Home improvement
Fence Cost Calculator
Works fence cost, where the posts and the ground conditions drive it.
Result
Excludes permits, survey costs and removal of an existing fence. Removal and disposal commonly adds several dollars per foot.
Get a Free Business AuditHow the calculation works
Material for posts, rails, panels or pickets and concrete, plus labour, plus gates and hardware. Posts are the labour-intensive element, since each needs a hole dug to depth and concreted, and the ground conditions determine how long that takes far more than the fence length does.
What moves the number
- Ground conditions and how easily holes can be dug.
- Post spacing and the total post count.
- Gates, which cost disproportionately more than fence.
- Slope, which complicates panel fencing.
Where this one goes wrong
Rock, roots or heavy clay turn post holes from a quick job into the longest part of the project, which is why two fences of the same length on different ground cost very differently and why a quote should follow a site visit rather than a measurement. Check the ground. Gates cost far more per foot than fence, since each needs its own posts, hardware and adjustment, which means a fence with several gates is not priced per foot at all.
Before you quote
- Assess the ground conditions before pricing.
- Price gates separately from fence runs.
- Check local rules on height, boundaries and permits.
Questions
About this calculator
Why do fence quotes vary so much?
Ground conditions, mostly. Rock, roots or heavy clay turn post holes from a quick job into the longest part of the project, which is why two fences of the same length on different ground cost very differently.
Why are gates so expensive?
Because each needs its own heavier posts, hardware and adjustment to hang and swing properly. A gate costs far more per foot than fence, which means a fence with several gates cannot be priced per foot at all.
Do I need permission for a fence?
Commonly, on height, position relative to boundaries and sometimes materials, set locally and sometimes by a homeowner association. Checking before the posts go in is considerably easier than afterwards.
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How to use this calculator
- Fence length (ft) (ft). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 150 ft.
- Material cost per linear foot ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $14.
- Labour per linear foot ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $12.
- Gates. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 1.
- Cost per gate installed ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $420.
- Difficult terrain surcharge (%). Slopes, rock, restricted access.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to total installed cost, and change it back. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
A worked example
These are the figures the calculator opens with. Every number in the results column below is produced by the same calculation the page runs, so you can follow it through before putting your own figures in.
What goes in
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Fence length (ft) | 150 ft |
| Material cost per linear foot | $14 |
| Labour per linear foot | $12 |
| Gates | 1 |
| Cost per gate installed | $420 |
| Difficult terrain surcharge | 10% |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Total installed cost main result | $4,752 |
| Cost per linear foot | $31.68 |
| Materials | $2,100 |
| Labour | $1,800 |
A 150 ft fence with 1 gate costs about $4,752 installed, $31.68 per linear foot.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only material cost per linear foot, this is what happens to total installed cost. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Material cost per linear foot ($) | Total installed cost |
|---|---|
| $7 | $3,597 |
| $10.5 | $4,175 |
| $14 example above | $4,752 |
| $21 | $5,907 |
| $28 | $7,062 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Fence length (ft) (ft)
- Measured in ft, starting at 150 ft.
- Material cost per linear foot ($)
- A money amount, starting at $14.
- Labour per linear foot ($)
- A money amount, starting at $12.
- Gates
- A number, between 0 and 50, starting at 1.
- Cost per gate installed ($)
- A money amount, starting at $420.
- Difficult terrain surcharge (%)
- Slopes, rock, restricted access.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Total installed cost | The headline result. A money figure. |
| Cost per linear foot | A money figure. |
| Materials | A money figure. |
| Labour | A money figure. |
Keep going
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