How Much Does Fence Installation Cost?

Installing a new fence typically costs $5,900–$8,100 for a typical 180-linear-foot backyard fence at national-average prices in 2026. That range covers labor, posts set in concrete, panels or pickets, gates, permits, disposal of an old fence if there is one, sales tax, and a 10% contingency. Fences are usually priced by the linear foot: $22–$30 per linear foot for chain link or basic treated pine, $33–$45 for cedar privacy, and $44–$60 for ornamental aluminum or premium vinyl.

This guide breaks down what a fence actually costs by size and material, what is included in a standard install, what pushes the price up or down, and the items quotes most often leave out. It is written for homeowners replacing an old fence or putting up a first fence on an existing property. For a number based on your own fence line length and material, use the fence cost calculator.

Cost at a glance

All ranges are national averages for professionally installed fences, including labor, materials, permits, disposal, sales tax, and a 10% contingency. Labor rates in your metro can move them 10–40% either way; see how we calculate costs.

Cedar is the reference material in our calculator. Ornamental aluminum and premium vinyl sit in the same band because both are factory-made, long-lived, and low-maintenance.

What's included in the price

A fence quote should break into four buckets. Here is what each covers and roughly how much of the total it takes:

Fence pickets and rails (about 40–50% of the job). The fence itself: pickets, panels, horizontal rails, and the screws or nails that hold them. A 6-foot privacy fence needs three horizontal rails per section. Two rails is a shortcut that leads to bowing pickets, so make sure three are in the quote.

Posts and concrete footings (about 25–35%). Posts are the structural part of the fence. They should be set in concrete — typically one to two 60–80 lb bags of concrete per post hole — and spaced 6 to 8 feet apart. Steel posts with cedar pickets cost more than wood posts but last far longer in wet soil.

Gates (a few hundred dollars each). A walk gate needs hinges, a latch, and an anti-sag truss brace or cable so it does not drag over time. Double drive gates cost more because they are wider and need heavier hardware. Count your gates before you compare quotes; a quote with two gates will look much cheaper than a quote with four.

Old fence tear-out and disposal (5–10%). Pulling out posts set in concrete is real labor, and it fills part of a dump trailer. If there is an existing fence, confirm tear-out and hauling are in the price, not an afterthought.

What drives the cost up or down

Material choice is the biggest lever. Moving from treated pine to cedar adds roughly 50% to the per-foot cost; moving to ornamental aluminum or premium vinyl roughly doubles it. Material also sets the maintenance bill: chain link and aluminum need almost nothing, cedar needs staining every few years, and pine needs staining plus earlier board replacements.

Length, corners, and shape. Quotes price by the linear foot, but corners, angles, and gates slow the crew down. A rectangular fence line with four corners costs less per foot than an L-shaped one with eight. Extra gates add labor and hardware each.

Terrain and slope. Flat ground is the cheapest surface to fence. Slopes mean stepped or racked panels and more digging; rocky soil or heavy roots can add hours of labor per post hole. Walk the line with the estimator so surprises are priced in advance.

Tear-out condition. Pulling out a chain-link fence with posts set in concrete takes longer than taking down nailed wood panels. If the old fence is yours to remove, doing it yourself before the crew arrives can save a few hundred dollars.

Permits and HOA rules. Most cities require a permit for a fence, and many HOAs dictate the material, height, color, and even which side of the fence faces out. Find out before you get quotes — a 6-foot privacy fence that your HOA caps at 4 feet is money wasted on redesign.

Region. Labor rates move prices 10–40% between metros. Fence costs run higher on the coasts and in areas with rocky or sandy soils that complicate digging.

What quotes often leave out

Fences look simple, which is why quotes quietly skip the parts that fail first:

• A boundary survey. Building even a few inches onto your neighbor's land can force a rebuild. A survey typically costs $400–$800 and is the cheapest insurance on the whole project — especially if there is no recent plat or the old fence line is uncertain.
• Clearing brush and roots. If the fence line runs through overgrowth, the crew charges extra to cut through it — typically $300–$900. Clear it yourself if you can.
• Post depth and concrete. Ask for the post depth in writing and how much concrete goes in each hole (at least 60–80 lbs per hole). Shallow posts with a bag of dry-mix dumped in the hole are why fences lean in year three.
• Three rails on a 6-foot privacy fence. Two rails will hold pickets, but they bow and warp over time. The third rail is a small cost that prevents a wavy fence.
• Gate hardware and anti-sag bracing. Hinges, latches, and an anti-sag cable or truss brace should be itemized per gate, not buried in a lump sum.
• A utility locate (811). Digging post holes through a gas line or fiber conduit is a five-figure mistake. In most states the 811 call is free and legally required before digging. Confirm the contractor makes it.
• Staining and sealing wood fences. Most quotes cover installation only. Pressure-treated pine should dry a few months before it is stained, and cedar needs stain or sealant every few years to keep its color and resist splitting. Budget a few hundred dollars for the first treatment, or plan to do it yourself.

Paste your quote into the Quote Checker to see what is missing before you sign.

How to save on a new fence

• Split a shared side with the neighbor. If the fence sits on the property line, many neighbors agree to split the cost of that run. Get the agreement in writing, and agree on the material and finished sides before the first post hole is dug.
• Clear the line yourself. Cutting brush, pulling vines, and removing an old fence yourself removes the line items contractors mark up most.
• Keep the design simple. Fewer corners and fewer gates mean fewer labor hours. Board-on-board looks good and hides gaps as boards shrink; skip decorative lattice tops if the budget is tight.
• Price the material you actually need. Chain link is honest about what it is: the cheapest way to keep a dog in or mark a boundary. Paying for cedar where nobody sees the fence wastes money; spend the upgrade budget on the street-facing side.
• Get three comparable quotes. The biggest savings come from comparing scope, not just the bottom line. Make sure each quote has the same length, height, material, gate count, and tear-out before you compare prices.

The fence materials calculator helps you estimate how many posts, pickets, and bags of concrete your fence line needs, which makes it harder for a quote to pad the material count.

Permits, HOAs, and timeline

Permits. Most cities require a fence permit, and many cap residential fences at 6 feet in the back yard and 3–4 feet in the front. The permit itself is usually inexpensive; the expensive part is moving a fence that was built too tall or in the wrong place. Check with your local building department before work starts.

HOAs and neighbors. If you have an HOA, get the fence rules in writing before you sign anything — material, height, color, and which side faces the street are all common restrictions. On a shared property line, telling the neighbor in advance is cheap insurance against a dispute later.

Timeline. A typical backyard fence takes one to three days for a professional crew, once the permit is approved and the 811 locate is complete. Rain and rocky soil can stretch that, and permit approval can add one to four weeks depending on the city.