How much does it cost to install a fence per foot?

Installed fence cost runs $10-95 per linear foot depending on material, with chain link at the low end and wrought iron at the high end. The two most commonly installed residential materials, wood privacy and vinyl privacy, run $25-60 per foot installed at 6 feet tall. Add your exact length in the calculator above for a full project total.

How much does it cost to install a fence?

A typical 150-ft residential fence costs $1,500-26,000 installed, with most wood and chain-link projects landing between $1,500 and $8,300. The total scales directly with your per-foot rate times your fence length, plus gates, removal, and permits on top.

How much does a fence cost on average?

The average fence installed in the US costs roughly $25-45 per linear foot across all materials, or $3,750-6,750 for a 150-ft run, once you weight for how commonly wood, vinyl, and chain link get installed versus premium materials like wrought iron. Your specific total depends heavily on which material you choose.

What is the cheapest fence per linear foot?

Farm and field fence (woven wire with T-posts) is the cheapest option at $3-17 per foot installed, followed closely by electric wire fencing at $1-10 per foot — though neither offers privacy or a finished residential look. Galvanized chain link, at $9-39 per foot, is the cheapest common residential option.

What is the most expensive fence per linear foot?

Wrought iron is the most expensive common fence material at $84-214 per linear foot installed, roughly 2-3x the cost of aluminum and 6-8x the cost of basic chain link. The high price comes from custom fabrication and heavy, labor-intensive installation rather than raw material cost.

Does fence height change the price per foot?

Yes — going from 6 to 8 feet typically adds 15-30% to the per-foot installed price across most materials, since taller sections need longer posts and deeper footings. Dropping to 4 feet saves 10-20% versus 6 feet on the same material.

Is fence cost per foot the same as materials cost per foot?

No — cost per foot as shown here is installed, meaning materials plus labor. Materials alone typically run 55-70% of that figure for wood and vinyl, and closer to 30-45% for wrought iron and aluminum, where labor-intensive fabrication drives a larger share of the total.

Why do fence cost estimates vary so much between sources?

Estimates vary because "fence cost" spans enormous quality differences within one material name — a basic SPF wood panel versus premium cedar, or bargain-grade chain link versus heavy-gauge commercial fabric. Region also matters: the same fence can cost 20-30% more in a high-labor-cost state than a low-cost one.

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.

Updated September 22, 2026 · Sources and methodology

Inputs

MaterialWood Privacy Fence

Height

Fence Length

Walk Gates

Drive Gates

State

Remove Old FenceDIY (materials only)

Estimated Total

$3,990$6,070$9,050

Wood Privacy Fence, 6 ft, 150 ft — mid estimate emphasized

Cost Per Foot$27-$61

Cost Breakdown

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.

Wood Privacy Fence Cost by Length

Installed cost of wood privacy fence (materials and labor) at the national average, before gates, removal, or permits. Bold is the mid estimate; the range below it is low to high.

Fence length	4 ft tall	6 ft tall	8 ft tall
50 ft	$1,460 $1,000 – $2,200	$1,850 $1,250 – $2,750	$2,500 $1,680 – $3,700
80 ft (20×20 ft enclosure)	$2,340 $1,600 – $3,520	$2,960 $2,000 – $4,400	$3,990 $2,680 – $5,920
100 ft	$2,920 $2,000 – $4,400	$3,700 $2,500 – $5,500	$4,990 $3,350 – $7,400
150 ft	$4,380 $3,000 – $6,600	$5,550 $3,750 – $8,250	$7,490 $5,030 – $11,100
200 ft	$5,840 $4,000 – $8,800	$7,400 $5,000 – $11,000	$9,980 $6,700 – $14,800
250 ft	$7,300 $5,000 – $11,000	$9,250 $6,250 – $13,750	$12,480 $8,380 – $18,500
300 ft	$8,760 $6,000 – $13,200	$11,100 $7,500 – $16,500	$14,970 $10,050 – $22,200
400 ft	$11,680 $8,000 – $17,600	$14,800 $10,000 – $22,000	$19,960 $13,400 – $29,600
500 ft	$14,600 $10,000 – $22,000	$18,500 $12,500 – $27,500	$24,950 $16,750 – $37,000

Wood Privacy Fence Cost by State

Installed cost of 150 ft of 6-ft wood privacy fence in every state, with the state multiplier applied, before gates, removal, or permits.

