Fence cost calculator

Fences are priced by the linear foot, installed: posts set in concrete, rails, boards or panels, and the labor. We read the cost guides from Fixr, Thumbtack, Bob Vila and HomeAdvisor and combined their installed prices. The low is the middle of their lows, the high the middle of their highs. Thumbtack's wrought iron figure is a material cost, so wrought iron uses the other three.

The guides' dates run from 2022 (HomeAdvisor) to 2026 (Thumbtack), and lumber and steel prices have moved since. Treat the low end as old pricing and the typical figure as a fair middle for 2026.

Fixr breaks out labor at $5 to $20 a foot of those installed prices, so a bit under half of a fence price is the crew's time. That is the part the calculator scales to your state's wages when you enter a ZIP.

• Material and style. Within wood, pressure-treated pine is cheapest, cedar costs more, and styles with more boards (shadow box, board on board) cost more again.
• Height. Most of the prices above are for fences up to 6 ft. HomeAdvisor says going to 8 ft adds about 30% to materials and labor. Many towns cap backyard fences at 6 ft, so check first.
• Gates. Each gate needs heavier posts, hinges and a latch. Three guides put a walk gate at $150 to $400 installed and a double or driveway gate at $700 to $3,000.
• Ground. Slopes need stepped or racked panels. Rock and roots slow down every post hole. No guide we read puts a number on this, so the calculator moves the price into the top half of the range when you tick it.
• Tear-out. Removing and hauling the old fence costs about $3 to $5 a foot (Bob Vila) or $600 to $800 for 100 to 200 ft (Fixr).
• Permit and survey. Permit fees vary by town: HomeAdvisor says $20 to $60, Bob Vila $400 to $800, and a pro quoted by Thumbtack puts the Orlando area at $25 to $300. The calculator uses $25 to $300. A property line survey runs $350 to $850 and is worth it when the line is in doubt.
• Length. Long straight runs cost less per foot than short runs with lots of corners and gates.

Corners and ends matter more than most people think. A 150 ft fence in one straight line needs two end posts. The same 150 ft wrapped around three sides of a yard with two gates needs corner posts, gate posts and bracing at every one of them, and each takes longer to set. That is one reason two quotes for the same length can be far apart.

Timing matters too. Spring and early summer are the busy season for fence crews in most of the country. Booking in late fall or winter, where the ground is not frozen, can mean shorter waits and more room to negotiate.

The cheapest fence per foot is not always the cheapest fence to own. Here is how the common materials compare beyond the price.

• Wood privacy. The most common backyard fence. Pressure-treated pine is the lowest cost; cedar resists rot and insects better and looks better as it ages. Wood needs staining or sealing every few years, and boards and posts eventually need replacing.
• Vinyl. About the same installed price as wood in the guides we read. No painting or staining, just an occasional wash. It can crack in hard freezes or from a direct hit, and a damaged panel usually has to be replaced, not repaired.
• Chain link. The lowest cost way to keep pets and kids in. Strong and long lasting, but no privacy unless you add slats or plant along it. Coated (black or green) chain link costs more than plain galvanized.
• Aluminum. Looks like wrought iron, does not rust and needs almost no upkeep. Good around pools, where many codes require a fence the water can be seen through. Not a privacy fence.
• Wrought iron and steel. Very strong and very long lasting if painted. Heavy and slow to install, which shows in the price.
• Composite. Made of wood fiber and plastic. Looks like wood without the staining. The price range is wide because the products are.
• Split rail. Two or three rails between posts. Cheap and good for marking a line or keeping larger animals in; add wire mesh for dogs.

A homeowner wants a 6 ft wood privacy fence around a 150 ft backyard, with one walk gate, and the old chain link taken out.

• Fence. 150 ft × $15 / $27.50 / $40 = $2,250 / $4,125 / $6,000.
• Walk gate. $150 / $225 / $400.
• Tear-out. 150 ft × $3 / $4.75 / $6.50 = $450 / $713 / $975.
• Total. $2,850 to $7,375, with about $5,060 as the typical price at the US average. That is about $34 a foot all in.

The same job in vinyl lands at $3,150 to $7,000 because vinyl's range is narrower. Over twenty years, vinyl often costs less once you count staining and board replacement on wood.

Same yard, chain link. 150 ft of chain link at $8 / $19.75 / $27.50 a foot is $1,200 / $2,963 / $4,125. With a walk gate and the same tear-out, the total is $1,800 to $5,500, with about $3,900 typical. Chain link keeps pets in for about three-quarters of the typical price of wood, but gives no privacy.

1. Find the line. Use your plat or survey. If you are not sure where the property line is, pay for a survey before you build.
2. Walk it with a wheel or tape. Measure each straight run separately, then add them up. Note where every gate goes.
3. Mark the corners and ends. Each one needs a heavier post, which is part of why short runs cost more per foot.
4. Call 811. Before anyone digs, the free 811 service marks buried utility lines. It is required in every state.
5. Check the rules. Height limits, setbacks, HOA rules and which side of the fence faces out.

Ask each contractor how deep the posts go and how they are set. Posts set in concrete below the frost line are the main reason one fence stands straight for decades and another leans after a few winters.

A fence is one of the more doable DIY projects, if the ground is easy and the run is straight. The material is the same price either way; what you save is the labor, which Fixr puts at $5 to $20 a foot. On a 150 ft fence, that is roughly $750 to $3,000.

What you take on in exchange:

• Post holes. Usually 2 to 3 ft deep, or below the frost line where the ground freezes, every 6 to 8 ft. An auger rental helps; rock and roots do not care.
• Getting it straight and level. A string line, a level on every post, and patience on slopes. Mistakes show for the life of the fence.
• Gates that do not sag. They need solid posts and bracing.
• The paperwork. Permit, the property line, the 811 call and any HOA approval are your job.

Hire a pro for long runs, slopes, rocky ground, tall fences, pool fences and anything on a property line you are not sure of. A contractor also brings a warranty on the work and handles the tear-out and haul-away of the old fence.

When you compare quotes, make sure each one lists the same height, material grade, post spacing and depth, gates, and whether removal, permit and cleanup are included.

Homeowners will have read the per-foot ranges above before they call you. Build your own price from the job:

• Materials by the piece. Posts every 6 to 8 ft, rails, pickets or panels, concrete per post, hardware, plus waste.
• Labor by the post. Post holes are where the time goes, especially in rock, roots or clay. Price hard digging as its own line rather than hiding it.
• Gates as their own lines. Each one with its posts and hardware.
• Tear-out and haul. Labor plus dump fees.
• Permit, survey, 811 and the drive. All real costs.
• Margin on top. Check it with the profit margin calculator.

Then give the customer two or three options, for example wood, vinyl and aluminum for the same run. The "Save as an estimate" button carries the fence, the gates and the add-ons into Koira as separate lines, so you can send the estimate and collect a deposit when it is signed.