How Much Does It Cost To Install A Wood Fence?
$12 – $27 Per Linear Foot
$1,711 – $3,290 Average Total
$1,711 – $3,290 Average Total
Depending on the type of wood you select, prices range from $12 to $27 per linear foot for both labor and materials. An average 6-foot tall wood fence costs about $2,755 to install, with most homeowners paying between $1,711 and $3,290. Get free estimates from fence companies near you.
Wood Fence Cost
An average 6-foot tall wood fence costs $2,755 to install, with most homeowners paying between $1,711 and $3,290. Depending on the type of wood, prices range from $12 to $27 per linear foot for both labor and materials. The total cost varies based on materials, size, design, and labor expenses.
| National Average Cost | $2,755 |
| Minimum Cost | $717 |
| Maximum Cost | $6,321 |
| Average Range | $1,711 to $3,290 |
Installing a wood fence increases privacy, security, and curb appeal. Wood fences also provide boundaries that prevent children from wandering and pets from leaving the safety of home, and an attractive wood fence can increase your property’s value.
Table Of Contents
- Wood Fence Cost
- Wood Fence Prices By Type
- Pine & Cedar
- Cypress
- Western Red Cedar
- Redwood
- Spruce
- Composite
- Douglas Fir
- White Oak
- Black Locust
- Bamboo
- Tropical Hardwoods
- Wood Privacy Fence Cost
- Wood Fence Replacement Cost Estimator
- Wood Fence Costs vs. Vinyl, Metal, & Chain Link
- Hiring a Fencing Contractor
- Fence Companies Near Me
Wood Fence Cost Per Foot
The average cost to build a fence is $12 to $27 per linear foot depending on the type of wood chosen. The lumber and materials cost between $8.50 and $13.35 per linear foot, and the professional labor to install a fence ranges from $5 to $10 per linear foot on average.
For an average 6-foot tall fence using wood fence panels instead of pickets, you can expect to pay $8.50 per linear foot for the fencing materials and around $9 per linear foot for the labor.
Wood Fence Prices
The lumber itself ranges from $3 to $8 per linear foot on average, with some of the more expensive and tropical woods ranging from $6 to $15 per linear foot. Wood for fencing is sold as pickets and preassembled panels, posts, and rails. Here are the average wood fence prices by species for lumber only.
| Wood Type | Cost Per Linear Foot |
|---|---|
| Pine | $3 – $7 |
| Bamboo | $4 – $5 |
| Spruce | $4 – $6 |
| Redwood | $4 – $7 |
| Cedar | $4 – $8 |
| Douglas Fir | $6 – $7 |
| Whitewood | $6 – $7 |
| Composite | $6 – $12 |
| Black Locust | $6 – $12 |
| Western Red Cedar | $6 – $15 |
| Tropical Hardwoods | $6 – $15 |
| White Oak | $12 – $60 |
Surprisingly, buying wood fence panels costs less than constructing the fence with individual pickets and cross rails made of the same materials. You’ll probably find better quality wood in panels at fence suppliers rather than home improvement stores.
Average Wood Fence Installation Cost
The average cost to install a wood fence is between $1,711 to $3,290 or from $12 to $27 per linear foot with most spending about $2,755 total for materials and labor. The total cost varies depending on fence materials, size, design, and labor expenses.
6 Foot Wood Fence Cost
The average costs to build a 6-foot tall privacy wood fence are:
| Fence Part | Each |
|---|---|
| 8’ Post | $29–$45 |
| 6’ x 8’ Fence Panel | $40–$100+ |
| Gates | $65–$280 |
| Average Total | $1,711 – $3,290 |
4 Foot Wood Fence Cost
The average cost to build a 4-foot wood fence is around $12 to $18 per linear foot using pressure-treated pine with dog-ear panels.
8 Foot Wood Fence Cost
The average cost to build an 8-foot wood fence is between $21 and $30 per linear foot using pressure-treated pine with dog-ear panels.
Average Labor Cost To Install Wood Fence
Labor costs around the country reflect an average of $9 per linear foot to install a wood fence, with that rate moving higher or lower depending on local labor costs. The closer you are to a metropolitan area, the higher the labor cost is likely to be.