State	Multiplier	150 ft installed
National average	1.00	$5,550 $3,750 – $8,250
Alabama	0.94	$5,220 $3,530 – $7,760
Alaska	1.23	$6,800 $4,590 – $10,110
Arizona	1.01	$5,610 $3,790 – $8,330
Arkansas	0.94	$5,190 $3,510 – $7,710
California	1.18	$6,520 $4,410 – $9,690
Colorado	1.07	$5,970 $4,030 – $8,870
Connecticut	1.14	$6,330 $4,280 – $9,410
Delaware	1.07	$5,970 $4,030 – $8,870
District of Columbia	1.06	$5,910 $3,990 – $8,790
Florida	1.05	$5,830 $3,940 – $8,660
Georgia	0.97	$5,410 $3,660 – $8,040
Hawaii	1.27	$7,080 $4,780 – $10,520
Idaho	1.00	$5,550 $3,750 – $8,250
Illinois	1.04	$5,770 $3,900 – $8,580
Indiana	0.97	$5,410 $3,660 – $8,040
Iowa	0.97	$5,380 $3,640 – $8,000
Kansas	0.96	$5,360 $3,620 – $7,960
Kentucky	0.95	$5,270 $3,560 – $7,840
Louisiana	0.95	$5,270 $3,560 – $7,840
Maine	1.05	$5,830 $3,940 – $8,660
Maryland	1.11	$6,160 $4,160 – $9,160
Massachusetts	1.16	$6,440 $4,350 – $9,570
Michigan	0.98	$5,440 $3,680 – $8,090
Minnesota	1.02	$5,690 $3,840 – $8,460
Mississippi	0.93	$5,130 $3,470 – $7,630
Missouri	0.97	$5,410 $3,660 – $8,040
Montana	1.00	$5,550 $3,750 – $8,250
Nebraska	0.97	$5,380 $3,640 – $8,000
Nevada	1.05	$5,830 $3,940 – $8,660
New Hampshire	1.07	$5,970 $4,030 – $8,870
New Jersey	1.15	$6,380 $4,310 – $9,490
New Mexico	0.97	$5,410 $3,660 – $8,040
New York	1.20	$6,660 $4,500 – $9,900
North Carolina	0.97	$5,380 $3,640 – $8,000
North Dakota	0.98	$5,440 $3,680 – $8,090
Ohio	0.99	$5,490 $3,710 – $8,170
Oklahoma	0.96	$5,330 $3,600 – $7,920
Oregon	1.09	$6,050 $4,090 – $8,990
Pennsylvania	1.09	$6,050 $4,090 – $8,990
Rhode Island	1.10	$6,110 $4,130 – $9,080
South Carolina	0.95	$5,270 $3,560 – $7,840
South Dakota	0.97	$5,380 $3,640 – $8,000
Tennessee	0.96	$5,330 $3,600 – $7,920
Texas	1.02	$5,690 $3,840 – $8,460
Utah	1.02	$5,690 $3,840 – $8,460
Vermont	1.06	$5,880 $3,980 – $8,750
Virginia	1.02	$5,690 $3,840 – $8,460
Washington	1.13	$6,240 $4,220 – $9,280
West Virginia	0.94	$5,220 $3,530 – $7,760
Wisconsin	0.99	$5,490 $3,710 – $8,170
Wyoming	0.99	$5,490 $3,710 – $8,170

Sources and Methodology

Every price on this page comes from one dataset compiled from published 2026 sources: national cost guides (Angi, HomeGuide, Homewyse, Fixr, Ergeon), fence supplier pricing, Iowa State University Extension livestock-fencing budgets, and Home Depot retail prices used to sanity-check material costs.

Low, mid, high: where sources disagreed, low is the lowest credible figure, mid is the median of the credible figures, and high is the highest credible figure. Clear outliers are excluded.
Installed cost is material cost per foot plus labor cost per foot, times fence length. Material rates are published separately for 4, 5, 6, and 8 ft; labor is scaled by height (4 ft ×0.80, 5 ft ×0.90, 6 ft ×1.00, 8 ft ×1.35).
State multiplier = 0.5 + 0.5 × (state construction cost index ÷ 100), using the BuildCost 2026 Construction Cost Index (CC BY 4.0) and RSMeans for Washington, D.C. It is a general construction index, not a fence-specific wage, so treat state figures as directional.
Gates, removal, and permits are priced per gate, per foot of old fence, and per permit, and added on top in the calculator.

Dataset version 2026-09. Sources accessed September 6, 2026. Page last updated September 22, 2026. Spot an outdated number? Tell us and we will re-check it.

All 36 sources consulted

Frequently Asked Questions

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Fence Materials Compared: Wood, Vinyl, Chain Link, Aluminum, Composite, Split Rail