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Verbal contract are enforceable in some situations but it looks to me like there was no contract between you guys to begin with. I'd write him a letter (send it certified mail and keep a copy of it) letting him know that you simply gave him permission to take out the perfectly good existing fence and build a new one for the sole purpose of HIS aesthetic preferences. Explain that you found nothing wrong with the previous fence and felt no need to have it replaced. You never agreed to pay for half and price was never even discussed. He also never notified you of the estimated price once a contractor was hired proving that this was a unilateral undertaking and not a joint venture. Therefore there was no contract and you are not responsible for half the costs.

If he wants to force you to pay for it he will have to take you to court and without a written contract to prove his case he wont have enough to prove that you agreed to pay for half. The copy of the letter disputing the contract will strengthen your argument also.

Sorry for the legalese, its hard to turn off sometimes. Fence laws vary state by state and sometimes if you have livestock, etc you are obligated to pay half of the fence costs. But in this situation it doesn't seem like the new fence was built out of necessity. I think a simple letter will help get him to back off or at least show that there is a dispute about whether there was a contract which will be helpful to you if it goes to court later.