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Wood Fence Cost Calculator

Price a 2026 wood fence by linear feet, species (pine / cedar / redwood), style (stockade / board-on-board / horizontal), and height — then line up 3 local fencing quotes.

Fence Size

ft

Wood Species & Tier

Location

Fill in the details and click Calculate

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What You'll Need

Stanley FatMax 25ft Magnetic Tape Measure

Stanley FatMax 25ft Magnetic Tape Measure

$18-$254.8
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IRWIN Carpenter Square 8x12"

IRWIN Carpenter Square 8x12"

$10-$154.7
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SWANSON Tool 7 Inch Speed Square Blue

SWANSON Tool 7 Inch Speed Square Blue

$8-$124.8
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Post Hole Digger 48" Fiberglass Handle

Post Hole Digger 48" Fiberglass Handle

$28-$384.5
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4x4 Post Base Bracket Heavy Duty Steel 4-Pack

4x4 Post Base Bracket Heavy Duty Steel 4-Pack

$55-$654.8
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Stanley FatMax 25ft Magnetic Tape Measure

Stanley FatMax 25ft Magnetic Tape Measure

$18-$254.8
View on Amazon
IRWIN Carpenter Square 8x12"

IRWIN Carpenter Square 8x12"

$10-$154.7
View on Amazon
SWANSON Tool 7 Inch Speed Square Blue

SWANSON Tool 7 Inch Speed Square Blue

$8-$124.8
View on Amazon
Post Hole Digger 48" Fiberglass Handle

Post Hole Digger 48" Fiberglass Handle

$28-$384.5
View on Amazon
4x4 Post Base Bracket Heavy Duty Steel 4-Pack

4x4 Post Base Bracket Heavy Duty Steel 4-Pack

$55-$654.8
View on Amazon

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q

How much does a wood fence cost to install in 2026?

$25-$45 per linear foot installed on average; 150 ft of 6-ft pine runs $2,700-$5,250 and cedar $4,500-$7,200. Materials are $15-$30/ft; labor adds $8-$18/ft. Horizontal cedar and tropical hardwood push well past $45/ft.

  • Average: $25-$45/ft installed
  • 150 ft pine: $2,700-$5,250
  • 150 ft cedar: $4,500-$7,200
  • Material: $15-$30/ft
  • Labor: $8-$18/ft
SpeciesPer Linear Ft InstalledTypical Lifespan
Pressure-treated pine$18-$2810-15 years
Cedar$22-$3520-25 years
Redwood$30-$4525-30 years
Tropical hardwood (ipe/teak)$40-$6030-40 years
Q

Is cedar worth the extra cost over pressure-treated pine?

Cedar lasts 20-25 years with minimal treatment vs pine’s 10-15 years even when sealed. Cedar costs $22-$35/ft installed vs pine $18-$28/ft — the break-even on lifetime cost is typically 12-15 years. If you plan to stay 10+ years, cedar usually pays back in avoided replacement.

  • Cedar lifespan: 20-25 years
  • Pine lifespan: 10-15 years even sealed
  • Cost gap: $4-$7/ft installed
  • Break-even: 12-15 years
  • Best pick for 10+ year hold
Q

How much does a 6-foot privacy fence cost per foot?

A 6-ft wood privacy fence runs $25-$45/ft installed. Stockade style is cheapest ($25-$30/ft); board-on-board and shadowbox $30-$40/ft; horizontal cedar $35-$55/ft. Style accounts for roughly 15-25% of the material line.

  • Stockade: $25-$30/ft (cheapest)
  • Board-on-board: $30-$40/ft
  • Shadowbox: $30-$40/ft
  • Horizontal cedar: $35-$55/ft
  • Style adder: 15-25% of material
Q

Do I need to stain or seal a new wood fence?

Yes. Unsealed pine rots in 7-10 years; cedar greys but lasts longer. Budget $1-$3/ft every 2-3 years for DIY stain/seal. A pro contractor charges $1.50-$4/ft for a full re-stain. Staining every 2-3 years is cheaper than early replacement.

