Cost estimate
Wood privacy fence (6 ft)
What a new six-foot wood privacy fence can cost per foot, built from published wages, shelf prices and contractor cost data.
Data last checked . Every input is dated below.
Typical cost
Planning range $3,250 to $8,950
About $40.77 per foot, typical.
typical
Where the money goes
- Labor$1,70028%
- Materials$1,85030%
- Permits and inspections$1502%
- Haul-away and disposal$200%
- Contractor overhead and profit$2,40039%
For information only. A planning range, not a quote. We take care, but our sources can lag and so can we, so a figure may be out of date. It combines the low end of every input and the high end of every input, so it is deliberately wide. Real quotes can still fall outside it.
What moves the price
The same job can quote very differently. These are the usual reasons.
- Wood and picket style
- Pressure-treated pine pickets cost the least; cedar costs more per picket on the shelf. Solid panels versus individual pickets also change labor.
- Ground
- Rocky soil, tree roots, slopes and high water tables slow digging and can add concrete.
- Gates and corners
- Every gate, corner and change of direction adds posts, hardware and time.
- Old fence removal
- Tearing out and hauling away an existing fence is extra.
- Utilities, boundaries and rules
- Call 811 before digging to mark buried lines. Property lines, HOA rules and town permits can add cost or limit height.
The same job at other sizes, and in each state
Both tables use the same estimate as the calculator above and its first choice, wood posts, side-by-side pickets. They are here to read across; the calculator takes your own size and state.
| Size | Typical | Range | Per ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 ft | $1,800 | $900 to $2,700 | $45.35 |
| 130 ft | $5,350 | $2,850 to $7,850 | $41.03 |
| 220 ft | $8,850 | $4,700 to $13,000 | $40.24 |
| 310 ft | $12,400 | $6,700 to $18,100 | $39.91 |
| 400 ft | $15,900 | $8,600 to $23,200 | $39.73 |
Small jobs cost more per ft because a contractor has a minimum charge, and the per-unit figure falls as the job grows until the minimum no longer applies.
Cost by state, at 150 ft
| State | Typical | Range | Against the US average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $5,550 | $3,050 to $8,100 | −9% |
| Alaska | $7,050 | $3,700 to $10,500 | +16% |
| Arizona | $5,850 | $3,150 to $8,600 | −4% |
| Arkansas | $5,500 | $3,000 to $8,000 | −10% |
| California | $6,750 | $3,600 to $9,950 | +11% |
| Colorado | $6,050 | $3,250 to $8,850 | −1% |
| Connecticut | $6,300 | $3,300 to $9,300 | +3% |
| Delaware | $6,150 | $3,250 to $9,050 | about the same |
| District of Columbia | $6,800 | $3,600 to $10,000 | +11% |
| Florida | $5,800 | $3,150 to $8,450 | −5% |
| Georgia | $5,450 | $3,000 to $7,900 | −11% |
| Hawaii | $7,150 | $3,700 to $10,500 | +17% |
| Idaho | $5,650 | $3,050 to $8,300 | −7% |
| Illinois | $6,400 | $3,400 to $9,350 | +5% |
| Indiana | $6,050 | $3,200 to $8,900 | −1% |
| Iowa | $6,100 | $3,200 to $8,950 | −1% |
| Kansas | $5,850 | $3,100 to $8,600 | −4% |
| Kentucky | $5,650 | $3,050 to $8,250 | −7% |
| Louisiana | $5,400 | $2,950 to $7,850 | −12% |
| Maine | $5,800 | $3,150 to $8,500 | −5% |
| Maryland | $6,250 | $3,350 to $9,100 | +2% |
| Massachusetts | $6,300 | $3,350 to $9,300 | +3% |
| Michigan | $5,700 | $3,050 to $8,300 | −7% |
| Minnesota | $6,400 | $3,400 to $9,400 | +5% |
| Mississippi | $5,400 | $2,950 to $7,800 | −12% |
| Missouri | $5,650 | $3,050 to $8,200 | −8% |
| Montana | $6,200 | $3,250 to $9,100 | +1% |
| Nebraska | $6,550 | $3,350 to $9,700 | +7% |
| Nevada | $5,900 | $3,150 to $8,650 | −4% |
| New Hampshire | $6,200 | $3,300 to $9,100 | +1% |
| New Jersey | $6,700 | $3,550 to $9,800 | +9% |
| New Mexico | $5,600 | $3,050 to $8,150 | −8% |
| New York | $6,250 | $3,400 to $9,100 | +2% |
| North Carolina | $5,600 | $3,050 to $8,100 | −9% |
| North Dakota | $5,850 | $3,150 to $8,600 | −4% |
| Ohio | $6,000 | $3,150 to $8,850 | −2% |
| Oklahoma | $5,350 | $2,900 to $7,750 | −13% |
| Oregon | $5,950 | $3,250 to $8,600 | −3% |
| Pennsylvania | $6,550 | $3,400 to $9,650 | +7% |
| Rhode Island | $6,000 | $3,200 to $8,800 | −2% |
| South Carolina | $5,350 | $2,950 to $7,800 | −12% |
| South Dakota | $5,800 | $3,100 to $8,500 | −5% |
| Tennessee | $5,750 | $3,100 to $8,400 | −6% |
| Texas | $5,450 | $3,000 to $7,850 | −11% |
| Utah | $6,000 | $3,200 to $8,850 | −1% |
| Vermont | $5,950 | $3,200 to $8,750 | −3% |
| Virginia | $5,800 | $3,150 to $8,400 | −5% |
| Washington | $6,550 | $3,450 to $9,600 | +7% |
| West Virginia | $5,550 | $3,000 to $8,050 | −10% |
| Wisconsin | $6,600 | $3,400 to $9,800 | +8% |
| Wyoming | $5,550 | $3,000 to $8,050 | −10% |
Each state's wages for this trade, material price level and permit level are applied to the same job. They are statewide averages; towns within a state differ, and an expensive city and a rural county can sit far apart.
