Fence Table
| Type | Installed $/ft | Lifespan | Maintenance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hidden pet wire | $2-8 | 10-15 yr | battery, training |
| Chain-link (4 ft) | $15-25 | 20-30 yr | hose, rust check |
| Wood picket/ranch | $20-35 | 15-20 yr | stain 2-3 yr |
| Wood privacy (6 ft) | $25-45 | 15-20 yr | stain/waterproof 2-3 yr |
| Aluminum ornamental | $30-50 | 30+ yr | none |
| Vinyl privacy | $30-55 | 25-30+ yr | hose wash |
| Composite | $35-60 | 25-30 yr | occasional wash |
| Wrought iron | $50-100 | 50+ yr | paint, rust check |
| 150 ft run | Installed | Lifespan | Per year of service |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chain-link | ~$3,000 | 25 yr | ~$120 |
| Vinyl privacy | ~$6,300 | 28 yr | ~$225 |
| Wood privacy + staining | ~$5,250 | 17 yr | ~$310 |
The fence type decides the budget before the linear footage does: the same 150-foot backyard runs about 2,250 to 3,750 dollars in chain-link, 3,750 to 6,750 in wood privacy, and 4,500 to 8,250 in vinyl - and the spread only widens from there, with ornamental aluminum between wood and vinyl and wrought iron at 50 to 100 dollars a foot. Installed per-foot pricing is the only honest unit, because labor and posts dominate every quote: material is rarely half of it.
Bottom line: compare fences by cost per year of service, not by the quote. Chain-link at 20 dollars a foot lasting 25 years costs about 120 dollars a year; vinyl privacy at 42 lasting 28 runs about 225; wood privacy at 35 lasting about 17 runs over 300 a year once the restaining is counted. The cheap fence that gets replaced is never cheap, and the expensive fence that outlives the mortgage usually is - which is the entire vinyl-versus-wood argument reduced to one division.
The honest part: every figure here is a 2026 installed average for straightforward suburban runs on reasonable soil, and real quotes move with terrain, rock, corner posts, gate count and slope - a single 4-foot gate adds 150 to 500 dollars, and rocky or steep ground moves the whole number more than the fence style does. Permit rules are local too: many towns cap side-yard fences near 6 feet and front-yard fences near 3 to 4, and pool fences carry their own code. The table gets you to the right ballpark; the two or three local quotes get you to the number.
How to use
- Measure the run in linear feet and count the gates - footage and gates set the quote before style does.
- Pick two or three type rows from the table that fit the budget and the why - pets, privacy, pool code, or curb appeal - and compare them per year of service.
- Get local quotes with the table number in hand: if a quote doubles the per-foot average, ask what the terrain, posts or gates are charging you for.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest fence that still looks good?
Wood picket or a wood 3-rail ranch fence at 20 to 35 dollars installed per foot gives the most look per dollar; chain-link is cheaper but buys no appearance. Wood privacy at the low end of its range is the value play for backyards - the same boards that hide the neighbors also cut wind - provided you price the restaining into the deal, because wood's real cost is the maintenance schedule, not the lumber.
How long does each fence type last?
Chain-link 20 to 30 years, vinyl and composite 25 to 30 or more, ornamental aluminum 30-plus, wrought iron 50-plus with paint, and wood 15 to 20 depending on the staining discipline - the post quality matters more than the boards everywhere. Pressure-treated posts set in concrete are what actually outlast the style printed on the quote.
Do I need a permit to build a fence?
Often yes, and almost always when the fence is over about 6 feet, fronts a street, or borders a pool - pool fencing follows its own code with height and self-closing gate rules. Setback lines and shared-boundary rules vary by town, and the neighbor's survey is not your survey: one call to the local building department before the post-hole digger is the cheapest half hour in the whole project.
Is a vinyl fence worth it over wood?
If you keep the fence 20-plus years, usually yes - vinyl costs about 20 to 40 percent more installed, lasts a decade longer, and its maintenance is a hose, while wood restaining runs a few hundred dollars every two to three years and a board replacement every winter storm. If you might move inside a decade, wood's lower entry price wins; the crossover is a per-year-of-service question, not a taste question.
Where does a fence quote go up from the table number?
Four places: gates at 150 to 500 dollars each, rock or hard ground that turns every post hole into an auger battle, corners and ends that need heavier posts, and slope, which steps a fence like stairs and adds footage. Old concrete footings or tree roots on the line add demolition time. The per-foot table is the honest average - the walk-around is where your actual number lives.
How much fence does an acre need?
A square acre is about 840 feet of fence - 4 feet by 300 - and irregular lots run 10 to 20 percent more. That is why full-acre projects are where the per-year-of-service math matters most: a 20-dollar-per-foot difference in style is 17,000 dollars across the perimeter, more than most pets or privacy arguments are worth. Containment-only budgets should look at the hidden-wire row first.