Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
ActiveYards Home Additions & ADU: The Woodland Hills Owner’s Guide
If you own an ActiveYards fence or gate system and you’re planning an ADU or home addition in Woodland Hills, the question isn’t whether the fence will need modification, it’s how much footage you’re losing and whether the existing ActiveYards panels can be reinstalled around the new structure. A typical Woodland Hills ADU project runs $90,000 – $220,000, but the fence work on an ActiveYards aluminum or vinyl perimeter is usually in the $3,000 – $8,000 range, depending on how many panels get pulled, how many gate posts need relocating, and whether your existing ActiveYards system can be reworked or needs matched sections added. Most owners don’t discover the fence complication until demo starts, because the fence line often runs right where the new foundation needs to go. At Mason Remodeling Co Woodland Hills, we’ve reworked ActiveYards fencing on ADU projects across Woodland Hills long enough to know exactly which panels can be saved, which need fresh sections, and what the whole thing should cost before the first post gets pulled.
Which ActiveYards Models This Applies To
ActiveYards aluminum fence systems come in three main series that show up regularly on Woodland Hills properties: the ActiveYards Classic (the residential aluminum line with 2-1/4″ posts), the ActiveYards Privacy (vinyl and composite privacy panels with tongue-and-groove construction), and the ActiveYards Horizon (the heavier-gauge aluminum with wider bottom rails and a taller standard height). What matters for an ADU or addition isn’t just the series, it’s the post spacing. ActiveYards panels come in standard widths of 72″ and 96″, but many Woodland Hills installs from the 2010s used custom-cut panels to follow property lines and side-yard setbacks. When you add a structure, the fence line shifts, and what you’re usually dealing with is a mismatch: the old panels are too long for the new span, or too short, or the new foundation is 14″ off the original fence line and nothing lines up. Matching a panel isn’t just about color, it’s rail height, picket spacing, and post diameter. These change between ActiveYards generations. A fence installed in 2012 may not match sections manufactured today, even in the same nominal color like black or bronze. We measure every panel and post before ordering anything.
One thing worth understanding before you get deep into this: Mason Remodeling Co Woodland Hills is an independent contractor. We work around ActiveYards products constantly because they’re the most common aluminum and vinyl fence system in the Woodland Hills area, but we’re not affiliated with or endorsed by ActiveYards. We buy matched sections, we rework existing panels, and we fabricate what can’t be ordered.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your ActiveYards Fence Won’t Survive the ADU Footprint
- Post line falls inside the new foundation footprint. If the concrete ADU slab extends to within 6″ of the fence line, the posts have to come out before grading and forming start. The cause is almost always a maximized floor plan; owners squeeze the ADU to the setback line and the fence becomes the casualty.
- Gate posts are set at the old property access, not the new side entrance. A detached ADU usually gets its own walkway. If the existing gate lands where the new hardscape runs, you’re moving the gate, not repairing it. ActiveYards gate posts are set in concrete, so relocation means new footings, not just a hinge swap.
- Panels sag between posts after the adjacent soil is regraded. ADU excavation changes drainage and loosens the ground around existing post footings. Panels that were plumb for ten years start leaning toward the new foundation cut. This is a soil settlement issue, not a panel failure.
- Custom-cut panels no longer match the new fence run length. Most Woodland Hills backyards are not rectangles. When the ADU takes a corner of the yard, the remaining fence segment is rarely a clean multiple of 72″ or 96″. You’ll see a gap at one end that a full panel can’t fill.
- Hinges bind or gates drag after the new concrete path goes in. Raise the grade even 1.5″ for a walkway and the gate bottom rail starts scraping. The fix isn’t trimming the gate; it’s resetting the hinge posts to the new finish grade.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
For fence rework tied to an ActiveYards home addition or ADU in Woodland Hills, the work typically runs $3,000 – $8,000 depending on how many panels get pulled and reset, whether the existing posts can be reused, and whether you need new matched panels or a relocated gate. A simple panel pull and reset with the same posts runs at the bottom of the range. New posts, new concrete footings, and matched ActiveYards panels push it toward the top. The full home addition itself, per our Woodland Hills pricing, runs $45,000 – $130,000, and the ADU construction $90,000 – $220,000, so the fence line is usually a single-digit percentage of the project, but it’s the part that gets forgotten in the contract. We give you a written line-item price for the fence portion before any work starts, and that price includes pulling the existing panels, labeling them, storing them on-site, setting any new posts with proper concrete footings, rehanging panels, and adjusting every gate so it swings clean. The work is covered by our written guarantee for 365 days from completion.
What drives the cost in Woodland Hills specifically: access. Many ADU projects leave about 3 feet of clearance between the existing house and the new structure, which means panels have to be walked out by hand rather than pulled with equipment. That’s slower and it’s honest work. Soil here is another factor; much of Woodland Hills sits on clay-heavy ground that makes post removal harder than it looks. We price for real conditions, not best-case conditions.
DIY or Call Us?
You can absolutely pull the screw caps and lift an ActiveYards panel off its post brackets yourself if the section is under 6 feet and you have a second set of hands. That part is straightforward. What gets homeowners into trouble is the post work. ActiveYards posts are set in concrete, and when you’re moving a fence line around an ADU foundation, you’re not just pulling old posts, you’re digging new footings at the right depth for local setback and wind requirements, setting the posts plumb, and getting the panel rails seated at the exact same height as the rest of the run. Do it wrong and you’ll notice the fence is 3/4″ out of level every time you look at it. Pulling a post out of clay soil in Woodland Hills in August is not a weekend job. If the work involves moving gates or cutting panels to length, call us at (831) 290-6866. We’ll tell you what can be saved and what needs replacing, and you’ll get that in writing before we touch anything.
FAQs
Aluminum ActiveYards panels typically last 25 to 35 years in Woodland Hills weather, though the powder coat on darker colors like black and bronze can show sun fade on the south-facing runs after 10 to 15 years. Vinyl panels hold up about 20 to 30 years, but the direct summer heat off a new ADU wall can accelerate warping on panels within a few feet of the structure. Call us at (831) 290-6866 if you’re seeing panels warp or fade near a new build, and we’ll tell you whether it’s cosmetic or structural.
Dented aluminum top rails and bent pickets can usually be replaced individually without pulling the whole panel, as long as the panel is a standard size and the color match is close. If the post itself is leaning or the rail brackets have corroded, repair isn’t worth it; you’re better off replacing the section completely. We’ll give you an honest read on what’s salvageable during the estimate call.
Most Woodland Hills fence rework tied to a new structure takes one to two days once the concrete footings for the new posts have cured. Post relocation and new concrete typically add a day of waiting before panels go back on. We coordinate this work around your ADU contractor’s schedule so the fence and the structure come together without leaving the property open longer than necessary.
We keep the most common ActiveYards Classic black and white aluminum panels, a selection of 72″ and 96″ sections, plus gate hinges and post caps on hand for same-week work in Woodland Hills. For specialty colors like bronze and for the Privacy series, we order directly and usually have them in hand within 5 to 7 business days. We also work with KraftMaid, Cambria, and Silestone on the interior portions of ADU builds when cabinetry and surfaces are in scope. Tell us what you need done, and I’ll tell you what it takes and what it costs. Then we get to work.
Written by Isaac Pruett, Owner, Mason Remodeling Co – Woodland Hills, CA at Mason Remodeling Co Woodland Hills, serving Woodland Hills and nearby areas.
