front line, corner visibility, property lines, public right-of-way, visible utilities, easements and homes-association requirements. We offer wood, aluminum, vinyl and steel fencing where the selected style meets the location rules, and our wood gates use three-inch metal hinge posts to better handle long-term gate stress.
Independence fence permit FAQ
Does a standard residential fence require a permit?
A fence less than six feet high does not require a permit. A fence exceeding six feet does.
How tall can a residential fence be?
The general maximum is eight feet, but a fence in front of the residence, or along a street side in front of the residence, is limited to 36 inches and must be at least 50% transparent.
Can a fence be placed on the property line?
Yes, but the property owner is responsible for accurately determining the boundary. Other restrictions involving right-of-way, utilities, easements, drainage and private covenants can still affect the line.
How close can a fence be to a street intersection?
It cannot be within 25 feet of the extended point where the street rights-of-way intersect.
Which side of the fence faces the neighbor or street?
The finished side must face outward. Posts and support beams belong on the inside unless they form part of the finished design.
Can multiple fence materials be combined?
The city allows no more than two different types of fencing materials.
Does Missouri 811 locate property lines?
No. Utility locating and boundary surveying are separate services.
Official references
City of Independence: Building Inspections Division and Residential Fence FAQ
City of Independence: Applications, Forms, Permits and Adopted Codes
City of Independence: Right-of-Way Permits and Guidance
This page provides general educational information, not an address-specific zoning, boundary or code determination. Requirements can change. The city, utilities, homes association and project professionals must confirm current requirements for the property and design.
From plans to a finished fence
A straightforward fence-building process
We work through the choices with you, then build from the agreed plan. Here is what each stage involves.
Schedule the estimate
Discuss your goals, preferred materials and how you want to use the yard.
Review the property
Evaluate grade, access, utilities, existing structures and permit or HOA considerations.
Confirm the design
Choose materials, layout and project-specific details.
Build the project
Complete required permitting and construct the approved design.
Final walkthrough
Review the finished work, care requirements and warranty conditions together.
In our own words
Our Five-Year Warranty Changed the Way We Build
Why we stand behind our work for five years, and what it has taught us about building.
When we started our company, there was one thing we wanted our customers to know from the beginning:
When we finish your project and shake your hand, that shouldn’t be the end of our relationship.
If you need us, we want to be there.
In the home-improvement industry, one-year workmanship warranties are common. We never believed that was enough. We wanted to build a company that stood behind its work for much longer than that.
That’s why we offer a five-year workmanship warranty.
We’ve had employees, customers and even others in the industry ask us the same question:
“Why offer five years when almost nobody else does?”
The answer is simple.
Because we can. And because we believe we should.
A warranty is only as good as the company behind it
Putting a five-year warranty on paper is easy.
Standing behind it years later is what matters.
Some of the best feedback we’ve received has come from customers after we’ve performed warranty service. We’ve had homeowners tell us they loved the idea of our five-year warranty when they hired us, but weren’t completely sure whether we’d really come back two, three or four years later if they needed us.
Then they called.
And we showed up.
That’s what we want our warranty to mean.
But there’s another benefit to our five-year warranty that most homeowners will never see.
It has made us better builders.
Continue reading our story ↓
It forces us to think beyond the day we finish
When you’re responsible for your workmanship for five years, you start looking at construction differently.
It’s no longer enough to ask:
“Does this look good and work properly today?”
We also have to ask:
“How is this going to perform years from now?”
That question has changed the way we build.
A great example: our fence gates
Years ago, we noticed we were receiving occasional service calls involving wood fence gates.
We could go out, make an adjustment and take care of the customer. But after seeing the same type of issue more than once, we started asking a different question:
Why does this keep happening, and how can we prevent it?
Unlike a standard section of fence, a gate is supported by hinges on only one side. That means the gate post and hinges are constantly carrying the weight of the gate. Over time, that added stress, along with the natural movement of wood, can cause a gate to sag, twist or stop operating properly.
Instead of accepting that as a normal part of owning a wood fence, we decided to find a better way to build it.
We began incorporating metal into our gate and post construction to create a stronger, more stable system.
The result?
Our gate-related service calls dropped dramatically.
Had we not been standing behind our work for five years, we may never have recognized the pattern. We might never have had a reason to redesign the way we built them.
Our warranty helped make our fences better.
We’ve learned the same lessons from our decks
A newly completed deck can feel extremely strong.
But we’re not building only for the day the project is finished.
We’re thinking about what happens after years of weather, movement and everyday use.
Through years of building, servicing and evaluating our own projects, we’ve continued improving the way we brace, block and reinforce critical areas of our decks.
We’ve had inspectors look at our construction and tell us:
“You guys overbuild these things.”
We’re perfectly comfortable with that.
