Fence Cost per Foot
The cost to install a fence ranges from $10 to $175 per linear foot, installed, depending on material. This reference table breaks down every common fence material at 4, 6, and 8 feet tall so you can see exactly where your project lands before requesting quotes.
Wood Privacy Fence, 6 ft, 150 ft — mid estimate emphasized
| Item | Low | High | % of Mid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,250 | $5,250 | 57% |
| Labor | $1,500 | $3,000 | 35% |
| Gates | $200 | $600 | 7% |
| Removal | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Permit | $40 | $200 | 2% |
2026 figures from published cost guides and retail prices; varies by region and contractor.
Cost to install a fence starts with one number: price per linear foot, installed. That single figure — materials plus labor, before gates, removal, or your state's rates are added — is what every contractor quote ultimately reduces to, and it's the fastest way to compare wildly different materials on equal footing. Browse the cost calculators hub for every material this site prices, or use the fence cost calculator above to plug in your own length and see a full breakdown.
Cost to Install a Fence by Material and Height
Prices are installed (materials + labor), national average, before gates, removal, permits, or state adjustments. A "typical 150-ft total" is included for each row since that's a common residential lot-line length.
| Material | Height | Low–High per ft | 150-ft total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chain link, galvanized | 4 ft | $9–33 | $1,380 – $4,950 |
| Chain link, galvanized | 6 ft | $10–35 | $1,500 – $5,250 |
| Chain link, galvanized | 8 ft | $11–39 | $1,650 – $5,850 |
| Chain link, vinyl-coated | 4 ft | $11–35 | $1,620 – $5,250 |
| Chain link, vinyl-coated | 6 ft | $12–38 | $1,800 – $5,700 |
| Chain link, vinyl-coated | 8 ft | $14–43 | $2,100 – $6,450 |
| Split rail, wood | 4 ft | $13–31 | $1,950 – $4,650 |
| Split rail, wood | 6 ft | $15–35 | $2,250 – $5,250 |
| Split rail, wood | 8 ft | $18–43 | $2,700 – $6,450 |
| Split rail, vinyl | 4 ft | $13–28 | $1,950 – $4,200 |
| Split rail, vinyl | 6 ft | $15–32 | $2,250 – $4,800 |
| Split rail, vinyl | 8 ft | $19–40 | $2,850 – $6,000 |
| Ranch rail (3-rail wood) | 4 ft | $13–30 | $1,950 – $4,500 |
| Ranch rail (3-rail wood) | 6 ft | $15–34 | $2,250 – $5,100 |
| Ranch rail (3-rail wood) | 8 ft | $18–41 | $2,700 – $6,150 |
| Wood shadowbox | 4 ft | $16–34 | $2,400 – $5,100 |
| Wood shadowbox | 6 ft | $18–38 | $2,700 – $5,700 |
| Wood shadowbox | 8 ft | $22–45 | $3,300 – $6,750 |
| Wood picket | 4 ft | $16–39 | $2,400 – $5,850 |
| Wood picket | 6 ft | $18–44 | $2,700 – $6,600 |
| Wood picket | 8 ft | $22–53 | $3,300 – $7,950 |
| Pool fence, mesh | 4 ft | $13–30 | $1,950 – $4,500 |
| Pool fence, mesh | 6 ft | $15–35 | $2,250 – $5,250 |
| Pool fence, mesh | 8 ft | $19–44 | $2,850 – $6,600 |
| Composite | 4 ft | $17–47 | $2,550 – $7,050 |
| Composite | 6 ft | $20–55 | $3,000 – $8,250 |
| Composite | 8 ft | $25–68 | $3,750 – $10,200 |
| Wood privacy (1×6 dog-ear) | 4 ft | $22–48 | $3,300 – $7,200 |
| Wood privacy (1×6 dog-ear) | 6 ft | $25–55 | $3,750 – $8,250 |
| Wood privacy (1×6 dog-ear) | 8 ft | $30–67 | $4,500 – $10,050 |
| Vinyl picket | 4 ft | $17–37 | $2,550 – $5,550 |
| Vinyl picket | 6 ft | $20–43 | $3,000 – $6,450 |
| Vinyl picket | 8 ft | $25–54 | $3,750 – $8,100 |
| Vinyl privacy | 4 ft | $25–51 | $3,750 – $7,650 |
| Vinyl privacy | 6 ft | $30–60 | $4,500 – $9,000 |
| Vinyl privacy | 8 ft | $39–76 | $5,850 – $11,400 |
| Aluminum | 4 ft | $21–66 | $3,150 – $9,900 |
| Aluminum | 6 ft | $22–72 | $3,300 – $10,800 |
| Aluminum | 8 ft | $24–83 | $3,600 – $12,450 |
| Pool fence, aluminum | 4 ft | $28–59 | $4,200 – $8,850 |
| Pool fence, aluminum | 6 ft | $30–65 | $4,500 – $9,750 |
| Pool fence, aluminum | 8 ft | $34–76 | $5,100 – $11,400 |
| Steel ornamental | 4 ft | $27–62 | $4,050 – $9,300 |
| Steel ornamental | 6 ft | $30–70 | $4,500 – $10,500 |
| Steel ornamental | 8 ft | $35–84 | $5,250 – $12,600 |
| Wrought iron | 4 ft | $84–153 | $12,600 – $22,950 |
| Wrought iron | 6 ft | $95–175 | $14,250 – $26,250 |
| Wrought iron | 8 ft | $114–214 | $17,100 – $32,100 |
| Farm/field fence (woven wire + T-post) | 4 ft | $3–14 | $270 – $1,220 |
| Farm/field fence | 6 ft | $3–14 | $300 – $1,350 |
| Farm/field fence | 8 ft | $4–17 | $360 – $1,580 |
| Electric (wire only) | 4 ft | $1–7 | $140 – $660 |