  • DIY stain / seal: $1-$3/ft
  • Pro re-stain: $1.50-$4/ft
  • Reapplication: every 2-3 years
  • Unsealed pine rots: 7-10 years
  • Cedar greys but lasts longer
Q

How many wood fence quotes should I get?

Get at least 3 licensed, insured, local contractor quotes. A bid significantly below the pack often means shallower post holes, thinner pickets, or unlicensed labor. Ask for material grade in writing — #1 grade vs #2 grade is a real price difference.

  • Minimum 3 quotes
  • Bid 20%+ below pack = red flag
  • Ask for material grade in writing
  • Verify post depth (min 24-42 in, frost line)
  • Steel posts optional: +$5-$10/post, 2x lifespan
Q

Can I install a wood fence myself?

Yes for flat yards and straightforward layouts. DIY pine runs $8-$15/ft in materials, saving 40-50% of pro cost. Expect 2-3 weekends for 150 ft. Slopes, rocky soil, over 6 ft height, or shared property lines favor hiring a pro.

  • DIY material cost: $8-$15/ft (pine)
  • DIY savings: 40-50%
  • Time for 150 ft: 2-3 weekends
  • Hire a pro: slopes, rock, shared lines
  • Post-hole digger rental: $60-$100/day

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Example Calculations

1150 ft 6-ft cedar privacy fence, Midwest

Inputs

Linear feet150 ft
Wood typeCedar
Height6 ft
RegionMidwest

Result

Typical installed quote$4,500 – $6,000
Cedar pickets + posts~$3,200
Labor~$1,700

2200 ft 6-ft horizontal cedar, West Coast

Inputs

Linear feet200 ft
Wood typeCedar (horizontal style)
Height6 ft
RegionWest Coast

Result

Typical installed quote$9,000 – $12,000
Premium style adder+25% labor
WC regional premium+20-30% labor

Horizontal cedar is the trendy premium look. Adds labor for tighter gap-keeping and extra-straight pickets.

3100 ft 4-ft pine picket fence, rural South

Inputs

Linear feet100 ft
Wood typePressure-treated pine
Height4 ft (picket)
RegionSouth (rural)

Result

Typical installed quote$1,500 – $2,500
Pine pickets + posts~$1,100
Labor~$800

Formulas Used

Wood fence cost driver breakdown

Quote = (Species + Style) × Linear ft + Gates + Removal

Typical wood fence quote = species price (pine $18-$28/ft to ipe $40-$60/ft) + style adder (15-25%) + gates + old-fence removal. Height scales material ~15% per added foot; steel posts add $5-$10/post but double lifespan.

Where:

Species= Pine $18-$28/ft, cedar $22-$35/ft, redwood $30-$45/ft, hardwood $40-$60/ft
Style= Stockade base; board-on-board, shadowbox, horizontal +15-25%
Height= 4-ft picket $15-$25/ft, 6-ft privacy $25-$45/ft, 8-ft $40-$55/ft
Gates= Walk $200-$600, double drive $600-$1,500
Removal= Old fence $3-$5/ft + dumpster $300-$500

Wood Fence Install Costs in 2026: Pine, Cedar, and Redwood Compared

1

What a Wood Fence Actually Costs Installed in 2026

The headline figure for a residential wood fence is $25-$45 per linear foot installed for a standard 6-foot privacy build, with the national mid-point near $30 per foot. On a typical 150-foot perimeter that works out to $2,700 at the pressure-treated pine low end and $7,200 at the cedar high end. Materials account for 40-55% of the total, labor fills $8-$18 per foot in 2026 (up to $20 per foot in high-cost metros), and permits plus disposal add another 3-5% on top of the base spread.

Species sets the floor and ceiling. Pressure-treated pine at $18-$28 per foot installed is the budget tier and the volume choice for utility fencing where appearance is secondary. Cedar at $22-$35 per foot is the sweet spot for most residential buyers — natural rot resistance, 20-25 year lifespan, weathers attractively to silver-grey without staining. Redwood at $30-$45 per foot is the premium tier with 25-30 year lifespan and the best dimensional stability, though limited West Coast supply makes it expensive east of the Rockies. Tropical hardwoods (ipe, cumaru) push past $40-$60 per foot installed and last 30+ years.

