Vinyl Fence Installation — Privacy and Picket, Posts Set Below Frost
A vinyl fence never needs stain, but it only stays straight if the posts were set deep and the panels were racked to the grade. That is the whole job.
Vinyl fence installation is a post-and-panel system: hollow vinyl posts set in concrete below frost, with the rails and pickets or privacy panels locked into the posts and the caps glued on. JMB Builders installs privacy, semi-private and picket vinyl fence across the Twin Cities metro, from makers such as Bufftech, Freedom or Veranda, with the panels racked to follow the grade and the gates hung on reinforced posts. Priced per linear foot.
- Priced per linear foot, gates extra
- Posts in concrete, set below frost
- Gate and corner posts reinforced
- Quote from photos, reply within one business day
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
Send photos and hear back within one business day — or book a free in-home estimate.
Vinyl fence is the fence you never paint. It is also the fence that shows every post that heaved, because the panels are rigid and a post that lifts an inch over winter tips a whole section. So the install is mostly about the posts: dug or augered below frost, set in concrete, plumbed and lined with a string, with the concrete crowned at the top so water runs off instead of sitting in the hole. Gate posts and corners get a reinforced post, either an aluminum insert or a steel-reinforced vinyl post, because a gate swinging on a hollow post works loose.
The panels come as kits of rails and pickets, or as tongue-and-groove privacy boards, that assemble into the routed holes in the posts. On level ground they go in square; on a slope the rails are racked so the fence follows the grade without a sawtooth gap at the bottom. Some privacy panels do not rack and get stepped instead, and we tell you which your fence will be from the grade in your photos. Caps are glued, gates are hung with the hardware from the maker and adjusted so they latch.
Before any of it, the property line is confirmed, Gopher State One Call locates the buried utilities, and the city's fence permit and setback rules are checked, since most cities need a permit for a fence and set a height limit at the front. We handle the permit as part of the job.
What you supply
- Where the fence runs and where the gates go; a sketch on a plat or an aerial photo is ideal
- Style and height: privacy, semi-private with a lattice top, or picket, and the color
- Your property pins located, or a survey if the line is in doubt
- A word with the neighbors on the shared sides
What JMB supplies
- The city's fence permit pulled and the setback rules checked
- Gopher State One Call locate before digging
- Vinyl fence system from a maker such as Bufftech, Freedom or Veranda, delivered
- Post holes dug below frost, posts set in concrete, plumbed and strung in a line
- Reinforced posts at gates and corners, panels racked or stepped to grade
- Gates hung and adjusted, caps glued, old fence removed and hauled if there is one
- Site cleaned and photos in your job folder
How it is priced: per linear foot
Quoted in writing from your photos, with a reply within one business day. What moves the number:
- Total feet of fence and the number of gates, with double drive gates costing more than walk gates
- Height and style: privacy vs. picket, lattice tops, and the maker and color
- Slope, which sets racked vs. stepped panels and extra post work
- Soil: sand digs fast, clay with rock or roots does not
- Old fence to remove and haul first
- Corners and jogs, each of which adds a post
- Access for the auger and the concrete
Send an aerial photo or a plat with the fence line and gates drawn on it, and a photo along each run showing the grade. The feet and the gates set the quote.
How long it takes
A typical backyard of vinyl privacy fence: posts set the first day, panels and gates the second after the concrete sets. Add a day for a large lot or an old fence to remove.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized reply within one business day. Prefer a look in person? A free in-home estimate is always an option.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Vinyl privacy fence
Full-height tongue-and-groove panels, the most common vinyl fence for a backyard. White, tan or gray. Stepped on a slope since most privacy panels do not rack.
Semi-private with lattice top
Privacy panels with a lattice section at the top for light and air. The same posts and footings, with a slightly different panel kit.
Vinyl picket fence
A shorter fence of pickets on two rails for a front yard or around a garden, racked to follow a gentle grade. Checked against the city's front-yard height rules.
Vinyl ranch rail
Two- or three-rail fence with no pickets, for a property line or a yard on acreage where the look matters more than privacy. Long spans and fewer posts.
Vinyl Fence Installation — Privacy and Picket, Posts Set Below Frost: questions, answered
Do vinyl fence posts heave in Minnesota?
They do if they were set shallow. A post set in concrete below frost, with the concrete crowned so water runs off, stays put. The failures we see are posts in short holes or with a flat concrete collar that holds water and freezes. We dig every post below frost and set it in concrete, and gate and corner posts get a reinforced post on top of that.
Can a vinyl fence follow a slope?
A picket or rail fence racks: the rails pivot in the posts so the panel leans with the grade and the bottom stays an even height off the ground. Most privacy panels are rigid and have to step, with each panel level and a small drop at every post. On a steady slope the steps are even and look fine; on a rolling yard we lay it out so the steps land where they look best.
Vinyl or wood fence in Minnesota?
Vinyl costs more up front and never needs staining; wood costs less and needs a stain every few years to look good and last. Vinyl shows a heaved post more because the panels are rigid, and a cracked panel is replaced rather than repaired. Wood can be built on site to any design. Both last if the posts were set right. Most people choose on upkeep: if you will never stain it, go vinyl.
Do I need a permit for a vinyl fence?
Most cities in the metro require a permit for a fence and set rules on height, especially at the front yard and near corners, and on how far from the property line it sits. We check the city's fence permit and setback rules for your address and pull the permit as part of the job. Your property pins have to be found first so the fence is on your side of the line.
Can you install a vinyl fence I already bought?
Yes. If the panels and posts are sitting in your garage from a home center, we set the posts and assemble it the same way and quote the labor by the foot. We check what you have against the layout first so you are not short a post or a gate kit. Reinforced gate posts are the one part people usually have to add.
How long does a vinyl fence take to install?
Two days for most backyards: posts dug and set in concrete on the first day, then the panels, gates and caps on the second once the concrete has set. A big lot or an old fence to tear out first adds a day. The permit and the utility locate happen before we start, and they are the part that takes a bit of waiting.
Recent JMB work, from our job log
59 installs recorded across 30 Twin Cities communities since Dec 2025. Window and door installs for homeowners, builders and dealers. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough: a reply within one business day, or ask for a free in-home estimate. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
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Read morePage reviewed October 1, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All landscaping pages
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