| Electric (wire only) | 6 ft | $1–8 | $150 – $750 |
| Electric (wire only) | 8 ft | $1–10 | $180 – $920 |
How These Numbers Are Calculated
Every figure on this page is installed cost per linear foot: published material cost plus published labor cost for that material and height, added together and rounded to the nearest $10 for any project total. Low, mid, and high columns aren't three random points — they're the low, median, and high figures found across multiple published cost guides and retailer pricing for that material, kept internally consistent so material-plus-labor always lands inside the range contractors actually quote. When you select a state in the calculator above, CalcFence multiplies your whole project total (not just the labor line) by that state's cost index, which approximates how far both material sourcing and labor dollars stretch in that region relative to the national average of 1.00.
Why the Range Is So Wide
The gap between low and high for any single row — often 2-3x — comes from three things: grade, finish, and region. A low-end wood privacy fence uses SPF or basic pine boards from a big-box store and a crew charging bargain rates; a high-end one uses cedar with a premium finish and a licensed, insured contractor in a high-labor-cost metro. Chain link has the widest spread of any material because "chain link fence" covers everything from a bare-bones residential yard enclosure to a heavy-gauge commercial security fence with a different fabric weight entirely. Our fence materials comparison covers lifespan and maintenance differences behind these numbers in more depth.
A useful way to read any row: the low end represents a straightforward, flat, easy-access job with a budget-grade product and a competitively priced local crew, while the high end represents a licensed contractor working with a premium-grade product in a high-labor-cost market, or a job with above-average site prep. Most real quotes land somewhere between the mid and high columns rather than at the absolute low end, since the low figure typically assumes the cheapest available grade and the least complex site conditions.
Height's Effect on Price
Going from 6 feet to 8 feet adds roughly 15-30% to most materials' installed cost, since taller sections need deeper post footings, longer posts, and more material per linear foot — wood privacy jumps from $37/ft mid-tier at 6 feet to $45/ft at 8 feet, for example. Dropping to 4 feet saves 10-20% versus 6 feet on most materials, though pool-code fencing has a legal 4-ft minimum regardless of cost (see the pool fence cost calculator for that requirement).
What "Installed" Includes
The per-foot figures above cover materials, delivery, and standard labor for a straightforward, flat, easy-access job. They do not include gates (priced separately — see any material's dedicated cost page), removing an old fence ($3-8/ft extra), permits ($40-200 where required), or premium site conditions like steep slopes, rock excavation, or extensive tree/root removal. A single walk gate typically adds $130-900 depending on material, and a drive gate wide enough for a vehicle adds $300-3,000 — both meaningful additions on a shorter run, and proportionally smaller ones on a longer fence line. Get the exact post, rail, and board counts that go into these figures with the fence calculator before you shop for materials.
Regional Differences
Every figure above is a national average. CalcFence applies your state's labor-cost index to the whole project total to approximate local pricing. The highest-cost states run 12-28% above the national number — Hawaii, Alaska, New York, California, and Massachusetts top the list — while the lowest-cost states, led by Mississippi, Arkansas, West Virginia, Alabama, and South Carolina, run 5-8% below it. Select your state in the calculator above to see your adjusted range.
Get Quotes
These national ranges are a starting point, not a final number — soil conditions, access, and local contractor demand all move the price within (and occasionally outside) these bands. Get 2-3 written quotes for your specific project before signing anything, and compare each line item against the material and height rows above. All figures on this page reflect 2026 published cost-guide and retail pricing data rather than invented estimates, but they're still national averages — a written local quote always takes precedence over any table.