Fence installation costs $3,276 on average in 2026, and most homeowners pay $1,860 to $4,843 (Angi). Per linear foot, expect $6 to $50 installed depending on material, and $25 to $60 for a 6-foot wood or vinyl privacy fence. Fencing a 150-foot backyard in 6-foot wood runs about $3,750 to $7,500.
Prices updated September 2026.
Those averages hide a lot. Your real fence installation cost depends on material, height, length and the extras your quote includes. This guide prices each one, adds totals for common yard sizes, and shows what every material costs per year you own it.
Want a quick number first? Enter your length and material in our fence cost calculator, then come back to check the extras.
Fence installation cost at a glance
| What you’re pricing | Typical cost | Source |
|---|---|---|
| National average, all fence types | $3,276 (most pay $1,860 to $4,843) | Angi, Aug 2026 |
| Average paid on a quote platform | $3,314 (low $1,943, high $5,648) | Thumbtack, Aug 2025 |
| Per linear foot, all materials | $6 to $50 (about $23 on average) | Angi |
| 6-foot privacy fence, per foot | $25 to $60 | HomeGuide |
| Replacing an existing fence | $30 to $80 per foot | HomeGuide |
Why fence cost averages disagree
Bob Vila cites a HomeAdvisor average of $3,059 ($13 to $25 per foot), but that page was last updated in April 2024. Angi’s current figure is $3,276, Thumbtack’s is $3,314, and Angi’s privacy fence guide says $4,300. None is wrong. They measure different jobs:
- Length. Thumbtack’s own data runs from $1,644 for fences under 50 feet to $5,927 for runs over 250 feet. Lots of short side-yard jobs pull an average down.
- Material mix. An all-fence average blends $2 to $4 per foot electric fencing and $8 to $40 chain link with $17 to $90 aluminum (Angi). Privacy-only averages run higher.
- Height. Going to 8 feet adds 25% to 35% (HomeAdvisor). Angi’s 150-foot privacy example costs about $4,700 at 6 feet and $6,300 at 8 feet.
- Installed vs. materials only. HomeGuide lists wood fence materials at $10 to $30 per foot, but $20 to $50 installed.
- What’s included. Homewyse’s May 2026 wood privacy price ($33.07 to $53.00 per foot) leaves out permits, removal and gates, and says to add 13% to 22% if a general contractor supervises.
So skip the headline average. Price your material at your height per foot, multiply by your length, then add the extras. The rest of this page does exactly that.
Fence installation cost per foot by material
Angi’s ranges come from what its customers reported paying. HomeGuide’s are cost-guide estimates, and its headline $20 to $60 per foot is for wood or vinyl on a 200-foot perimeter. Seeing both shows where a fair quote sits.
| Material | Installed per foot (Angi) | Installed per foot (HomeGuide) | Materials only (HomeGuide) | Lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood | $10 to $45 | $20 to $50 | $10 to $30 | 15 to 50 years |
| Vinyl (PVC) | $15 to $40 | $30 to $60 | $25 to $45 | 20 to 30 years |
| Chain link | $8 to $40 | $9 to $30 | $4 to $15 | 15 to 20 years |
| Aluminum | $17 to $90 | $25 to $75 | $15 to $50 | 30 to 50 years |
| Composite | $11 to $45 | $20 to $85 | $30 to $60 | 25 to 30 years |
| Wrought iron | $25 to $55 | $50 to $85 | $35 to $60 | 50 to 100 years |
| Electric or invisible | $2 to $4 | $2 to $7 | n/a | 20 to 30 years |
Short, basic fences tend to land in Angi’s range; full privacy-height installs in HomeGuide’s. A quote between the two is normal. Above both? Ask what’s included.
Cost by height: 4 ft vs 6 ft vs 8 ft
Most price tables skip height, yet it can swing the bill by a third or more. HomeAdvisor notes a 6-foot privacy fence uses less material per foot than a 7- or 8-foot one.
| Material | Low fence (picket, about 4 ft) | 6 ft | 8 ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood | $20 to $40 | $25 to $50 | $50 to $75 |
| Vinyl | $30 to $45 | $40 to $60 | $60 to $85 |
| Chain link | $10 to $20 | $13 to $30 | $20 to $40 |
| Aluminum | $25 to $50 | $75 to $130 (privacy style) | Not listed |
The jump from 6 to 8 feet hurts most: wood doubles at the low end, from $25 to $50 per foot. An 8-foot fence is also above the 7-foot line where the model residential code (IRC R105.2) stops exempting fences from building permits.
Pricing a backyard privacy fence? Our 6-foot privacy fence price guide breaks that height down by material, style and length.
