How much does a fence cost per foot?
A fence is bought by the running foot, and at about $20 – $60 per linear ft in materials the number depends far more on how much fence than on which fence. Here is what a foot of it is made of, what three ordinary yards come to, what a gate adds, and the questions to settle before the posts go in.
Fence cost calculator
What will your fence cost by the foot?
Working out a whole yard rather than one bed? Sketch it to scale in the planner and every area is measured, costed and totalled together.
What a foot of fence is made of
Posts, rails and the boards or panels between them, plus concrete for every post hole. On an eight foot bay that is a post, two or three rails, a panel and a bag or two of concrete, and the price per foot is those parts divided by eight. The bottom of the range is a chain link or a basic dog-ear picket in pressure-treated pine; the middle is a six foot privacy fence in treated wood; the top is cedar, vinyl or aluminium, which cost more to buy and less to keep.
Height matters as much as type. A six foot privacy fence uses half again the board of a four foot picket and needs deeper posts to stand up to wind, and most towns cap front yard fences at four feet anyway, which is a decision the permit office has already made for you.
By yard
Three sides fenced, the house making the fourth, with one four foot gate taken out of the run and priced on its own, at the national range. Materials only.
| Yard | Fence run | Fence | Gate | Together |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small back yard, 30 × 20 ft | 66 linear ft | $1,320 – $3,960 | $200 – $1,200 | $1,520 – $5,160 |
| Suburban back yard, 60 × 40 ft | 136 linear ft | $2,720 – $8,160 | $200 – $1,200 | $2,920 – $9,360 |
| Quarter acre, three sides, 80 × 60 ft | 196 linear ft | $3,920 – $11,760 | $200 – $1,200 | $4,120 – $12,960 |
What is not in the per-foot price
Gates. A gate is a fence panel with hinges, a latch and two heavier posts, and it costs several times the run it replaces: $200 – $1,200 per each for a walk gate, several times that for one a car drives through. Count them separately, and take their width out of the fence run before you multiply.
Corners and ends. Every corner and every end is an extra post, braced, with its own concrete. A yard with a jog in the boundary has more of them than a plain rectangle, which is one reason a small odd-shaped lot can cost as much to fence as a larger square one.
Labour. Installed, a fence runs two to three times its materials, most of it in digging and setting posts. Post holes are also the part worth hiring or renting a machine for; hanging panels is a weekend with a level and a friend.
Removal. If there is an old fence, taking it down and away is a day and a dump fee before the new one starts.
Before the posts go in
Find the property line, not the old fence line, which may be a foot into the neighbour's lot or yours. Call the utility locating service, which is free and required. Check the town's rules on height, on how far a fence sits back from the sidewalk, and on which side the finished face goes. And talk to the neighbour, who shares the line and sometimes the bill. How much fence do I need goes through measuring the run and where the posts fall.
Quick checklist
- Measure the run, take out the gates, and price the fence by the foot.
- Add each gate on its own line; a walk gate is a few feet of fence at many times the price.
- Count corners and ends as extra posts.
- Check the height limit and the setback before choosing a fence.
- If hiring, hire the posts. If not, rent the auger.
Lay out your fence in the planner
Draw the fence as a run round the yard and the planner measures it by the foot, prices it for your state, and lists any gate as its own line. The dog run example fences a yard on three sides with a divider and a gate, which is most of what a fence bill is.