Privacy fence cost calculator
Estimate a solid-board privacy fence budget from your own price per linear foot, with an adjustable contingency buffer.
Calculator
A 150 lf 6 ft solid-board privacy fence at $28.00/lf is about $4,620.00. Full-privacy boards use more material than a spaced picket.
A privacy fence is a solid, full-height screen — boards butted edge to edge (or overlapped) with no gaps to see through, usually 6 ft tall. Because it uses more lumber per foot than a spaced picket and taller, heavier posts, it sits at the higher end of the wood-fence price range. This calculator estimates its cost from the price per linear foot you were quoted, times your fence length, with a labeled contingency buffer for the usual outdoor surprises.
Like every cost tool on the site it stores no prices — you enter the real figure, and the arithmetic is shown in full. The bands below are a reality check, not a source of truth.
Formula
Solid privacy fencing is priced by the running foot, so the estimate is:
total = (length × $/lf) × (1 + contingency%)
- length × $/lf — your quoted privacy price applied to the whole run.
- contingency% — a labeled buffer (10% typical) for digging, slope and layout surprises.
Add gates and one-off extras on the fuller wood fence cost tool, which itemizes them.
Worked example
A 150 ft, 6 ft solid-board privacy fence quoted at $28 per linear foot with a 10% contingency:
(150 × $28) × 1.10 = $4,200 × 1.10 = $4,620
So budget about $4,620. Compared with a $22/lf spaced fence over the same run, the solid boards and taller posts add roughly a thousand dollars — that is the price of blocking the view.
Background & practice
Two decisions dominate a privacy-fence budget. First, wood species: pressure-treated pine is cheapest, cedar carries a grade premium but weathers gracefully — price cedar with the dedicated cedar fence cost tool. Second, board pattern: a plain butted-board fence is the baseline, while board-on-board (shadowbox) overlaps the boards for a gap-free look from both sides and uses about a third more lumber — count that with the board-on-board picket count.
Full-height privacy fences also catch more wind than open styles, so posts are typically set deeper and in concrete, and taller runs may trigger local height limits or HOA rules. Confirm allowed heights with your building department, and keep the number here as a planning estimate until you hold itemized written quotes from licensed, insured fencing contractors.
Reference table
| Material (installed) | Typical planning band |
|---|---|
| Wood (pressure-treated pine) | $15–$40 / linear foot |
| Cedar | $22–$48 / linear foot |
| Solid-board privacy | $20–$45 / linear foot |
| Spaced picket | $15–$35 / linear foot |
| Vinyl / PVC (compare) | $25–$60 / linear foot |
| Chain-link (compare) | $8–$25 / linear foot |
Labeled national planning bands, not a quote. Installed prices swing with material grade, height, terrain, post setting, gates, tear-out, region and labor — enter the real price from your own written quote above.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a privacy fence cost?
A 6 ft solid-board wood privacy fence commonly falls in a labeled planning band of about $20–45 per linear foot installed, higher for cedar or board-on-board. Enter your quoted price for a real number.
Why does privacy cost more than a picket fence?
A privacy fence is solid and usually 6 ft tall, so it uses far more boards per foot and needs taller, heavier posts set deeper against wind load. A spaced picket uses fewer boards and shorter posts, so it costs less per foot.
Does this include gates?
No — this tool prices the fence run only. Add gates as lump sums on the wood fence cost calculator, which itemizes gates, add-ons and a discount.
Is board-on-board more expensive?
Yes. Overlapping the boards for a two-sided, gap-free look uses roughly 30–35% more lumber, so its $/lf is higher. Count the exact boards with the board-on-board picket count.