Fences are priced by the linear foot, installed. Chain-link runs $12–$26, wood privacy $17–$36, vinyl $22–$48, and wrought iron $32–$80 per foot. A typical 150 ft wood privacy fence with one gate lands near $4,000. Here's the full price table and the extras that move the bid.
National installed ranges for a 6 ft fence on flat ground, 2025-26. Materials, posts in concrete, labor, and cleanup are all in these numbers:
| Material | Low / LF | Typical / LF | High / LF | 150 ft total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chain-link (galvanized) | $12 | $17 | $26 | $2,550 |
| Split rail | $10 | $15 | $22 | $2,250 |
| Wood picket (treated pine) | $14 | $21 | $30 | $3,150 |
| Wood privacy (treated pine) | $17 | $25 | $36 | $3,750 |
| Cedar privacy | $22 | $32 | $45 | $4,800 |
| Vinyl privacy | $22 | $32 | $48 | $4,800 |
| Composite | $25 | $38 | $55 | $5,700 |
| Aluminum ornamental | $30 | $42 | $60 | $6,300 |
| Wrought iron | $32 | $50 | $80 | $7,500 |
Enter your linear feet, material, height, and gates. Get a low-to-high installed estimate with per-foot cost included.
Fence Cost Calculator →Gates are priced per unit, not per foot, and they're where cheap installs cut corners. A single 4 ft walk gate runs $150 to $450; a 10 to 12 ft double drive gate for vehicles runs $450 to $1,600; and an automatic opener adds $1,800 to $3,500 once you factor the operator, safety sensors, and power to the post. Every gate needs two heavier posts set deeper, which is why a fence with three gates can cost 20% more per foot than the same run with one.
Perimeter math gives you the ceiling; the house usually closes one side. Square-lot perimeter by acreage:
So fencing a full acre in 6 ft wood privacy at $25 per foot runs near $20,900, while the practical backyard version of the same property might need only 200 LF, about $5,000. Walk the line before you call anyone; every estimate starts from your footage.
Labor claims 40% to 60% of an installed fence, so DIY saves real money: materials for 150 ft of pressure-treated privacy run $1,200 to $2,000 versus about $4,000 installed. The skill is all in the posts: straight lines, consistent spacing, and holes below the frost line (and call 811 before you dig anywhere near utilities). If you go that route, our fence material calculator works out pickets, rails, posts, and bags of concrete for the run, and the concrete calculator handles post-hole volumes.
One more planning thought: fences and decks share footings, posts, and often the same contractors, so pricing both together sometimes earns a package discount. Run your deck numbers with the deck cost calculator before you sign.
Pressure-treated pine wins on price and takes stain well. Cedar wins on looks and rot resistance without treatment. Vinyl wins on maintenance (soap and water, no repaint) and costs about 30% more than treated pine. Composite privacy is the low-maintenance premium play at $25–$55/LF. Aluminum and wrought iron are pool-code and curb-appeal choices that trade privacy for permanence; both routinely outlast 50 years.
A square quarter-acre has about 417 linear feet of perimeter, but the house typically closes one side, so real backyards run 150 to 250 LF. At $17–$36 per LF installed for 6 ft wood privacy, that's roughly $3,000 to $7,000 with a gate; vinyl runs $4,000 to $9,000 for the same line.
DIY saves roughly half, since labor runs 40% to 60% of an install. Materials for a 150 ft pressure-treated privacy fence run about $1,200 to $2,000 versus $4,000 installed. The catch is posts: they carry the warranty and the failure risk, and setting 20 or so posts plumb, spaced, and below frost line is real work.
Aluminum and steel, which routinely outlast 50 years with minimal care. Among privacy fences, vinyl lasts 20 to 35 years and composite 25-plus, versus 15 to 20 for sealed pressure-treated pine and 20 to 30 for cedar. Longevity argues for spending up front only if you'll own the house that long.