Cost for common yard sizes
Measure only the sides you’ll fence. The house often forms one side, so you may need less fence than you think.
| Fence length | Chain link, 4 ft | Wood privacy, 6 ft | Vinyl privacy, 6 ft | Aluminum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 ft | $1,000 to $2,000 | $2,500 to $5,000 | $4,000 to $6,000 | $2,500 to $7,500 |
| 150 ft | $1,500 to $3,000 | $3,750 to $7,500 | $6,000 to $9,000 | $3,750 to $11,250 |
| 200 ft | $2,000 to $4,000 | $5,000 to $10,000 | $8,000 to $12,000 | $5,000 to $15,000 |
| 250 ft | $2,500 to $5,000 | $6,250 to $12,500 | $10,000 to $15,000 | $6,250 to $18,750 |
| 300 ft | $3,000 to $6,000 | $7,500 to $15,000 | $12,000 to $18,000 | $7,500 to $22,500 |
Think in lot size instead? Angi’s estimates and Thumbtack’s average paid line up closely for typical backyards:
| Yard | Fence length | Angi estimate | Thumbtack average paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small backyard | 51 to 100 ft | n/a | $2,978 |
| Medium (1/8-acre lot) | About 150 ft | $3,500 | $4,025 (100 to 150 ft) |
| Large (1/4-acre lot) | About 220 ft | $4,850 | $5,039 (200 to 250 ft) |
| 1/2 acre | About 590 ft | $13,570 | n/a |
| 1 acre | About 1,100 ft | $24,000 | n/a |
Labor vs materials split
Labor is about half the bill: Angi puts it near 50%, or about $1,600 on an average job. Pros charge around $50 an hour, or $10 to $15 per foot on privacy fences.
- Vinyl: materials $25 to $45 per foot, labor $5 to $15 (HomeGuide).
- Cedar: materials $8.50 to $16.50 per foot, labor $10 to $30 (Angi).
- Time: 13 to 16 hours per 100 feet of picket or privacy fence, 6 to 10 for chain link, 19 to 22 when an old fence comes out first (HomeGuide).
Angi estimates DIY saves about $1,700 in labor on an average project. The catch: setting posts plumb, in concrete, at the right depth is where DIY fences fail.
Extra costs: gates, removal, survey, permits, slope
These lines turn a $4,700 fence into a $6,000-plus project, and many quotes bury them.
| Extra | Typical cost | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Basic walk gate | From $150; manual wood gate averages $400 | HomeAdvisor, Angi |
| Gate in premium materials | $400 to $1,200 | HomeAdvisor |
| Automatic driveway gate | $2,000 to $6,000 | HomeGuide |
| Old fence removal | $3 to $5 per foot; $10 to $20 with hauling | Angi; HomeGuide |
| Property survey | $200 to $545 (up to $1,200) | HomeAdvisor; HomeGuide |
| Permit | $20 to $60 (up to $150) | Angi; HomeGuide |
| Leveling a sloped yard | $900 to $3,000 | Angi |
| Tree removal | About $750 per tree | Angi |
| Staining or painting | $4 to $14 per foot | Angi |
Survey: worth it when you’re building on the property line and corner markers are missing. Moving a finished fence costs far more. Slope: labor rises because every post and panel must be adjusted. Angi says stepped or racked fences work up to about 45 degrees; steeper ground may need regrading.
Worked example: Replacing an old fence with 150 ft of 6-ft wood privacy fence. Fence: $4,700 (Angi’s 150-ft, 6-ft figure, about $31.33/ft). Removal: 150 ft × $4/ft (midpoint of $3 to $5) = $600. One walk gate: $400. Permit: $60. Survey: $400 (assumed, within $200 to $545). Total: $4,700 + $600 + $400 + $60 + $400 = $6,160, or about $41 per foot, 31% above the fence-only price.
Cost of ownership: price per year by material
The cheapest fence to install isn’t always the cheapest to own. We divided each material’s midpoint installed price for 150 feet by its midpoint lifespan, then added staining for wood ($1,350 every 4 years).
Cost per year of ownership, 150-foot fence (20-year cost in brackets)
Chain link, 4 ft: about $129 a year ($2,571)
Wrought iron: about $135 a year ($2,700)
Aluminum: about $188 a year ($3,750)
Vinyl privacy, 6 ft: about $300 a year ($6,000)
Composite privacy, 6 ft: about $382 a year ($7,636)
Cedar privacy, 6 ft, stained: about $659 a year ($13,179)
Scale: $0 to $700 a year. Midpoint installed price for 150 ft divided by midpoint lifespan (HomeGuide), plus wood staining every 4 years at $9/ft (Angi). Vinyl, aluminum and composite upkeep not priced; iron shown before repainting.
