How Much Does a Wood Fence Cost? (2024 Pricing Guide)

Average Wood Fence Cost Per Linear Foot

For a standard 6-foot privacy fence, installed costs typically run $15 to $35 per linear foot, putting a 150-foot fence somewhere between $2,250 and $5,250. That range is wide because it covers everything from pressure-treated pine (the cheapest durable option) up through cedar and redwood (which cost more but resist rot naturally). A split-rail fence drops as low as $10 to $15 per linear foot because it uses far less wood. A board-on-board or shadowbox style adds roughly 15 to 20 percent over a standard privacy fence because it uses more boards.

The single biggest cost driver is usually the posts. A wood fence needs a post every 6 to 8 feet, and each post requires a concrete footing dug below the frost line. In cold climates where frost depth is 36 inches or more, post installation alone can consume a large share of the labor budget. Ask any contractor bidding your fence to break out the post and footing cost separately so you can compare bids apples to apples.

For a quick rough estimate on your specific fence length, the ProBuildCalc wood fence cost calculator takes your linear footage, fence height, and post spacing and outputs a materials list and cost range you can use as a baseline before soliciting bids.

Materials Breakdown: What You Are Actually Paying For

A typical 6-foot privacy fence breaks down into posts, rails, pickets, concrete, hardware, and fasteners. Posts are usually 4x4 pressure-treated lumber set 2 feet deeper than the frost line. A fence with 8-foot post spacing on a 100-foot run needs about 14 posts. Rails run horizontally between posts — a 6-foot privacy fence usually has two or three rails made of 2x4 pressure-treated lumber. Pickets are the vertical boards that create the visible face of the fence.

Wood species changes the cost significantly. Pressure-treated pine pickets run roughly $1.50 to $2.50 each for a standard 6-inch-wide board. Cedar pickets in the same size cost $3 to $5 each but resist rot without treatment and have a much better appearance without paint or stain. Redwood is the premium option at $5 to $8 per picket and is mostly found on the West Coast. The difference in picket cost for a 150-foot fence adds up fast — premium cedar over pressure-treated pine can add $400 to $800 in material cost alone on a project that size.

Don't overlook concrete for the posts, post caps or finials if desired, galvanized or stainless screws (standard screws bleed rust stains down wood within a year), and gate hardware if you are adding a gate. A gate opening with a single gate adds roughly $250 to $600 to the total cost depending on gate width and hardware quality.

Labor Cost and What It Covers

Labor for wood fence installation typically runs $8 to $18 per linear foot on top of materials, and it covers layout and line staking, post hole digging (the most physical part of the job), setting posts in concrete, letting the concrete cure, installing rails, and nailing or screwing pickets. On rocky or root-filled ground, digging can cost significantly more because contractors may need a hydraulic post hole digger, which adds rental cost and time.

If you are in an HOA community or municipality that requires a fence permit, add $50 to $200 for the permit fee and a few days for the inspection and approval process. Most fence contractors handle permitting for you, but confirm this before signing a contract. Some also offer to remove and dispose of an existing fence, which usually adds $3 to $8 per linear foot to the project cost.

DIY installation cuts the labor cost to near zero but adds significant time — a first-timer on a 150-foot fence can expect two to three full weekends of work, and renting a post hole digger for a day costs $80 to $150. The labor savings are real ($1,200 to $2,700 on a mid-size fence), but factor in the rental cost, the time, and the learning curve on getting posts truly plumb before deciding.

Fence Style Comparison

Privacy or stockade fence (boards edge to edge, 6 feet tall) is the most common choice and runs $15 to $30 per linear foot installed. Board-on-board or shadowbox fence staggers boards on alternating sides of the rail so you can see through at an angle but not straight through — it uses more material but looks the same from both sides, which neighbors tend to prefer, and it costs roughly $18 to $35 per linear foot. Picket fence (shorter boards with gaps, typically 3 to 4 feet tall) is the classic front-yard look and costs $10 to $25 per linear foot installed because it uses fewer materials.

Split-rail fence is the lowest-cost wood option at $10 to $20 per linear foot installed. It uses round or half-round posts and 2 to 3 horizontal rails with no vertical boards, so it provides boundary definition and looks but no privacy or containment for small animals. It is commonly used on rural lots, ranches, and large suburban yards where the aesthetic fits the setting and full privacy is not the goal.

Getting Accurate Bids

Before calling contractors, know your linear footage (walk the property line with a measuring wheel or measure on a satellite map), your desired height, and whether you want gates and where. A contractor who knows these three things can give you a real number in a short conversation instead of scheduling a site visit just to get a ballpark. Having your own estimate from a fence calculator gives you a baseline so you know whether the bids you receive are reasonable or if someone is padding the materials.

Get at least three bids and ask each contractor to itemize materials and labor separately. Request that they specify the wood species, post size, and fastener type, as these are where cheap bids cut corners. Check that the bid includes post holes to the correct frost depth for your region, concrete for the posts, and disposal of soil from the post holes. A complete bid should also note whether the fence will be sealed or stained — bare pressure-treated pine needs to dry for 6 to 12 months before stain will adhere, while cedar can be stained right away.