A new fence averaged $3,270 in 2026, and about half of that is labour. The headline range runs $1,860 to $4,834 for most jobs — but the full spread goes from $425 to $13,700, because “a fence” covers 40 feet of chain link and 200 feet of wrought iron.
Fencing is priced per linear foot, so the number that decides your cost is not the material — it is how many feet you are enclosing. Get that measurement right first, then the table below tells you the rest.
Cost per linear foot by material
| Material | Installed, per linear foot |
|---|---|
| Electric (livestock) | $2 – $4 |
| Solid board | $5 – $20 |
| Chain link | $8 – $40 |
| Wood | $10 – $45 |
| Concrete / cinder block | $10 – $30 |
| Composite | $11 – $45 |
| Vinyl (PVC) | $15 – $40 |
| Aluminium or steel | $17 – $90 |
| Wrought iron | $25 – $55 |
| Privacy fence | $25 – $40 |
Those ranges look uselessly wide until you understand what is moving inside them. Wood at $10 a foot is a 4-foot picket in pressure-treated pine. Wood at $45 is a 6-foot cedar privacy fence with a finished cap rail. Same row, two different products.
The practical shortcut: multiply your perimeter by $23 for a first estimate, then adjust up if you want privacy height or a decorative material, and down if you are happy with chain link or a low picket.
Half the cost is labour
Labour runs around $1,600 on the average job — roughly 50% of the total. That share matters because it is the part that does not fall when you choose a cheaper material. Swapping cedar for pressure-treated pine saves on the pickets; the digging, setting and hanging cost the same either way.
It also explains why fencing quotes vary so much between contractors in the same town. You are mostly buying somebody’s time, and time is priced by how busy they are.
What is not in the per-foot price
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Gate | $150 – $2,000 each |
| Removing the old fence | $3 – $5 per linear foot |
| Levelling the ground | $1,000 – $3,200 |
| Tree removal | ~$750 |
| Painting or staining | $3.50 – $13 per linear foot |
| Post caps | $30 – $150 each |
| Permit | $20 – $60 |
Two of these deserve attention before you sign anything.
Gates are quoted separately and the range is enormous. A simple 3-foot walk gate is at the bottom; a double drive gate wide enough for a car, hung on posts set deep enough to carry it, is at the top. If your quote says “fence” and you assumed a driveway gate was included, check.
Ground levelling is the one that can double a small job. At $1,000–$3,200 it is not a trim item. A sloped yard does not necessarily need levelling — a good installer will step or rack the fence to follow the grade — so if levelling appears on a quote, ask whether it is genuinely needed or whether stepping the panels would do.
The two questions to settle before you get quotes
- Where exactly is your property line? This is the single most expensive thing to get wrong. A fence built even a foot over the line can have to come down, at your cost, and neighbour disputes over fence placement are common and unpleasant. If there is any doubt, a survey costs a few hundred dollars and settles it permanently.
- What do your local rules allow? Height limits are common — many areas cap front-yard fences at 4 feet and back at 6. HOAs frequently restrict material and colour as well. Permits are cheap ($20–$60); building something you have to remove is not.
Also worth knowing: in many places you are expected to face the finished side outward, toward your neighbour, with the posts and rails on your side. Some municipalities require it. Nobody mentions this until the fence is up the wrong way round.
How to read a fencing quote
- How deep are the posts set, and in what? Concrete below your local frost line is what keeps a fence standing. Posts tamped into gravel are cheaper and lean within a few years in a freezing climate.
- What spacing are the posts? Six to eight feet is standard. Wider spacing saves the installer posts and gives you a fence that sags.
- Are gates itemised, with hardware? Hinges and latches on a heavy gate are not trivial parts.
- Is removal and disposal of the old fence included?
- Who is pulling the permit?
The bottom line
Budget about $23 per linear foot as your starting point, or $3,270 for a typical job. Measure the perimeter properly, decide on height before material, and price the gates separately.
Spend the money on post depth rather than on the pickets. The visible part can be replaced in a weekend in fifteen years; the posts cannot, and they are what decides whether the fence is still straight by then.
If the fence is one of several outdoor jobs, our deck building costs and driveway replacement guide cover the other two, and the financing options are compared here.
If the fence is going around a pool, the code requirements are stricter than you might expect — we covered them in inground pool costs in 2026.
If a tree is in the way of the fence line, budget for it separately — tree removal costs in 2026.
Working out your own number? Our free renovation cost calculator gives you the range for your size and area in about ten seconds.