Fence installation cost

A fence costs $15 to $65 per linear foot installed depending on material. A typical 150 foot residential run is $2,250 to $3,300 in chain link, $3,750 to $8,250 in wood, and $5,250 to $9,750 in vinyl.

Fences are priced by the linear foot of run, so the first thing to do is walk your property line with a tape. The second is to find out exactly where that line is, because a fence built a foot into a neighbor's lot is a fence that comes down.

Cost per linear foot

Labor in the Northeast and on the West Coast runs 20% to 30% above these figures. The South runs 10% to 15% below.

Cost by fence length

At typical rates:

A quarter-acre suburban lot has roughly 200 to 260 feet of perimeter. Fencing only the back yard is usually 120 to 180 feet, which is why most quotes land where they do.

Wood against vinyl

Wood is cheaper up front and needs staining or sealing every two to three years, at $500 to $1,500 for a typical run if you pay someone. Pressure-treated pine is the value option; cedar costs more, weathers to gray attractively, and resists rot better. Wood posts rot at ground level eventually, and that is what ends a wood fence.

Vinyl costs 25% to 40% more and needs washing rather than staining. It does not rot and it does not need refinishing. It becomes brittle in extreme cold and a cracked panel cannot be repaired, only replaced. Cheap vinyl yellows.

The crossover is around eight to twelve years, counting the staining. If you plan to stay longer than that, vinyl is usually the better financial decision, and if you are honest that you will never stain a wood fence, it is better still.

Aluminum is the answer where you want to see through the fence: pool enclosures, front yards, and anywhere a solid fence would feel oppressive. It never needs painting and it does not provide privacy.

What decides where you land in the range

Post setting. Concrete-set posts cost more and are the difference between a fence that stands straight for twenty years and one that leans in five. This is where a cheap quote is usually cheap.

Terrain. A flat, clear run is the cheap case. Slopes need either stepped or racked panels, both of which cost more. Rocky soil, tree roots and clay all slow the digging, and post holes are most of the labor.

Gates. A single walk gate is $200 to $600 installed. A double drive gate is $600 to $2,500. Automated gates start around $2,000 and rise steeply.

Removing the old fence. $3 to $8 per linear foot, plus disposal.

Access. A back yard reachable only through a narrow side gate means everything is carried by hand, including the concrete.

Before you sign anything

Get a survey, or at least find the pins. Building on a neighbor's land is the most expensive fence mistake there is, and the remedy is removal. A survey is $400 to $1,000 and it is cheap against that.

Check the setback and height rules. Most jurisdictions limit front-yard fences to 3 or 4 feet and back-yard fences to 6, and many require a permit above a certain height. Corner lots often have sight-line restrictions.

Read your HOA rules before choosing a material. Many prohibit chain link outright and specify permitted colors and styles.

Call before you dig. In the United States, dial 811 and utilities will mark their buried lines free of charge, usually within a few days. Hitting a gas line with a post hole digger is the worst outcome in this article.

Talk to your neighbor. Fence lines are the most common source of neighbor disputes, and a conversation before the posts go in prevents nearly all of them. Some states have fence laws requiring shared cost on a boundary fence; it is worth knowing whether yours does.

Frequently asked questions

Which side faces out?

Convention, and in some jurisdictions code, puts the finished side facing your neighbor and the posts and rails facing you. Good-neighbor designs are finished on both sides and cost about 15% more.

How long does installation take?

One to three days for a typical residential run. Concrete-set posts need to cure before panels go on, so a two-visit schedule is normal and is a sign of a contractor doing it properly rather than one being slow.

Do I need a permit?

Frequently, above 6 feet and often above 4 in a front yard. Pool fences are separately and strictly regulated almost everywhere, with specific height, gap and self-closing gate requirements.

Can I install a fence myself?

Yes, and it is one of the more achievable large DIY projects, saving roughly half. Post holes are the hard part: 200 feet of fence is about 25 holes, dug to below the frost line, and a rented auger is worth the money.

Will a fence increase my home's value?

Modestly, and much more for buyers with children or dogs. A well-maintained fence helps; a leaning, graying one actively hurts, because it reads as deferred maintenance to anyone walking up the drive.