Fence contractors will dig post holes 3' deep and set wood posts in concrete with 8' spacing. Next, they will install two horizontal rails between the posts and nail fence board to the rails.
Labor for staining a picket fence is based on the area (the fence length x the fence height x 2). Pay more for surface preparation, protecting adjacent surfaces, mobilization, cleanup, and callbacks.
Wood Fence Prices By Type
One can expect to pay more or less depending on the length and height of the fence, but the cost of wood fencing is primarily dependent on the species of wood and type of fence chosen. The following table compares the woods commonly used for building 6’-tall fences, their average costs per linear foot of fencing, and characteristics. Each of these is available from Lowe’s and/or Home Depot, but a contractor can buy wood in bulk at discounted prices.
| Wood Type | Cost (LF) | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pressure-Treated Pine | $3 – $7 |
|
|
| Cedar | $4 – $8 |
|
|
| Spruce or Whitewood | $6 – $7 |
|
|
| Redwood | $4 – $7 |
|
|
Pine Wood Fence
A fence built with pressure-treated pine costs between $3 to $7 per linear foot not including installation. Being pressure-treated, it helps prevent rot and insects; however, it will shrink, warp, and split in a dry season.
Cedar Wood Fence
A cedar wood fence costs $4 to $8 per linear foot for just the materials. Cedar is naturally resistant to weathering, insects, and rot. Cedar fencing lasts between 16 and 20 years, is easy to stain, and will not warp from aging. On the downside, it does need yearly maintenance of sanding, sealing, and staining, dents and scratches easily, and will turn gray over time if not cared for.
Cypress
Insect and rot resistant and reasonably durable, cypress has few knots and is a low-maintenance fence. Cypress costs $8.50 per linear foot.
Western Red Cedar
Usually referred to by fence builders as the best option, western red cedar last 20–25 years. It has a warm, fall color and has insect-repellent qualities. A western red cedar fence costs $6 to $15 per linear foot.
Redwood
A Redwood deck costs an average of $4 to $7 per linear foot for the materials and is naturally resistant to pests and fire. Also, it stands up to the weather and doesn't warp easily. However, without regular maintenance, it can develop mold and get damaged by the sun.
Spruce
A deck built with Spruce or Whitewood costs about $6 to $7 per linear foot for the lumber only. It's cheap but decays over an 8 to 10 year period where it also darkens or turns gray. Spruce is also susceptible to weathering, and the pickets will shrink as they dry.
Composite
Composite fencing costs about $6 to $12 per linear foot for just the materials. The price is high, but fair regarding its low maintenance and durability. Composite is manufactured from recycled plastics with wood and has been known to last over 20 years.
Douglas Fir
Douglas fir is naturally resistant to rot and decay and doesn’t warp or twist over the years. Douglas fir costs $6–$7 per linear foot.
White Oak
White oak is popular for use as fence posts and farm fences. It’s a solid, durable wood and rot resistant. Rough cut white oak costs $12–$60+ per linear foot.
Black Locust
Black locust is renewable like bamboo, and grade 2 wood with knots is milled for fence posts and boards. It’s used rough for split rail fences and is durable but expensive at $2.25 for 1.25” decking boards.
Bamboo
Bamboo fencing is not useful as a security option, but it’s affordable at $4/SF, lightweight, and easy to install. It’s also very environmentally friendly because bamboo grows very fast, making it a renewable/sustainable resource. Available in a range of thicknesses from ¾”–2” thick, the bamboo is sold in rolls of 3, 6 and 8 feet tall. Being packaged in rolls makes it easy to install. X-scapes/slats cost $19–$25/LF. A bamboo fence requires annual maintenance to keep it healthy.
Tropical Hardwoods
Ipe and tigerwood are some types of tropical wood used in fences. At $6–$15/LF, ipe typically lasts over 40 years and is resistant to mold. Tigerwood lasts longer than 25 years. Special tools are needed to drill holes into tigerwood for installation. Tropical/exotic woods are expensive, and pricing is usually by request only.
