How much does a fence cost per linear foot?

$8–$60/LF installed depending on material and publisher: chain-link $12.25–$40 (Fixr) / $8–$20 (HA); wood $15–$35 (Fixr) / $10–$45 (Angi/HA); vinyl $15–$40 (Fixr and Angi agree); aluminum $15–$40 (Fixr) with Angi's $17–$90 outlier kept as a band; composite $22–$40 (Fixr) / $25–$55 (HA); wrought iron $22–$40 (Fixr) / $25–$60+ (HA).

Can I install a fence myself?

The light tasks, yes: panels, pickets, gate hardware, staining. The line is post-setting below the frost line — posts need to sit ≥6 in below local frost depth with proper footings, and the documented failure mode for DIY shortcuts is lean/heave after a winter or two. DIY saves an estimated 50–60% on labor where the soil and climate cooperate.

How deep do fence posts need to be?

The pattern: below the local frost line plus ~6 in, with roughly a third to a half of the post length underground. Regional frost-depth bands run ~30–36 in (Midwest/Mid-Atlantic) to ~60–72 in (northern/mountain) — consensus figures pending primary code cites; verify your county's frost depth.

Do I need a land survey before fencing?

If the property line isn't established, yes — surveys run $200–$500 (HomeAdvisor) to $400–$1,000 (Fixr), a conflict the dataset keeps as a band. Many cities allow on-line builds with neighbor agreement; others require 1–3 ft inside the line.

What about pool fences?

The ISPSC-pattern rules: minimum 48 in height, picket gaps ≤4 in, bottom clearance ≤2 in, horizontal rails ≥45 in apart on the outside, self-closing/self-latching gates that open outward with the latch ≥54 in. Verify against your jurisdiction's adopted code before building — this page cites the pattern, not a specific statute.

Fence repair or full replacement?

Per-post/per-panel repairs run $120–$400 (HomeAdvisor) versus $3,600–$7,800 for a full replacement (Fixr). Scattered damage is repair territory; spread-out failure or a discontinued panel style pushes toward the replacement band.

How Much Does a Fence Cost? (2026)

Updated September 2026

A fence costs roughly $8–$60 per linear foot installed depending on material, and a typical yard project runs $3,600–$7,800 all-in for a full replacement (Fixr's published project band). Chain-link is the budget end — Fixr books it at $12.25-$40/LF installed and HomeAdvisor at $8-$20 — while wrought iron tops the range (Fixr $22-$40/LF; HomeAdvisor $25-$60+). Wood, the most common choice, runs $15-$35/LF (Fixr) or $10-$45 (Angi and HomeAdvisor, whose bands stretch higher for cedar).

The honest structure of the answer is two levels: per linear foot (what each material costs per foot, installed) and whole project (the run × the per-foot rate, plus gates, removal, permits, and possibly a survey). This page answers both levels, then covers privacy-fence pricing, repair-vs-replacement, and the DIY boundary.

Cost per linear foot by material

Each band is installed, per linear foot (equipment + labor), recorded per publisher — the dataset never averages across sources.

Material	Fixr ($/LF installed)	Angi ($/LF installed)	HomeAdvisor ($/LF installed)	Notes
Chain-link	$12.25-$40	$8-$40	$8-$20	Widest spread; Fixr's $40 high is tall/security-grade. Wayback height granularity: 8-ft $12–$34, 10-ft $17–$40
Wood (cedar/pine)	$15-$35	$10-$45	$10-$45	Cedar tops the Angi/HA bands; pine the bottom
Vinyl (PVC)	$15-$40	$15-$40	—	Exact cross-source agreement — the narrowest of the majors
Aluminum (ornamental)	$15-$40	$17-$90	$20-$40	Angi's $90 high is an outlier (kept as a band, not averaged)
Composite	$22-$40	—	$25-$55	No Angi figure captured
Wrought-iron	$22-$40	—	$25-$60+	No Angi figure captured

The per-foot explainer (why quotes differ): a “cost of fence per foot” quote can mean three different things — materials only (Fixr's material rows run $2.25-$20/LF for chain-link up to $13-$30 for wrought iron), the fence run installed, or a whole-project number that rolls in gates and teardown. Always confirm which basis a quote uses; the bands above are the installed basis.

What a 200-LF cedar project actually costs

Fixr publishes the worked example directly: 200 linear feet of cedar picket with a gate ≈ $4,500 typical. It checks against the band math — 200 LF × $15-$35/LF (Fixr wood installed) = $3,000–$7,000 for the run, and the $4,500 sits inside it with a walk gate included (Fixr gates with install: $50-$400). What the $4,500 does not include, per the dataset's line items, if they apply to your project:

Old-fence removal: $600-$800 per project (Fixr, 100–200 LF); HomeAdvisor books $3-$5/LF ($450-$750 for 150 LF).
Permit: $20-$60(HomeAdvisor); the municipal pattern runs $25–$150 by city — verify locally.
Land survey (if the property line isn't established): $200-$500 (HomeAdvisor) to $400-$1,000 (Fixr) — the conflict is kept as a band.
Driveway/automated gate (if wanted): $1,000-$6,000 (Fixr) — a separate order of cost from a walk gate.

