How is a fence priced?

Usually per linear foot installed, plus a flat cost per gate. Total = length × your $/ft + gates, times a contingency. Use the rate you were quoted.

What does a 100 ft fence cost?

It depends on material and market. At an example $25/ft with a $300 gate and 5% contingency: (100 × $25 + $300) × 1.05 = $2,940. Enter your own numbers in the fence cost tool.

What makes a fence cost more per foot?

Material (vinyl, cedar and ornamental steel cost more than chain-link or basic wood), height, sloped or rocky terrain, extra gates, and removal of an old fence.

Do I need a permit to build a fence?

Often yes, with height limits that vary by location and yard, plus possible HOA rules. Confirm with your local building department and locate underground utilities before digging.

What contingency should I add?

5% for a simple flat run; 10–15% for slopes, hard digging or removing an old fence. It absorbs the surprises a per-foot price misses.

How much does a fence cost?

Fences are priced per linear foot installed, plus a flat cost for each gate. The estimate is simply length × your $/ft + gates, × (1 + contingency) — using the rate you were quoted, so it never goes stale.

By Francesco Zinghinì

The cost formula

The fence cost tool holds no prices; it runs on your own numbers:

total = (length (ft) × $/ft + gates cost) × (1 + contingency%)

Worked example: 100 ft at $25/ft with a $300 gate

Subtotal = 100 × $25 + $300 = $2,500 + $300 = $2,800.
Total = $2,800 × 1.05 = $2,940 (5% contingency).

Swap in the $/ft from your own quote to get a number that matches your market and materials.

What drives the price per foot

Material — chain-link and basic wood are the low end; cedar, vinyl, aluminum and ornamental steel climb from there; a tall privacy or board-on-board fence uses more material per foot.
Height — a 6 ft privacy fence costs more per foot than a 4 ft picket, and taller fences add a third rail.
Terrain — slopes, rock, roots and hard digging all raise labor; racked or stepped panels cost more than a flat run.
Gates — each gate is a flat add-on for the frame, hinges and latch; a wide double or drive gate costs more.
Old fence removal — tear-out and haul-away is often a separate line.

Match the estimate to the material take-off

A per-foot price is a shortcut; to sanity-check a quote, count the actual posts, rails and pickets with the fence-materials tool (see the posts and pickets guide) and the post-hole concrete with the concrete tool. If a quote’s material list looks thin for your run length, ask what is included.

Property lines, permits and easements

Before you price a fence, know exactly where your property line is — building on a neighbor’s land or in a utility easement can mean tearing it out later. Many areas require a permit and set height limits (often lower for front yards), and HOA rules may dictate style and material. Call to locate underground utilities before any post hole. These local rules change by place and over time, so confirm them with your local building department — this tool budgets the build, not the paperwork.

Quick reference: fence budget by length

At an example $25/ft with one $300 gate and 5% contingency, total = (length × $25 + $300) × 1.05:

50 ft → ($1,250 + $300) × 1.05 = about $1,628.
100 ft → ($2,500 + $300) × 1.05 = $2,940.
150 ft → ($3,750 + $300) × 1.05 = about $4,253.
200 ft → ($5,000 + $300) × 1.05 = about $5,565.

These use an example rate only; your real per-foot price depends on material, height and terrain, so enter your own quoted figure.

DIY vs. hiring out

As with most yard projects, labor is the swing factor. Building it yourself trades cash for time and effort: you can price the exact posts, rails and pickets with the fence-materials tool, add concrete from the post-hole concrete tool, and compare that material-only figure against an installed quote. Be realistic about digging — setting a couple of dozen post holes in rocky or root-filled ground is the part that humbles most first-timers — and about keeping a long run straight and plumb, which is what you are paying a pro for.

Materials and their price bands

Roughly from least to most expensive per foot: chain-link, pressure-treated pine, cedar, vinyl, aluminum, and ornamental steel or custom wood. Height and style push the number up within each material — a 6 ft solid privacy fence uses more boards and a third rail versus a 4 ft picket. Because these prices move by region and over time, this tool never bakes them in; you supply the rate and it stays current.

One more thing that moves the per-foot number: whether the quote is for materials-and-labor or labor-only over materials you buy. Some contractors will install a fence you have supplied, which can lower the labor rate but shifts the material risk (and the waste allowance) onto you. When you compare, make sure each quote is measured against the same run length and the same scope — a $/ft that excludes gates, removal or permit fees is not truly lower, it is just less complete.

A 5% contingency suits a straightforward run on flat ground; use 10–15% for slopes, hard digging or an old fence to remove. This is a planning estimate, not a bid: get itemized written quotes from licensed, insured contractors, confirm the run length on site, and check whether removal, gates and permits are in or out of each quote before you compare.

Key takeaways

Total = (length × your $/ft + gates cost) × (1 + contingency%).
The tool holds no prices — enter the per-foot rate you were quoted for your material and height.
100 ft at an example $25/ft with a $300 gate and 5% contingency is $2,940.
Material and terrain drive the rate: chain-link and basic wood low, vinyl and ornamental steel high.
Confirm the property line, permit and utility locates before you build — the tool budgets the build, not the paperwork.