Wood fence cost calculator
Estimate a wood fence budget from your own price per linear foot, plus gates, add-ons, a discount and a contingency buffer.
Calculator
A 150 lf wood fence at $22.00/lf plus gates and add-ons is about $3,905.00 with 10% contingency.
A wood fence is still the most common backyard fence in the US, and its price is easy to sanity-check because it scales almost linearly with the run. This calculator takes the price per linear foot from your own written quote (or your material takeoff), multiplies it by the fence length, adds any gates and add-ons, subtracts a discount, then applies a contingency buffer for the surprises every fence job hides — rocky post holes, a slope that needs stepped panels, an extra corner post, or a load of pickets that has to be culled for warp.
It deliberately holds no built-in prices. Lumber and labor move constantly and vary by region, so a hard-coded number would be wrong the day it was typed. Instead you enter the price you were actually quoted, and the tool does the arithmetic and shows its work. The labeled $/lf bands below are only a reality check — if your quote lands far outside them, that is worth a question, not an alarm.
Formula
The estimate is one line of arithmetic on the numbers you enter:
total = (length × $/lf + gates + add-ons − discount) × (1 + contingency%)
- length × $/lf — the fence material and its install, priced by the running foot.
- gates — gates cost far more per foot than fence (heavier posts, hinges, a latch), so they are added as a lump sum.
- add-ons — post caps, a stain package, hard terrain, or a tear-out you priced separately.
- discount — any credit or promotional reduction, subtracted before contingency.
- contingency% — a labeled buffer (10% is typical) for the unknowns of digging and building outdoors.
Worked example
A 150 ft wood fence quoted at $22 per linear foot, with one $250 gate, no add-ons or discount, and a 10% contingency:
(150 × $22 + $250) × 1.10 = ($3,300 + $250) × 1.10 = $3,550 × 1.10 = $3,905
So budget about $3,905. Notice how a single $250 gate and a 10% buffer add roughly $600 to a $3,300 material line — the extras, not the fence itself, are usually what busts a naive estimate.
Background & practice
A few things move a wood fence number more than homeowners expect. Height is the biggest: a 6 ft privacy fence needs about a third more material and heavier posts than a 4 ft version, so its $/lf is meaningfully higher — price the height you actually want. Post setting is next: concrete-set posts cost more up front than gravel-set but hold better in most soils. Tear-out of an old fence, hauling, and stump or root obstacles are line items a low bid may quietly omit.
Wood also has an ownership cost that this up-front number does not capture: it wants cleaning and re-staining every few years. If you are weighing wood against vinyl, run the vinyl vs wood compare for the up-front delta, and the stain calculator for the recurring cost. To pin the material takeoff instead of a per-foot price, start from the all-in-one fence calculator.
Treat the result as a planning estimate, never a bid. Get itemized written quotes from licensed, insured fencing contractors, and confirm what is and is not included — gates, tear-out, terrain and permits are where quotes diverge most.
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 wood fence cost per foot?
Installed wood fencing commonly falls in a labeled planning band of roughly $15–40 per linear foot, with cedar and tall privacy runs at the upper end and short spaced-picket at the lower. Height, wood grade, post setting, terrain and local labor all move it, so enter the price from your own quote rather than a national average.
Does this include gates and tear-out?
Only if you enter them. Add each gate as a lump sum (gates cost far more per foot than fence) and put a tear-out or haul-away price in the add-ons field. If a bid does not itemize these, ask — they are common hidden costs.
What contingency should I use?
10% is a sensible default for a straightforward yard. Bump it to 15–20% for rocky ground, steep slopes, many corners, or unknown old footings, where post digging and layout eat the most surprise labor.
Why are there no prices built in?
So the tool stays correct forever. Lumber and labor change with the market and the region; a hard-coded price would age instantly. You supply the real number from your quote or receipt, and the calculator does the transparent arithmetic. The bands shown are only a labeled sanity check.
Is this a quote?
No. It is a planning estimate built from your inputs, not a bid or a contract. Get itemized written quotes from licensed, insured fencing contractors before you commit.