How we got these numbers
Labor, parts, overhead and permits, added up. Each assumption below says how solid it is.
Checked sourcePublished, secondhandOur estimate
- Our estimateLabor hours of 0.2 to 0.5 per foot of fence are our estimate. We found no reliable time study; sources range from 0.1 to over 1 hour per foot. The Census figure of about $177 of work per field labor-hour for specialty trade contractors bounds the result.
- Checked sourceMaterials of $8.90 to $14.10 per foot come from Lowe's shelf prices on 4 Nov 2026: a post at about $12, three rails at about $5 each, 16 to 17 pickets at $2.18 (pine) to $3.68 (cedar), one to two bags of concrete at about $8 and screws, per 8-foot section.
- Our estimateThe quantities per section (one post, three rails, 16 to 17 pickets, one to two bags of concrete, about 100 screws) follow common practice but are our estimates.
- Our estimate8% waste covers cuts, warped boards and offcuts.
- Checked sourcePermit fees of $50 to $250: fence permits cost $50 to $169 in the official city fee schedules we read (Auburn CA, Pleasanton CA, Albany NY; a small sample, not a national survey), and many places need none for a fence under a set height.
- Checked sourcePayroll costs of 21% to 27% of wages follow the Census 2022 figure for specialty trade contractors (fringe benefits 23.6% of payroll). This group is broad and includes more than fencing.
- Checked sourceOverhead and profit of 50% to 70% is added on top of wages with payroll costs, materials, permits and disposal. Census 2022: these contractors' receipts were 61% above direct cost; NAHB's remodeler study gives 43%.
- Not includedThe prices assume 8 ft posts set about 2 feet deep for a 6 ft fence. A deeper hole for the frost line or wind needs a longer post (9 or 10 ft), which costs more and is not in these figures.
- Not includedGates, staining or sealing, removing an old fence, steep slopes, retaining walls, fence inspections and surveys are not included.
- Checked sourceSteel posts, side-by-side pickets: Steel posts add $4.00 to $4.25 per foot: a galvanized 8-ft steel line post costs $39.98 (Lifetime Steel Post, Lowe's Central Columbus, 5 Nov 2026) against about $12 for a wood post, plus $4 to $6 a post for rail brackets and screws. One post per 8-ft section.
- Our estimateSteel posts, side-by-side pickets: Labor hours are the same as for wood posts. Steel posts need no cutting to length but need brackets fitted, and we have no time study to show a difference.
- Checked sourceWood posts, overlapping pickets (board on board): Overlapping pickets need about 22 pickets per 8-ft section instead of 16 to 17: pickets about 5.5 inches wide overlapped by roughly an inch cover 4.5 inches each. That is 5.5 more pickets: about $1.50 a foot more at the pine price of $2.18 a picket, or $2.53 a foot more at the cedar price of $3.68.
- Our estimateWood posts, overlapping pickets (board on board): Labor hours rise by 0.03 to 0.07 a foot for the extra nailing and for spacing and lining up the second layer.
Sources
Where each input comes from, and when we last looked.
- Checked sourceU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Data year 2025, checked 2026-11-04.
- Checked sourceU.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Economic Census, table EC2223BASIC (Construction: Summary Statistics), NAICS 238990 All Other Specialty Trade Contractors (the group that includes fence erection; a broad stand-in), United States; fringe benefits are 23.6% of payroll and revenue is 61% above direct cost. Data year 2022, checked 2026-11-04.
- Checked sourceLowe's shelf prices read on lowes.com product pages, Central Columbus OH (43211) store, 4 Nov 2026: 4x4x8 pressure-treated post $11.85 to $12.99, 2x4x8 pressure-treated rail $4.78 to $5.42, 6-ft dog-ear pickets $2.18 (pine) to $3.68 (cedar), 50-lb concrete mix $7.97 to $7.98, deck screws 800 for $39.98. Data year 2026, checked 2026-11-04.
- Checked sourceLowe's shelf price read on lowes.com, Central Columbus OH store, 5 Nov 2026: Lifetime Steel Post 8-ft galvanized steel line fence post $39.98 (against 4x4x8 pressure-treated wood posts at $11.85 to $12.99). Data year 2026, checked 2026-11-05.
- Our estimateNo reliable time study found. A snippet from a contractor-marketing site claims 40 to 60 linear feet a day for a small crew without naming the crew size, and other sites range from 0.1 to 1.2 hours per foot. The figure here is bounded by the Census figure of $177 of work per field labor-hour for specialty trade contractors. Data year 2022, checked 2026-11-04.
- Published, secondhandNAHB Remodelers' Cost of Doing Business Study, 2026 edition (fiscal 2024), as reported by NAHB's Eye on Housing blog, 8 Apr 2026: revenue about 43% above direct cost (33% in 2021). Data year 2024, checked 2026-11-04.
- Checked sourceOfficial city building permit fee schedules read 5 Nov 2026: City of Auburn CA (building fees, 24 May 2025), City of Pleasanton CA (building permit and plan review fees) and City of Albany NY (building and zoning permit application fees, revised Feb 2026). Three small or mid-size cities, not a national survey; fees in larger cities and valuation-based schedules can be higher. Data year 2026, checked 2026-11-05.
- Our estimateOur working assumptions, marked as estimates on this page; not checked against contractor quotes. Data year 2026, checked 2026-11-04.
- Published, secondhandU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state (US = 100), as republished by FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis). Goods parity is used for materials and all-items parity as a rough stand-in for permit fees. Data year 2024, checked 2026-11-04.