How much extra does it cost to remove an old fence before installing a new one in Metro Vancouver?

Removing an old fence in Metro Vancouver typically costs $3 to $8 per linear foot, adding $450 to $1,200 for a typical 150-linear-foot residential project. The cost varies based on the fence material, post anchoring method, height, and how accessible your property is for debris removal. Most fence contractors include removal as an optional line item in their installation quote.

The biggest cost variable is how the old posts are anchored. Posts set in concrete footings are the most labour-intensive and expensive to remove — each footing is a buried mass of concrete weighing 50 to 150 pounds that must be dug out, broken up, or pulled with equipment. A single stubborn concrete footing can take 20 to 45 minutes to extract, and a typical 150-foot fence has 19 to 25 posts. Posts driven directly into the ground without concrete are much faster to pull. Posts set on steel post brackets bolted to a concrete slab are the easiest — just unbolt and remove.

Here is what removal costs look like by fence type:

Wood fence (cedar or pressure-treated) with concrete footings: $5 to $8 per linear foot. This is the most common removal scenario in Metro Vancouver. Older cedar fences that have been weathering in Vancouver's rain for 15 to 20 years are often partially rotted, which actually makes board and rail removal easier (they practically fall apart), but the concrete footings are still rock-solid and time-consuming to extract. Many contractors use a high-lift jack or a chain and truck to pull the post and concrete footing together, then fill the hole with clean soil.

Chain-link fence with concrete footings: $4 to $7 per linear foot. Chain-link fabric rolls up efficiently once detached from the posts and rails, making the above-ground portion faster to remove than wood. However, the steel posts are often set in large concrete footings that are just as difficult to extract as wood fence footings.

Vinyl/PVC fence with concrete footings: $4 to $6 per linear foot. Vinyl panels are lightweight and pop off their posts and rails easily. The posts themselves are often sleeves over steel or wood structural posts, and the footings still need extraction.

Wood fence without concrete (driven posts): $3 to $5 per linear foot. The easiest and cheapest removal. Posts can be pulled directly from the ground with a jack or by rocking and lifting.

Disposal costs are built into the per-foot removal price but are worth understanding. Metro Vancouver transfer stations charge by weight and volume. A typical 150-foot wood fence generates 1 to 2 pickup truck loads of debris, costing $100 to $300 in dump fees. Concrete footings are heavier and may incur separate disposal charges. Some contractors separate clean wood for recycling, which reduces disposal costs slightly.

Access affects removal cost significantly. If the old fence is in a rear yard accessible only through a narrow side gate or the house, all debris must be hand-carried out — a slow, labour-intensive process that can add 20 to 40% to the removal cost. Properties with rear lane access (common in Vancouver, Burnaby, and New Westminster) allow a truck to park close to the work area, making removal much more efficient.

Should you remove the old fence yourself to save money? Possibly for the above-ground portion, but be cautious. Tearing down boards, rails, and panels is physical but straightforward — a pry bar, reciprocating saw, and heavy work gloves will get it done. However, extracting concrete footings is genuinely difficult without equipment and can take an entire day for a weekend warrior to handle 20 posts. Most homeowners find that the $450 to $1,200 for professional removal is money well spent given the physical demand and the time savings.

One important consideration: if you are having a new fence installed by a contractor, bundling the removal with the new installation almost always costs less than hiring removal separately. The crew is already on-site with equipment, and they can dig new post holes immediately after pulling old footings — sometimes in the exact same location, saving the step of filling old holes. Ask your contractor for a combined removal-and-installation price.

Also be aware that some old fences in Metro Vancouver contain lead paint (pre-1990s fences) or creosote-treated wood (railway tie fence borders from the 1970s and 1980s). These materials require special handling and disposal and should not be burned or composted. If your old fence has a dark, oily coating on the posts or you suspect lead paint, mention this to your contractor so they can handle disposal appropriately.

Need help finding a fence contractor who handles both removal and new installation? Vancouver Fence Builders offers free contractor matching across Metro Vancouver.

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