Fence line landscaping cost

Planting along a fence costs $15 to $60 a linear foot, typically around $30. A 100 foot back fence planted with a mixed border is therefore $1,500 to $6,000, and about $3,000 at the typical rate. A row of small evergreens or grasses sits near the bottom of that range; 6 foot screening plants, or a deep layered bed, sit near the top.

The price is set by what the planting is for. A screen is bought by height and paid for once. A decorative border is bought by variety and paid for every year in upkeep. Decide which you want before anyone quotes.

What it costs

Shrubs, grasses or perennials

Evergreen shrubs are the only real year-round screen. Arborvitae, holly, cherry laurel, privet and upright junipers are the usual choices, depending on climate and deer. They cost the most up front, and bigger plants cost disproportionately more: a 6 foot arborvitae can be three times the price of a 4 foot one that will be the same height in two or three years.

Ornamental grasses give height and movement quickly and cheaply. Most reach full size in their second season. They are cut to the ground each late winter, which leaves the fence bare from February to May.

Perennials give color and no privacy. They make sense in front of a screen, not instead of one, and they are the most maintenance per foot.

A layered border, evergreens at the back, grasses and shrubs in the middle and perennials at the front, looks best and needs a bed at least 5 to 6 feet deep. Most fence lines have 3 feet available, which is enough for one well-chosen row. A formal clipped hedge also means hedge trimming once or twice a year for as long as it stands.

For a purely structural answer, a taller or better fence may be cheaper than waiting for plants. Fence installation runs $25 to $55 a linear foot for a 6 foot wood privacy fence.

Spacing, and keeping plants off the fence

Spacing sets both the plant count and how long it takes to close the gaps. Rough guides:

• Narrow arborvitae such as Emerald Green, 2.5 to 3 feet apart
• Large arborvitae such as Green Giant, 5 to 8 feet apart
• Laurel, holly and privet as a hedge, 3 to 4 feet apart
• Ornamental grasses, 3 to 4 feet apart
• Perennials, 12 to 18 inches apart

Closer spacing closes faster and costs more now; wider spacing costs less and takes a season or two longer. Plants set closer than their mature width compete, thin at the bottom and die out in patches later.

Distance from the fence matters more than people expect. Set the center of each plant at least half its mature width from the fence, and never less than 2 feet for shrubs. Plants pressed against boards hold moisture on the timber, rot the rails, push panels out of line and grow through to the neighbor's side.

Watering needs aiming away from the fence. Spray heads wetting a wood fence daily shorten its life by years. Drip line along the bed solves it; a drip zone is $300 to $900.

Vines on a wood fence look lovely and add weight, trap moisture and make restaining impossible. Grow them on a trellis set a few inches off the fence, or on a metal or masonry wall instead.

The strip under the fence, and access for maintenance

The few inches directly beneath a fence are the hardest ground in the yard to keep tidy. A mower cannot reach it, a string trimmer chews the boards, and weeds root in the gap.

A gravel strip 12 to 18 inches wide along the base, over landscape fabric, costs $5 to $12 a linear foot and fixes that permanently. It keeps soil and mulch off the bottom boards, which is where wood fences rot first. Fabric is the right choice here, under gravel, unlike in a planted bed.

Leave an access path. A wood fence needs staining every two to four years and occasionally a replaced post. If the plants run tight to it, someone will have to cut them back or trample them to do the work. A 2 foot strip between the fence and the planting, graveled or mulched, keeps that possible.

Check where the line actually is. Many fences sit a few inches inside the boundary. Planting on the far side of your own fence can mean planting on land you are expected to maintain but do not own, and a screen of large trees on the line is a common source of neighbor disputes. Call 811 before digging, which is free, because fence lines are also where utility cables run.

Frequently asked questions

What grows fastest for a privacy screen along a fence?

Green Giant arborvitae, leyland cypress and privet can put on 2 to 3 feet a year once established. Leyland cypress grows very large and suffers disease in much of the Southeast, so it is often a poor bargain. Bamboo is faster still and should only go in with a buried root barrier, or not at all.

How many shrubs do I need for 60 feet of fence?

At 3 foot spacing, 20 to 21 plants. At 5 foot spacing, 12 or 13. That is $480 to $4,200 in planted shrubs depending on size and species, before edging and mulch.

Will roots damage my fence posts?

Shrubs rarely do. Trees can lift posts and footings as the roots thicken, which is another reason to keep large screening trees 5 feet or more from the fence line, and further for big species.

Should the planting go on my side or the neighbor's side of the fence?

On your side, inside your property, unless you have a written agreement. Plants on the far side are hard to maintain, may be on the neighbor's land, and in many places overhanging branches can be cut back to the boundary by the neighbor.

Is it cheaper to buy small screening plants and wait?

Usually, by half or more. Buying 3 to 4 foot evergreens instead of 6 footers typically saves $15 to $30 a linear foot, and they establish better. The cost is two to four summers of partial privacy.