Fence Cost Per Linear Foot Calculator
Turn a price per linear foot into a total fence cost — and sanity-check it against typical installed bands by material.
Calculator
At $30.00/lf, 200 lf is about $6,000.00. Installed fencing typically runs ~$8–25/lf (chain-link) to $25–60/lf (vinyl) — labeled bands, not a quote.
Fencing contractors and big-box estimators almost always quote a price per linear foot — a single number that folds material, posts, concrete and labor into one rate per foot of fence. This calculator does the one multiplication that matters: total = length × your $/linear foot. Because it uses the price you enter from a real quote, it never goes stale and never guesses your local labor rate.
The result also shows a labeled installed band for context so you can tell at a glance whether a quote is high, low or typical for the material. Chain-link tends to be the cheapest per foot; wood and picket sit in the middle; vinyl, aluminum and ornamental iron run higher. Those bands are planning typicals, not live prices — your real number depends on grade, height, terrain, gates and tear-out.
Formula
The estimate is a single closed-form multiplication:
total = line_length_ft × price_per_lf
- line_length_ft — the total run of fence in linear feet (measure the line, not the lot area).
- price_per_lf — your installed price per linear foot, from a written quote or your own material-plus-labor math.
Per-foot pricing already averages in posts, rails, concrete and labor, so you do not add them again here. For an itemized build with labor, gates, tear-out and a contingency, use the fence installation cost calculator.
Worked example
A 200-linear-foot fence quoted at $30 per linear foot:
200 ft × $30/ft = $6,000
So the fence runs about $6,000. Against the labeled bands, $30/ft is mid-range for wood-to-privacy and low for vinyl — reasonable, but confirm what the rate includes (does it cover gates, old-fence removal, and permit? those are common extras).
How per-foot pricing works
Per-linear-foot is the fastest way to compare quotes, but it hides a lot. Two crews can both quote “$30 a foot” and mean very different scopes: one includes tear-out and hauling, the other bills it separately; one sets posts in concrete, the other tamps gravel; one includes a gate, the other adds $300–$500 for it. When you compare quotes, always ask what the per-foot rate includes.
Height changes the rate. A 6-foot fence uses more material and labor per foot than a 4-foot fence, so the $/ft is higher — see the fence cost by height calculator. Material changes it more. Chain-link is the value option; wood and cedar are the DIY-friendly middle; vinyl trades a higher first cost for near-zero upkeep; aluminum and wrought iron are the premium, ornamental end.
Length drives the total, and you control it. Before you price anything, measure the run and subtract gate openings. To convert a lot size into fence length, the cost to fence an acre or yard tool turns an area into a perimeter. To see the material behind the price — posts, rails, pickets and concrete — run the all-in-one fence calculator.
Reference table
| Material | Typical installed cost (labeled) |
|---|---|
| Chain-link | $8–$25 / linear ft |
| Farm / field wire | $2–$8 / linear ft |
| Picket (wood) | $15–$35 / linear ft |
| Wood | $15–$40 / linear ft |
| Privacy (wood) | $20–$45 / linear ft |
| Cedar | $22–$48 / linear ft |
| Pool fence | $20–$50 / linear ft |
| Aluminum | $25–$55 / linear ft |
| Vinyl | $25–$60 / linear ft |
| Wrought iron / steel | $30–$60 / linear ft |
Labeled planning bands — sanity guide only, not live prices. Enter your own quoted price above.