Local fence quotes

A vetted local-quote network for fencing is being onboarded — this slot will connect you with licensed installers once live. Until then: collect at least three written quotes and confirm what basis each quote uses before signing.

Privacy fence cost

Privacy fencing is its own decision, and the dataset frames it by material:

Wood privacy (cedar/pine solid-panel): the wood installed band covers it — $15-$35/LF (Fixr), $10-$45 (Angi/HA with cedar at the top). Solid 6-ft privacy is the most common configuration in that band.
Vinyl privacy: vinyl's $15-$40/LF (Fixr and Angi agree exactly) buys the no-maintenance version of the same privacy — 20–30 yr typical lifespan with rinse-only care.
The honest comparison: wood privacy costs less up front at the low end but carries the maintenance cadence (clear sealer every 1–2 yrs; stain 2–3 yrs semi-transparent / 4–5 yrs solid); vinyl costs more upfront per foot at the top of its band but never needs stain or paint. Lifespans: pine 10–15 yrs, cedar 15–30, vinyl 20–30 typical (20–50 possible).

Gates, removal & permits

The project-cost line items, per source as recorded:

Line item	Band	Attribution
Walk gate (supply + install)	$50-$400 installed (gate only $40-$200)	Fixr; Angi books gates at $150-$1,000+; HA standard gate $200-$1,000
Driveway / automated gate	$1,000-$6,000	Fixr — a separate order of cost from walk gates
Gate repair (existing gate)	$100–$400	Angi (Wayback snapshot — new anchor, appended)
Old-fence removal & disposal	$600-$800 per project (100–200 LF)	Fixr; HA $3-$5/LF ($450-$750 @ 150 LF) — bands distinct
Municipal permit	$20-$60	HomeAdvisor; municipal pattern $25–$150 — varies by city, verify locally
Land survey	$400-$1,000 (Fixr) vs $200-$500 (HA)	Conflict kept as a band

Fence repair vs replacement

The dataset's three repair rows against the full-replacement row, in one decision table:

Repair	Band	Attribution
Post replacement	$120-$350 per post	HomeAdvisor
Leaning-post reset	~$140	Angi (Wayback snapshot; a different operation from full replacement — recorded separately)
Panel/section replacement	$125-$400 per panel	HomeAdvisor; Angi's missing-pickets/panels row ($150–$300) corroborates
General fence repair	$200-$850 (Fixr); $300-$1,000 (HA); Angi's published normal range $304–$946	Conflict kept as bands — never averaged
Painting / staining refresh	$3–$14/LF	Angi (Wayback snapshot)
Full replacement (tear-out + rebuild)	$3,600-$7,800 per project	Fixr

The decision logic the dataset supports: one or two damaged posts or panels ($120–$400 each) is repair territory; when damage is spread across the run or the structure is failing generally, cumulative repairs approach Fixr's $3,600–$7,800 replacement band and replacement becomes the like-for-like comparison.

DIY or hire a pro?

The boundary from the context facts (industry-consensus framing, cited):

Reasonable DIY: panel/picket replacement, gate hardware and hinge swaps, staining/sealing, roller repair, cleaning — light tasks without structural or tension components. Angi's Wayback snapshot books staining at $3–$14/LF if you'd rather hire it out.
Pro territory — post-setting below the frost line. In cold climates posts must sit at least 6 inches below the local frost depth, with roughly a third to half the post underground, a gravel base, a sloped concrete crown, and bell-bottom holes that resist frost jacking. Skid-steer augers reach 48"+ through clay or rock where DIY augers fail, and pros carry workmanship warranties against lean and heave. DIY saves an estimated 50–60% on labor — but the frost-line shortcut is the classic failure mode: a fence that leans or heaves after one or two winters.
Always-pro adjacent: masonry/retaining-wall fences, pool-barrier compliance, and HVHZ wind-engineered installs.

