Fence Installation Cost Calculator: Price by Length and Material (2026)
By Dan Whitlock, Home Projects Editor · Updated October 2026
New fence installation costs $20 to $60 per linear foot in 2026 for wood or vinyl, which puts a typical 200-foot backyard fence at $4,000 to $12,000, based on published HomeGuide pricing. Length is the multiplier and material is the rate: chain-link can come in around $9 per foot, while wrought iron reaches $85. Height matters too, since an 8 ft privacy fence costs noticeably more per foot than a 6 ft one. Tearing out an old fence, a property survey, and the permit are separate lines that are easy to forget. Enter your fence line below.
Fence cost by length
Installed cost for a new wood or vinyl fence at $20–$60 per linear foot, from 2026 HomeGuide pricing.
| Fence length | Typical installed cost |
|---|---|
| 50 linear feet | $1,000–$3,000 |
| 100 linear feet | $2,000–$6,000 |
| 150 linear feet | $3,000–$9,000 |
| 200 linear feet | $4,000–$12,000 |
| 300 linear feet | $6,000–$18,000 |
| 500 linear feet | $10,000–$30,000 |
Estimate your cost
Installed price per linear foot, materials and labor.
Measure the full run, then subtract the width of any gates. A typical suburban backyard is 150–250 ft.
HomeGuide prices 6 ft privacy fencing at $25–$60/ft and 8 ft at $50–$85/ft, about 1.6 times as much.
Removal and disposal runs about $10–$20 per linear foot. Leave at 0 for a new fence line.
A survey marks your legal property line before posts go in.
Labor and materials swing with local cost of living.
Estimated fence installation cost
$4,050 – $10,150
Most homeowners pay around $7,100
Cost breakdown
- 200 × ~$35$7,000
- Permit$95
Planning estimate based on 2026 national price data, not a quote. Get local quotes to confirm.
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What drives your fence installation cost
- Length: the per-foot rate applies to every foot of the run, so the measurement is worth getting right. Subtract gate openings before multiplying.
- Material: chain-link ($9–$30 per foot) and split rail ($15–$35) are the budget options; wood ($20–$50) and vinyl ($30–$60) cover most backyard privacy fences; aluminum, composite, and wrought iron run higher.
- Style and height: a 6 ft privacy fence runs $25–$60 per foot and an 8 ft one $50–$85. A picket fence runs $20–$50.
- Labor: post holes, setting posts in concrete, and hanging panels are most of the job. BLS publishes a national median wage for fence erectors, shown below.
- Lumber prices: for wood fences, the federal producer price index for lumber (below) moves with the market and shows up in quotes over time.
- Site work: removing an old fence ($10–$20 per foot), clearing trees or shrubs, and digging in rocky soil all add labor.
- Survey and permit: a land survey runs $200–$1,200 and a fence permit $40–$150 in most areas.
Ready for real numbers?
A calculator gets you the fair range. Local quotes confirm it for your exact home. Comparing 2–3 written quotes from licensed local pros is the single best way to avoid overpaying: ask each for the same scope in writing so the numbers are comparable. The quote button sits with your estimate at the top of this page.
Ways to save
- Confirm the property line before you buy anything. A survey costs far less than moving a finished fence that sits on a neighbor’s land.
- Pick the height you need. Going from 6 ft to 8 ft raises the per-foot price by roughly 60 percent, and local rules may not allow 8 ft in a backyard at all.
- Remove the old fence yourself if it comes apart easily. Tear-out is billed at $10–$20 per foot, which adds up fast on a long run.
- Use chain-link or split rail on side and back lines nobody looks at, and save privacy panels for the stretch that faces the patio.
- Get at least three itemized quotes that spell out post spacing, post depth, and whether posts are set in concrete. Those details explain most of the gap between bids.
Hire it out, or do it yourself?
DIY-able for some: know your limitsFence building is one of the more approachable outdoor projects, and labor is a large share of the per-foot price. Prefabricated wood and vinyl panels go up quickly once the posts are set, and a short run of picket or split rail is a realistic weekend job.
The hard part is the posts. They have to be plumb, evenly spaced, and deep enough for your soil and frost line, and every one of them means digging a hole. Call 811 before you dig so underground utility lines are marked, and confirm your property line and local height rules first. For long runs, sloped yards, or rocky soil, hiring the post work out is usually money well spent.
Helpful products
Taking the DIY route, or doing part of the job yourself? These are the product categories most people buy for this project. As an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases, and it never changes your price. Read our full affiliate disclosure.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to have 100 feet of fence installed?
About $2,000 to $6,000 for 100 linear feet of wood or vinyl fence, based on 2026 HomeGuide pricing of $20 to $60 per foot installed. Chain-link at $9 to $30 per foot would come in closer to $900 to $3,000.
How much does 200 feet of fencing cost?
About $4,000 to $12,000 for 200 feet of wood or vinyl. Add $10 to $20 per foot if an old fence has to come out first, and $40 to $150 for the permit.
How much does it cost to install 300 feet of fence?
About $6,000 to $18,000 for 300 feet of wood or vinyl fence installed. At that length, material choice moves the total by thousands: chain-link would run roughly $2,700 to $9,000, wrought iron $15,000 to $25,500.
Do I need a permit to build a fence?
Often, yes. Many towns require a fence permit, typically $40 to $150, and set limits on height and on how close to the property line or street a fence can sit. HOAs can add their own rules on height and style. Check with your local building or zoning office before the posts go in.
Is vinyl or wood fence cheaper?
Wood is cheaper to install, at $20 to $50 per linear foot versus $30 to $60 for vinyl. Vinyl does not need the periodic staining or sealing wood does, so the gap narrows over the life of the fence.
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A fence quote is mostly materials and the crew that sets posts. The two federal series below track the producer price of lumber, which drives wood fence prices, and the national pay of fence erectors.
Lumber: producer price index 286.6 in August 2026 (preliminary)
Up 7.6% from August 2025 (266.3). Math: (286.6 − 266.3) ÷ 266.3.
Producer prices track what mills receive. They move ahead of retail lumber prices rather than matching them, and they do not cover vinyl, aluminum, or chain-link.
Series WPU081: PPI Commodity data for Lumber and wood products-Lumber, not seasonally adjusted. Index base 1982 = 100.
Fence Erectors (SOC 47-4031), national hourly median wage: $23.07 per hour, May 2025
Half of fence erectors nationally earned more than this and half earned less. Installer rates per foot also cover equipment, insurance, and profit.
Series OEUN000000000000047403108, from the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
Data retrieved October 5, 2026 from the BLS public data API. These are national figures shown for context. They are not inputs to the calculator above, whose ranges come from the cost guides listed under Sources.
This block republishes public data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Records can lag or contain errors; verify with the official source before making decisions. Not affiliated with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Official sources: BLS Producer Price Index (PPI), BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) tables.
Spot an error? Email a correction.
Sources
Price ranges cross-referenced against these 2026 cost guides and contractor databases:
Fencing in the yard usually raises the next question: what to build inside it. A deck is the outdoor project priced most often alongside a fence.
Deck cost from $3,650 →Related costs
- Chain Link Fence cost from $1,200+about 100 linear ft, 4 ft galvanized, installed
- Deck cost from $3,650+12×12 ft (144 sq ft) pressure-treated pine deck attached to a one-story home, with permit
- Artificial Grass cost from $4,500+about 750 sq ft, mid-grade turf, professional install
- Concrete Slab cost from $2,400+about 400 sq ft, 4 in slab, installed