Inputs: chain link $2,250 over 17.5 years; wrought iron $10,125 over 75; aluminum $7,500 over 40; vinyl $7,500 over 25; composite $10,500 over 27.5; cedar $5,625 over 17.5 (HomeGuide prices and lifespans). Staining uses Angi’s $4 to $14 per foot midpoint.
Wood’s upkeep is the swing factor. Angi suggests restaining every 3 to 5 years; HomeGuide says every 1 to 2. Stain every 2 years and cedar climbs past $990 a year. Vinyl costs a third more than cedar up front, but less than half as much per year.
Which fence fits your budget?
| If you want… | Best fit | Installed per foot | Lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest cost to keep pets or kids in | Chain link, 4 ft | $10 to $20 | 15 to 20 years |
| Privacy on a tight budget | Wood, 6 ft | $25 to $50 | 15 to 50 years, with staining |
| Privacy with little upkeep | Vinyl, 6 ft | $40 to $60 | 20 to 30 years |
| Decorative or pool-style | Aluminum | $25 to $75 | 30 to 50 years |
| Longest life | Wrought iron | $50 to $85 | 50 to 100 years |
Only a few boards or posts gone? Repair first. Angi puts the average fence repair at $611; HomeGuide says standard repairs run $300 to $900.
How to save on a new fence
- Stay at 6 feet. Going to 8 feet adds 25% to 35%.
- Pick a simple style. Board-on-board takes about 30% more materials and labor than a standard wood fence (Angi).
- Fence only what you need. Every 10 feet you skip saves $250 to $500 on 6-foot wood.
- Handle the tear-out. At $3 to $5 per foot (Angi), removing 150 feet yourself saves $450 to $750.
- Compare quotes per foot. Get three quotes with the same height, material and gate count.
What a fence quote should include
- Linear feet, height and material grade.
- Post type, spacing and depth (Homewyse’s baseline: posts in concrete every 8 feet, holes up to 3 feet deep).
- Number and width of gates, with hardware.
- Removal and hauling, permit, 811 utility marking and survey, each as its own line.
- Staining (if wood), cleanup and the workmanship warranty.
Get your number: enter your length, height and material in the fence price calculator before you call installers. More tools are on our calculators page.
Common questions
How much does it cost to put up a fence?
Most homeowners pay $1,860 to $4,843, with an average of $3,276 (Angi, 2026). A 150-foot, 6-foot wood privacy fence runs about $3,750 to $7,500 before gates and removal.
How much does a fence cost per foot?
Expect $6 to $50 per linear foot installed across all materials (Angi), or $25 to $60 for a 6-foot wood or vinyl privacy fence (HomeGuide).
Why do fence cost averages differ so much between websites?
They measure different jobs: short and long fences, cheap and premium materials, 4-foot and 8-foot heights, with or without removal and gates. Compare per-foot prices for your material and height instead.
Is it cheaper to repair or replace a fence?
Repair, when damage is limited. Angi puts the average repair at $611 versus $3,276 for a new fence. Replacement runs $30 to $80 per foot because the old fence must be removed (HomeGuide).
Do I need a permit to install a fence?
Often. The model residential code exempts fences up to 7 feet from building permits, but cities and HOAs set their own rules. Permits usually cost $20 to $60 (Angi). Check with your local building office.
How long does fence installation take?
Most installs take 2 to 4 days, or about 13 to 16 hours of work per 100 feet of picket or privacy fence (HomeGuide).
Sources
- Angi: Fence installation cost, Aug 2026
- HomeAdvisor: Cost to install a fence, Jun 2026
- Angi: Privacy fence cost, Sep 2026
- HomeGuide: Fence installation cost, Feb 2026
- HomeGuide: Wood fence cost, Dec 2025
- HomeGuide: Vinyl fence cost, Dec 2025
- HomeGuide: Chain-link fence cost, Aug 2025
- HomeGuide: Aluminum fence cost, Dec 2025
- HomeGuide: Fence repair cost, Feb 2026
- Thumbtack: Fence installation cost, Aug 2025
- Homewyse: Wood privacy fence cost, May 2026
- Angi: Cost to stain a fence, Sep 2026
- Angi: Best time to stain a fence, Jul 2026
- Angi: Board-on-board fence cost, Aug 2026
- Angi: Cedar fence cost, Jul 2026
- Angi: Fence on a slope, Jul 2026
- Grant County, WA: 2021 IRC R105.2 permit exemptions
- Bob Vila: Fence installation cost, Apr 2024 (older average, for comparison)
More guides in Fences.