Fence Ledger

Fence Ledger

How much does wood fence cost per linear foot?

Per linear foot is how fencing is quoted, which makes it the number worth carrying into a conversation with a contractor.

Installed, per linear foot
$25–55

Of which materials are $8–20 and labour $10–25. National planning ranges for 6 ft wood privacy fence, not quotes.

What the usual answer misses

A single per-foot figure is almost always an installed price with the labour buried inside it, and that is what makes DIY comparisons so misleading. Split into its parts, roughly half of an installed foot of fence is somebody working. Knowing the material half and the labour half separately is what lets you judge whether a quote is high, whether doing it yourself is worth the weekends, and where a cheap quote found its savings.

Work out your own

Every assumption above is editable. Change the length, the spacing, the hole size — the numbers and the working update as you go.

Units
Shape
Advanced options

These are typical values, not requirements. Post depth in particular is governed by your local frost line and building code — check before you dig.

Posts
14
Sections
12
Pickets
222
Concrete
24 bags

Estimated cost

Materials only (DIY)
$1,000 – $2,600
Professionally installed
$2,700 – $6,100

National planning ranges compiled from published US construction cost guides, last checked September 2026 (confidence: medium-low). Prices vary sharply by region, season and contractor. These are estimates for planning, not quotes.

Sources: homeguide.com, calcsummit.com, angi.com, ergeon.com, homewyse.com

Shopping list

Bill of materials for this fence
MaterialSizeQuantity
Posts4x414
Rails incl. waste2x440
Pickets incl. waste1x6222
Concrete mix24bags
Gravel6bags
Exterior screws≈1,500
Walk gate kit1

Why these numbers

How we got the section count
  1. Run 1: 96 ft ÷ 8 ft = 12, rounded up to 12 sections
How we got the post count
  1. 3 posts are fixed by the shape itself
  2. 2 at the open ends
  3. 1 carrying a gate
  4. 11 line posts spaced between them
  5. 14 posts in total
How we got the picket count
  1. Each picket covers 5.5 in plus a 0.25 in gap, so they repeat every 5.75 in
  2. 96 ft of fence needs 201 pickets
  3. Plus 10% for offcuts, rounded up to 222
How we got the concrete
  1. Each 10 in hole is 30 in deep, less 4 in of gravel base, leaving 26 in of concrete
  2. The 4x4 post itself takes up part of that, so each hole needs the remainder
  3. Across 14 posts
  4. Divided by the 0.6 cu ft a bag yields: 23.27, so buy 24 bags

Common questions

Why does this site show a range rather than one price?
Because a single number would be made up. The published sources disagree with each other and every one of them reports a range, since region, timber grade, site access and season all move the figure. We show the range the sources support and say where it came from.
Do these figures include the gates?
No. Gates are priced individually rather than per foot, because a gate is hardware and hanging rather than a length of fence. They are listed separately with their own verified ranges.
How current are these numbers?
Each record on this site carries the date it was collected and a review date, both shown on the page. Material prices in particular move, so a figure without a date on it is not usable and we do not publish one.