Because we’re not trying to build something that’s simply strong enough to pass an inspection today.
We’re building with the next 10 or 15 years in mind.
The greatest benefit of our five-year warranty
The biggest benefit of our warranty isn’t actually the repairs we’ve made.
It’s what those service calls have taught us.
Every time we’ve returned to one of our projects, we’ve had the opportunity to see how our workmanship performs in the real world.
And when we find something that could be better, we don’t want to simply repair it and move on.
We ask:
Why did it happen?
Could we build it differently?
How do we keep it from happening to another customer?
Those questions have led to real changes in the way we build our fences and decks.
And that process never stops.
We’re not claiming that nothing will ever go wrong. That’s exactly why warranties exist.
What we’re saying is something different:
If something can be built better, we want to know about it. And when we learn a better way, we change the way we build.
Wood projects require proper care
There is one important requirement to our five-year warranty when it comes to wood fences and wood decks:
The wood must be stained within the first year.
We didn’t add this requirement as a way to avoid standing behind our work. In fact, it’s just the opposite.
We added it because we want your fence or deck to last.
One of the biggest misconceptions we hear in our industry is that a new wood fence or deck doesn’t need to be stained. We’ve met countless homeowners who were told exactly that.
We strongly disagree.
Exterior wood needs to be maintained.
From the day your fence or deck is built, it’s exposed to sunlight, rain, moisture, temperature changes and the elements. Over time, that exposure can dry the wood, discolor it, contribute to cracking and checking, and shorten its useful life.
We sometimes compare it to taking care of your skin.
You use sunscreen to help protect your skin from the sun, and moisturizer to help keep it from drying out. Exterior wood needs protection for many of the same reasons. A quality stain helps protect the wood from UV exposure and moisture while helping it maintain its appearance and performance.
That’s why our five-year workmanship warranty on wood projects requires the fence or deck to be stained within the first year.
We believe there’s a shared responsibility when it comes to making a wood project last.
Our responsibility is to build it correctly and stand behind our workmanship. Your responsibility is to properly maintain the wood after we leave.
When we both do our part, we’re giving your fence or deck the best opportunity to perform the way it should for years to come.
And we’d rather be completely upfront about that requirement than tell a homeowner that exterior wood requires no maintenance.
We care about how your project looks and performs years from now. Not just how it looks the day we finish it.
More than a warranty
Our five-year warranty gives our customers peace of mind knowing that we’re going to stand behind our workmanship.
But to us, it represents something bigger.
It’s accountability.
It gives us the opportunity to learn from the projects we’ve built, improve our construction methods and continue raising our own standards.
Our warranty has helped us identify things that could be improved, make changes to the way we build and reduce the likelihood that the same issue will happen to another customer.
That’s something we’re proud of.
Our five-year warranty doesn’t just protect our customers. It has helped make us a better company.
And when your project is finished, we shake hands and our trucks pull away, we want you to know one thing:
If you need us, we’re still your contractor.
Reviews
What customers say about working with us
Feedback on our fences, decks and service. Read more reviews.
“Crew was awesome”
Brian was great to work with. He always returned calls quickly and answered all my questions. Our project was delayed by concrete removal company. Brian stayed connected and patient about starting our project. Once started, the crew was awesome. They finished in a timely manner even working around winter storms. We love our new deck and have gotten many compliments on it. They did such a nice job, we're going to do another one!
“Great work would definitely use them again.”
The Total Home Fence and Deck crew did a great job in a timely manner facing multiple rain days and the heat. They built a set of stairs from my existing deck and screened in our porch. Great work would definitely use them again.
“Courteous and very knowledgeable”
Brian from Total Home & Deck came out on time and was very helpful to our needs. He was courteous and very knowledgeable about the process. I would definitely encourage others to reach out to this company.
Your questions
Independence fence builder FAQs
Which fence works best for privacy?
Wood and vinyl can both provide a solid privacy enclosure. Wood gives you more custom style options, while vinyl provides privacy without a staining requirement.
Do you build six-foot wood privacy fences in Independence?
Yes. The Susquehanna Village, Stayton Place and Cape of the Woods projects on this page are all six-foot pressure-treated privacy fences.
Why use metal posts at a wood gate?
Gate hinges concentrate the weight of the gate on the supporting posts. Metal hinge posts help provide stable support and reduce sagging as the wood moves over time.
Do you install vinyl fencing in Independence?
Yes. The Hall Manor project is a six-foot white vinyl privacy fence.
Do you install aluminum and steel fencing?
Yes. We install both aluminum and steel fencing in addition to wood and vinyl.
Do wood fences need staining?
Yes. Exterior wood needs ongoing care. Staining within the first year is required for the full five-year workmanship warranty on qualifying wood projects. Ask us about the terms for your fence.