Height changes the per-foot rate too. A 4-foot picket runs $15-$25 per foot, a 6-foot privacy is the standard $25-$45, and an 8-foot premium privacy or sound-attenuation fence stretches to $40-$55 per foot. Each foot above the 4-foot baseline adds roughly 15% material cost because of additional pickets, longer rails, and — on 8-foot builds — deeper post sets and beefier framing to handle wind load.

Wood fence species comparison — installed cost, lifespan, and maintenance. Source: Angi, HomeGuide, Ergeon.
WoodInstalled $/ftLifespanMaintenance
Pressure-treated pine$18-$2810-15 yrStain every 2-3 yr
Cedar$22-$3520-25 yrOptional seal; grays naturally
Redwood$30-$4525-30 yrOptional seal
Tropical hardwood$40-$6030+ yrOil every 2 yr

Wood fence pricing is up roughly 8-12% since 2023 from lumber and labor inflation. Always use current 2026 ranges as your anchor, not multi-year-old estimates.

2

Pine vs Cedar vs Redwood: Which Wood Wins on Lifetime Cost

Upfront price is misleading on wood fence selection. Pressure-treated pine looks like the obvious budget winner at $18-$28 per foot installed, but it needs stain or sealer every 2-3 years to hit its 10-15 year lifespan, and stain runs $1-$3 per linear foot in materials plus a weekend of labor each cycle. Over 20 years the math works out to roughly $50-$80 per foot total ownership cost on pine: $25 upfront plus 7-8 stain cycles at $14 per foot cumulative, plus a partial replacement halfway through.

Cedar at $22-$35 per foot installed needs no required maintenance — it weathers to silver-grey naturally, resists rot through its native oils, and lasts 20-25 years with no recurring spend. The 20-year total ownership cost on cedar is roughly $30-$36 per foot, which means cedar is dramatically cheaper than pine over a typical fence lifespan despite the higher upfront price. Redwood at $30-$45 per foot installed lasts 25-30 years with the same minimal maintenance and the best dimensional stability of any common species, though regional supply pushes the price higher east of the Mississippi.

The break-even point between cedar and pine sits at roughly 12-15 years of ownership when stain costs and a midlife panel replacement are factored in. If you plan to own the home for 5-7 years and resale matters, pine looks fine on the listing photos but the inspection report will note "fence near end of life." If you plan to stay 10+ years, cedar wins on both lifetime cost and continuous appearance.

Cedar wins on 20-year total cost despite the higher upfront price. The break-even vs pine sits near year 12 once stain cycles and a midlife panel swap are added in.

3

How Style Changes the Price

Style choice is a 15-40% premium over the basic stockade (dog-ear picket) baseline that most contractors quote first. Stockade is the cheapest residential style — vertical pickets butted edge to edge, dog-ear or flat-top, $18-$25 per foot installed in pine and $22-$30 in cedar. Board-on-board (overlapping pickets, also called shadow-overlap) adds 15-25% for the additional picket count and labor: $22-$32 per foot in pine, $27-$38 in cedar. Shadowbox — pickets alternating on opposite sides of the rails so both yards see a finished face — sits at +15-20% over stockade and is the HOA-friendly choice in subdivisions that require "good neighbor" symmetric appearance.

Horizontal slat fences are the trendy pick for modern landscaping and add 25-40% over stockade because the panel-style assembly is labor-heavy and steel posts are usually required for sag-resistance. Lattice tops add another $3-$8 per foot regardless of base style. Picket-only 4-foot front-yard fences run cheaper than 6-foot privacy at $15-$25 per foot. The table below maps the major style premiums against installed pricing for both pine and cedar.

A few HOA-specific notes: many subdivisions require shadowbox or board-on-board for any fence visible from the street, and a stockade installed without HOA approval can force complete tear-down and rebuild at the homeowner’s expense. Always check the covenants in writing before signing the contractor bid.

