How much does a wood privacy fence cost?

For a 150 ft solid-board privacy run at $28/ft with 10% contingency, about $4,620. Height, species and gates move it — enter your own rate in the privacy fence cost tool.

Is cedar worth the extra cost over pine?

Cedar costs more upfront but resists rot and insects naturally, stays straighter and takes stain well. Pressure-treated pine is cheaper but moves more and needs diligent upkeep. Both benefit from periodic sealing.

What is board-on-board fencing?

A privacy style where boards overlap so there is no gap and both sides look finished. The overlap means coverage per board is width − overlap, so it uses about a third more boards — count them with the board-on-board picket count.

How often does a wood fence need staining?

It varies by product, exposure and wood, but periodic sealing or staining greatly extends a wood fence’s life and should be in the lifetime budget. Estimate the gallons with the stain calculator and confirm coverage on the can.

Wood & cedar privacy fence cost

Wood is the classic fence: warm, workable and affordable — from an open picket to a solid 6 ft privacy run in pressure-treated pine or premium cedar. Here is how the styles cost out.

By Francesco Zinghinì

Wood fencing spans a wide price range because “wood” covers everything from a low spaced-picket fence to a tall solid-board privacy wall, and from budget pressure-treated pine to premium cedar. The cost formula is the same across all of them; the $/ft is what changes.

The cost formula

total = (line × $/ft + gates + add-ons − discount) × (1 + contingency%)

Example, a wood fence: 150 ft at $22/ft, one gate at $250, 10% contingency → (150 × $22 + $250) × 1.10 = $3,550 × 1.10 = $3,905. The wood fence cost tool runs it from your prices.

The four wood styles

Picket — a low (3–4 ft) spaced-picket fence, the least material and lowest $/ft. See the picket fence cost tool. Example: 150 ft at $20/ft, 10% → $3,300.
Privacy — a 6 ft solid-board fence with no gaps, more material and a higher rate. The privacy fence cost tool: 150 ft at $28/ft, 10% → $4,620.
Cedar — a premium species prized for its natural rot resistance and looks; a higher $/ft than treated pine. The cedar fence cost tool: 150 ft at $32/ft, 10% → $5,280.
Board-on-board / shadowbox — overlapping boards for a fully private, both-sides-attractive face; uses about a third more boards, so count them with the board-on-board picket count.

Species and grades

“Wood fence” hides real differences in material:

Pressure-treated pine is the budget workhorse — strong and cheap, treated against rot, but it tends to move, twist and check as it dries and needs upkeep to look its best.
Cedar costs more upfront but resists rot and insects naturally, stays straighter, and takes stain beautifully. Grades (from knotty to clear) change both looks and price.
Redwood and other premium species sit at the top for appearance and durability where available.

Posts are a separate decision from pickets: many builders set pressure-treated or metal posts even under cedar boards, because the post is what sits in wet ground and fails first.

Lifetime cost: budget the staining

A wood fence’s real cost includes keeping it protected, so a fair comparison against low-maintenance vinyl has to include upkeep. Estimate the stain with the wood fence stain calculator — gallons = face area ÷ coverage × coats — and the labor with the staining cost tool. New or rough cedar drinks more stain on the first coat, so confirm coverage on the can. Over the life of the fence, several restaining cycles can add a meaningful sum to the cheaper upfront price — sometimes enough to close the gap with vinyl. Neither wood nor cedar is maintenance-free; both last far longer with periodic sealing, especially on the sun-and-rain-exposed side.

What moves the wood price

Height (a 6 ft privacy run uses far more board than a 3 ft picket), species and grade, picket style (butted, spaced, board-on-board), the number of gates, and terrain. Gate and corner posts are heavier and set deeper — count them separately. Enter your own quoted rate; the bands in the cost table are only a labeled sanity guide.

A wood-fence quote checklist

Compare like with like: the species and grade of the pickets, what the posts are (treated wood, cedar or steel) and how they’re set, the rail count for the height, whether fasteners are screws or nails, the picket style and gap, gate hardware, and whether a stain or seal coat is included or extra. Two wood quotes at the same $/ft can be very different fences once you read the species and post spec.

Making a wood fence last

Most of what shortens a wood fence’s life happens at ground level, so a few choices pay off for years. Set posts on a gravel base so water drains away from the end grain instead of pooling against it; keep the bottom of the pickets off the soil with a kickboard or a few inches of clearance; and steer sprinklers away from the boards. Choose ground-contact-rated posts (or steel) even under premium cedar pickets, because the post in the wet ground fails long before the boards do. Add a coat of stain or seal on the schedule from the staining and repair guide, weather-facing side first. None of this changes the material count, but it is the difference between a fence that needs a post reset every few years and one that stands straight for a decade or more.

Fasteners matter here too: exterior-rated screws hold better than nails and let you replace a single cracked board later without prying the whole picket loose, and they resist the “nail pop” that lifts boards as wood cycles wet and dry. Small choices at build time — the post, the base, the fasteners, the first coat of stain — are what decide whether a wood fence is a decade-long asset or an annual chore.

Cost results are planning estimates from the numbers you enter — not a bid or a contract. Confirm board dimensions on your product, order a little extra for waste and corners, budget for periodic staining, and get itemized written quotes from licensed, insured fencing contractors.