Permits, HOAs and property lines

The regulatory pattern (patterns, not a code survey — exact ordinance sections were not pulled this pass):

Height rules: the common pattern is 3–4 ft max in front yards (often open-style for sightlines) and 6 ft max in back/side yards; 8 ft typically needs a variance or engineering permit.
Permit triggers: fences over 6 ft, front-yard/corner-lot fences, and masonry/retaining combos. Site plan plus specs with typical fees $25–$150 (HomeAdvisor books $20–$60). Call 811 before digging.
Setbacks: many cities allow on-line builds with neighbor agreement; some require 1–3 ft inside the line; nothing in the public right-of-way; corner-lot sight triangles often capped at 3 ft.
HOAs: ARC approval usually comes before the city permit, and HOA rules can be stricter than code — never looser.
Pool fences (citable pattern, verify against ISPSC text before code claims): minimum 48 in height (some jurisdictions 60 in), picket gaps ≤4 in, bottom clearance ≤2 in, horizontal rails ≥45 in apart on the outside, self-closing/ self-latching gates opening outward with the latch at ≥54 in.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a fence cost per linear foot?: $8–$60/LF installed depending on material and publisher: chain-link $12.25–$40 (Fixr) / $8–$20 (HA); wood $15–$35 (Fixr) / $10–$45 (Angi/HA); vinyl $15–$40 (Fixr and Angi agree); aluminum $15–$40 (Fixr) with Angi's $17–$90 outlier kept as a band; composite $22–$40 (Fixr) / $25–$55 (HA); wrought iron $22–$40 (Fixr) / $25–$60+ (HA).
Can I install a fence myself?: The light tasks, yes: panels, pickets, gate hardware, staining. The line is post-setting below the frost line — posts need to sit ≥6 in below local frost depth with proper footings, and the documented failure mode for DIY shortcuts is lean/heave after a winter or two. DIY saves an estimated 50–60% on labor where the soil and climate cooperate.
How deep do fence posts need to be?: The pattern: below the local frost line plus ~6 in, with roughly a third to a half of the post length underground. Regional frost-depth bands run ~30–36 in (Midwest/Mid-Atlantic) to ~60–72 in (northern/mountain) — consensus figures pending primary code cites; verify your county's frost depth.
Do I need a land survey before fencing?: If the property line isn't established, yes — surveys run $200–$500 (HomeAdvisor) to $400–$1,000 (Fixr), a conflict the dataset keeps as a band. Many cities allow on-line builds with neighbor agreement; others require 1–3 ft inside the line.
What about pool fences?: The ISPSC-pattern rules: minimum 48 in height, picket gaps ≤4 in, bottom clearance ≤2 in, horizontal rails ≥45 in apart on the outside, self-closing/self-latching gates that open outward with the latch ≥54 in. Verify against your jurisdiction's adopted code before building — this page cites the pattern, not a specific statute.
Fence repair or full replacement?: Per-post/per-panel repairs run $120–$400 (HomeAdvisor) versus $3,600–$7,800 for a full replacement (Fixr). Scattered damage is repair territory; spread-out failure or a discontinued panel style pushes toward the replacement band.

Related guides

Fence installation costs — the hub: installed per-LF bands by material at a glance, line items, and what drives the cost.
Whole-house standby generator cost — the other big yard-work project: trenching and site prep mirror fence-line logistics.
Roof replacement costs — installed cost per square for asphalt, metal, and tile roofs.
Water heater replacement costs — installed cost by fuel and type, with unit vs. labor splits.

Sources

Every price figure comes from the fencing cost dataset (14 products / 43 price points / 3 sources, retrieved 2026-09-25). Lifespan, maintenance, DIY-boundary, and regulatory patterns come from the companion context-facts file (dealer-guide consensus tier, flagged).

Fixr — Cost to Install Fence (New Fence Cost) (medium reliability) — Fetched live 2026-09-25 (115KB). Page states Updated: January 31, 2025 — ~20 months old at fetch; staleness flagged. [URL updated 2026-09-26 at merge: /costs/install-fence now 404s; guide lives at /costs/fence-installation, same Jan-31-2025 edition; all figures re-verified EXACT against the new path per the freshness recheck d9d520b.]
Angi — Fence Installation Cost (medium reliability) — Search-served capture 2026-09-25 (Angi Cloudflare-walls live fetches, consistent with garage-doors/hvac). Re-verify in browser at build time.
HomeAdvisor — Fence Installation Cost (medium reliability) — Search-served capture 2026-09-25 (HomeAdvisor serves a JS shell on direct fetch). Re-verify at build time.
Context facts — lifespans, maintenance cadences, DIY boundary, and regulatory patterns (dealer-guide consensus tier, flagged): outdoorlivinginc.com, andersonfence.net, completecustomfence.com and frost-line/DIY-vs-pro + regulatory-pattern guides — full URLs in research/msrpguide/fencing-context-2026-09-25.md

Estimate only — get local written quotes. Bands are per-source, never averaged; the aluminum outlier, survey conflict, and repair-band conflicts are the dataset's recorded conflicts, presented as bands. Lifespans and cadences are secondary-tier consensus ranges; regulatory items are patterns pending primary code cites. Figures were last checked September 2026.