Style premium over base stockade, 2026 installed prices.
StylePremium vs StockadeInstalled $/ft (pine)Installed $/ft (cedar)
Stockade (dog-ear)base$18-$25$22-$30
Board-on-board+15-25%$22-$32$27-$38
Shadowbox+15-20%$21-$30$26-$36
Horizontal+25-40%$23-$40$28-$48
4

Six Factors That Move Your Wood Fence Quote

Two wood fence quotes for the same yard can land $2,000-$3,000 apart, and the variance maps to six predictable variables. Linear footage scales roughly linearly with material and labor — a 100-foot pine fence at $25 per foot is $2,500, the same fence on a 200-foot lot is $5,000. Fence height matters: every foot above the 4-foot baseline adds roughly 15% material cost. Steel post inserts add $5-$10 per post upfront but double the post lifespan vs wood-only posts, which rot at the ground line first and force premature panel replacement.

Terrain pushes labor higher in two scenarios. Rocky or root-bound soil that requires hammer-drilling or chainsaw work adds $5-$10 per foot, and steep slopes that require stepped or racked panels add $5-$15 per foot. Old fence removal and disposal adds $3-$5 per foot in demolition and dumpster fees. Gates are the single most under-budgeted line item: walk gates run $200-$600 each and drive gates $500-$1,500. Two walk gates and a drive gate on a typical residential lot can add $900-$2,700 to a base perimeter quote, which is why itemized bids matter.

The donut visualizes the typical cost split: lumber and pickets at 40%, labor at 40%, posts and concrete at 10%, gates and hardware at 7%, permits and disposal at 3%. When you receive three written quotes, recast each one into these five buckets and outliers become obvious immediately. Pair this with the fence post depth calculator to confirm your local frost-line requirement before signing — sub-frost-line posts heave within 1-2 winters and force panel replacement.

$5,000cedar 150 ftLumber + pickets — 40%Labor — 40%Posts + concrete — 10%Gates + hardware — 7%Permits + disposal — 3%Typical US cedar privacy fence cost breakdown, 2026.
  • Linear footage: scales roughly linearly with material and labor
  • Wood species: pine $18-$28/ft, cedar $22-$35, redwood $30-$45, tropical $40-$60
  • Fence height: each foot above 4 ft adds ~15% material cost
  • Steel post inserts: +$5-$10 per post but 2x lifespan vs wood-only posts
  • Terrain: rocky soil $5-$10/ft, slopes $5-$15/ft, root-bound $5-$10/ft
  • Gates: walk $200-$600 each, drive $500-$1,500 each
  • Old fence removal and disposal: $3-$5 per linear foot
5

Red Flags and Costly Mistakes When Hiring a Wood Fence Contractor

Reputable wood fence contractors cap deposits at 25% of the contract or $1,000, whichever is less — on a $5,000 cedar fence that’s $1,000-$1,250 maximum. Anyone demanding 50%+ before crews arrive is following the documented disappear-with-deposit pattern; walk away. Final payment should always come after the perimeter is up, gates swing freely, and post-hole spoils are hauled. Three written bids is the minimum baseline, and bids 20%+ below the pack on the same scope are almost always cutting corners on lumber grade, picket thickness, or post depth.

The single most overlooked spec on a wood fence is lumber grade. #1 grade pine has fewer knots and warps less; #2 grade is cheaper but cups, twists, and pulls loose from rails within 2-3 seasons. Picket thickness matters too — 5/8-inch pickets are flimsy and crack at the rail attachment, while 3/4-inch pickets are the residential standard. Insist on grade and thickness in writing on the bid; "1x6 pine pickets" without further spec is the cheapest grade by default. The same applies to cedar: ask for "knotty" or "clear" grade and "western red cedar" or "northern white cedar" specifically.

Post depth must meet your local frost line — typically 24 inches in mild climates and 36-48 inches in northern Zones 5-7. Sub-frost-line posts heave within 1-2 winters and force panel replacement. Verify in writing on the bid. Skipping the permit to save $50-$200 risks retroactive removal at home sale and forfeits your appeal rights if a neighbor disputes the property line. The fence installation cost calculator covers more cross-material vetting checklist items.