Wood Privacy Fence Cost
The average cost to install a 4- to 6-foot tall privacy fence is between $12 and $30 per foot including professional installation. Materials alone usually cost around $5 to $15 per foot, while labor costs $7 to $15 per foot to install.
| Material | Average Cost Per Foot |
|---|---|
| Pressure-Treated Pine | $12 – $21 |
| Pressure-Treated Cedar | $14 – $27 |
For an average 6-foot tall (200 linear feet) privacy fence, you can expect a total installed cost of $3,400 using an average of $17 per linear foot. These boards are mounted vertically to provide a complete privacy fence around a yard. This is one of the cheaper options for privacy fencing, and it can be installed within a day with the right post installation equipment.
Homeowners typical buy 8-foot wide panels to build these. With no difference in costs, design options for the top cut on the wood boards include
- Straight
- Dog-Ear
- French-Gothic
- Gothic
Wood Picket Fence
You’ll pay about $25 to $90 per 8-foot panel for a picket fence. These don’t offer much privacy but look great in a front yard and help mark off property lines.
- Board on Board Fence – A board-on-board fence looks like an interlocking picket fence, with wood slats overlapping each space on opposite sides.
- Vertical Board Fence – These are planks that are overlapped to ensure privacy and are excellent at blocking wind and providing shade.
Split Rail Fence - Ranch or Farm and Livestock Fence
Split rail fences are installed with between two to four rails depending on your preference, at the cost of about $7 per linear foot and a total of about $22/LF after installation and staining/paint. A ranch-style or split-rail fence has historically always been built using wood. Given the size of ranches, the cost from a materials perspective, as well as the degree of effort required to do the maintenance or to repaint a wooden fence of that size, is a significant consideration.
Lattice Fence
You’ll find a lattice fence most often around pools, decks, and patios, or in the garden. Available in 1- to 2.5-foot heights x 3- to 3.8-foot lengths for $21 to $43 each, they consist of slats of wood that crisscross each other, leaving diamond-shaped gaps to allow sun and wind through. Gardeners enjoy using these as trellises too. Stack them or add one to the top of an existing fence, or buy panels with a lattice top included.
Wood Fence Replacement Cost Estimator
When estimating your fencing costs, expect to install a post about every 8’ and assume each panel is 8’ wide or each picket is 5.5” wide (17 pickets per 8’). You can calculate the cost of your preferred fence thus:
- Panels: #posts x cost/post + #panels x cost/panel
- Pickets: #posts x cost/post + #pickets x cost/picket + #rails x cost/rail)
Plus #posts x $12 if using cement to stabilize posts
| Additional Fencing Costs | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Gates | $100–$650+ |
| Sealants, Stains, Paint | $3.50/foot |
| Post Caps/Fence Toppers | $5–$50 each |
Size & Horizontal Fence Length
With wood fence prices at $8 to $18 per linear foot, each additional foot of wood fence will add to your total cost. Also, the more corners to your fence, the more fence posts you’ll need. In terms of the direction of pickets, a horizontal fence costs about the same at $8 to $18 per linear foot.
Height
The height of the fence will affect the final cost of the fencing project. 3”, 5”, and 6” fences are the most common heights for fences, so, for example, if a split-rail fence is 3” high, it will only require 2 rails, whereas a 5” high fence can require 3.
Gates
If fencing your backyard, you will need at least one gate on one of the sides of your house, and if you are enclosing the front of your property line at the street. You might want either a single or double gate for your driveway, and possibly one more for foot traffic to get to your front door. If you have a picket fence along the front, you may need stronger posts to hang a wrought iron, chain link, or wood gates from. The material costs are:
- $100–$650+ for a pedestrian access gate
- $250–$6,500 for a high-end driveway gate
To build and hang a basic wood fence gate 5' high by 3' wide with a 2 x 4 frame will cost approx. $130.
Post Caps/Fence Toppers
Post caps or fence toppers will add an additional cost of $5 to $50 each depending on the type and can add up quickly if many are needed.