"1x6 pine pickets" without grade and thickness specified means #2 grade 5/8-inch — the cheapest, flimsiest spec. Always require #1 grade 3/4-inch in writing on the bid.

  • Maximum deposit: 25% of contract or $1,000, whichever is less
  • Verify license, general liability, and workers’ comp via Certificate of Insurance
  • Insist on lumber grade (#1 vs #2) and picket thickness (5/8 vs 3/4) in writing on the bid
  • Post depth must meet local frost line (24 in mild, 36-48 in northern Zones 5-7)
  • Get 3 written bids; 20%+ below-pack bid often skips grade or permit
  • HOA approval in writing before signing — height, style, and stain color all matter
  • Property line survey on file — fence built one foot over the line is the leading cause of contractor lawsuits
6

DIY Wood Fence vs Hiring a Pro: When Each Pays Off

DIY wood fence is realistic for the right buyer. Pressure-treated pine materials run $8-$15 per foot, which means a 150-foot DIY pine fence costs $1,200-$2,250 in materials versus $3,750-$5,250 from a pro — a saving of roughly 50-60% on labor. Cedar materials run $12-$20 per foot, so DIY savings are $1,500-$2,000 on the same length. Plan for 2-3 weekends with one helper, an auger or post-hole digger rental, and a level-and-string setup to keep the fence line straight.

Three scenarios push the math toward hiring a pro. First, slopes and rocky soil compound DIY difficulty fast — stepped or racked panels need precise picket-trimming that’s easy to get wrong on a slope. Second, 8-foot heights require beefier framing and deeper posts that exceed most homeowner-grade auger rentals. Third, tight HOA style requirements (specific board-on-board overlap dimensions, stain color, picket spacing) reduce DIY tolerance to almost zero. Pros also carry lumber-yard supplier permits and have augers that hit frost-line depth (36-48 inches in northern climates) reliably.

Wait at least 30 days after install before staining a new fence. Fresh pressure-treated pine still has factory moisture that prevents stain absorption, and cedar needs the weather-cycle to open its grain.

  1. 1

    Assess the lumber math

    Pine DIY $8-$15/ft materials saves 50-60% labor. Cedar DIY $12-$20/ft saves 40-50%.

  2. 2

    Check terrain and height

    Flat lot, soft soil, under 6 ft: DIY-friendly. Slopes, rocks, or 8 ft+: hire a pro.

  3. 3

    Verify HOA and permit

    HOA approval in writing first. Pull the permit yourself if going DIY — no contractor to do it.

  4. 4

    Rent the right tools

    Auger or two-man post-hole digger, level, post-hole tamper, framing nailer. Skip the framing nailer and the project takes 4 weekends instead of 2.

  5. 5

    Plan 2-3 weekends

    Day 1 layout and post setting, day 2-3 panel framing and picket nailing. Stain after 30 days of weathering.

7

Stain and Maintenance: The 20-Year Cost Truth

Wood fence ownership cost is dominated by stain cycles, not the install bid. Pressure-treated pine needs stain or sealer every 2-3 years to hit its 10-15 year lifespan; semi-transparent stain runs $30-$50 per gallon and a typical 150-foot 6-foot privacy fence consumes 6-10 gallons plus brushes, drop cloths, and a weekend of labor each cycle. Over 20 years that’s $1,800-$3,000 in stain materials alone, on top of the $4,200 install cost — which is why total ownership cost on pine often exceeds cedar by year 12.

Cedar weathers to a uniform silver-grey naturally with no stain required, and the silver patina is the look most homeowners want. Optional sealer at $30-$45 per gallon every 4-5 years preserves the original golden-brown tone but isn’t structurally necessary. Redwood follows the same pattern as cedar and develops a deeper grey-brown patina. Tropical hardwoods need annual oil treatment to maintain color but can also be left to weather naturally to silver.

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Last Updated: Apr 19, 2026

This calculator is provided for informational and educational purposes only. Results are estimates and should not be considered professional financial, medical, legal, or other advice. Always consult a qualified professional before making important decisions. UseCalcPro is not responsible for any actions taken based on calculator results.

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