Sealants, Stains, & Painting
You can change the appearance of a wood fence by either staining or painting it. For a contractor to sand, stain, and seal your fence, the average price is $3.50 per square foot.
- Stain – 1 gallon is enough for 400 square feet, and rises from $29 for an opaque stain to $45 for semi-opaque stain.
- Finish – 1 gallon will cover 400 square feet, and polyurethane gloss or satin starts at $37 and goes up to $80 for oil spar varnish.
- Sealer – 1 gallon covers 225–325 square feet of sanded wood and 125 square feet for the initial coat on rough-sawn lumber, and costs between $16–$18.
- Wood Preservative – 1 gallon covers 100–300 square feet and costs between $24–$30.
If the wood has been stained, it will usually need to be resealed each 6 to 8 months. Wood suppliers can tell you exactly what the maintenance schedule for protecting the wood should look like, and what products work best with their wood.
Fence Removal Cost
There will be an additional charge of around $100–$1,000 to have an existing fence removed unless this is already included in your quote from your contractor. An existing backyard fence of 220’ will cost $658–$790 to remove. The cost will cover the time and effort to dismantle or knock down the existing fence, load up the materials onto a truck, and drive them to a designated location for appropriate disposal per local laws.
National Estimator Magazine quotes $2.99–$3.59 per foot to "remove chain link or board fence and cemented posts to 6’ high for disposal. These figures assume fencing is removed by cutting ties at posts and rails and rolling the fabric. These rolls can be heavy. A larger crew will be needed on larger jobs."
Cost Of Land Survey For Fence
The cost of a land survey is between $380 to $540 for a fence. A land surveyor will stake out your property lines on exactly where to build your fence.
Other Costs
- Grading – The average cost for grading or resloping is $0.40 to $2.00 per square foot. Installing a stepped or racked fence does not require a level yard.
- Permits – Fencing permits can cost $300–$800. HOAs will sometimes stipulate the type of materials, the height of the fence, and possibly the design of the fence you can install.
- Buried Utilities – Call 811 to have a locator mark buried utility lines.
Wood Fence Costs vs. Vinyl, Metal, & Chain Link
A wood fence will cost $21–$30 per linear foot installed compared to vinyl fencing at $25 to $40 per linear foot, and a chain-linked fence costs $9 to $30 per linear foot.
| Fence Material | Average Cost Per Linear Foot Installed |
|---|---|
| Chain Link Fence | $9 – $30 |
| Aluminum Fence | $15 – $60 |
| Vinyl Coated Chain Link Fence | $10 – $34 |
| Wrought Iron Fence | $20 – $30 |
| PVC Fence | $20 – $40 |
| Glass Fence | $61 – $87 |
| Composite Wood Fence | $18 – $60 |
Vinyl Fence Cost Vs. Wood
On average, a vinyl fence costs between $19 to $39 per linear foot to install, while the ordinary wood privacy fence costs $17 to $27 per linear foot depending on the type of wood selected.
DIY Cost and Materials
For a 200’ long, 6’ high privacy fence:
- Tools will cost about $600.
- Materials will cost approx. $2,900.
- Equipment (a hole-digging auger) will cost about $20–$400, depending on your choice to rent or buy.
Where you’ll save money is in the excluded cost of $9/LF for the labor = $2,000.
Hiring a Fencing Contractor
Be sure to ask multiple fence installers about the following aspects of your fencing job.
- The grade of wood used – Sometimes your price will be lower because of the quality of the wood. The promise is that the wood is the wood you have chosen for both the posts and rails, not wood which has been treated to look like your selected type. Treated pine looks like cedar but warps.
- Materials quality – Contractors must use stainless steel nails/fasteners, not galvanized or non-galvanized steel that can bleed black in your new fence.
- The grade of steel – You can’t install less than schedule-20 steel posts if you are using steel posts. Anything less can break in heavy winds.
- Warranty – Contractors must have a history of honoring labor warranties, which you can find from BBB reviews.
Get free estimates on HomeGuide from trusted fence companies:
20+ Fence Companies in Mountain View, CA
Get 5 free estimates on HomeGuide from trusted fencing contractors:
Get free estimates
