Fencing & decking
Privacy Fence Cost Calculator
Prices a solid privacy fence, where being solid is what makes the posts work harder.
Result
A planning estimate, not a quote. Access, the age of the equipment, what is found once it is opened up and local labour rates all move the real figure, sometimes a long way.
Get a Free Business AuditHow the calculation works
Hours times crew times rate, plus materials and the call-out. A privacy fence is solid and usually tall, and both of those raise the material quantity: no gaps means the maximum number of pickets, and height means longer posts, deeper holes and often a third rail. The less obvious consequence is structural. A solid fence catches wind rather than letting it through, so the whole run acts as a sail, and the posts and their footings are carrying loads that a spaced picket fence never sees.
What moves the number
- Height, which raises pickets, post length, hole depth and often adds a rail.
- Wind exposure, since a solid tall fence in an open location loads the posts substantially.
- Local height limits, which frequently cap privacy fences lower than people expect.
- Whether the design is the same on both sides, which affects material and neighbour relations.
Where this one goes wrong
Wind load is the reason privacy fences blow down and spaced fences do not. A solid panel transfers that load to the posts and footings, so post size, depth and spacing all need to be more generous than for an open fence, particularly in an exposed location. Closing up an existing spaced fence to make it private without upgrading the posts is asking for it to come down in a storm. Height limits are the other practical constraint: privacy is usually the reason someone wants a tall fence, and local rules commonly cap it, with community restrictions sometimes stricter again. Check before building rather than after a complaint.
Before you quote
- Size posts, depth and spacing for wind load, not just height.
- Check the local height limit and any community restriction first.
- Reassess the posts before closing in an existing spaced fence.
Where the rules come from
Questions
About this calculator
Why do privacy fences blow down more than other fences?
Because they are solid, so wind cannot pass through and the whole fence acts as a sail. That load goes into the posts and footings, which is why a privacy fence needs bigger posts, deeper holes and closer spacing than a spaced picket fence of the same height, especially in an exposed spot.
How tall can a privacy fence be?
Local rules commonly cap fence height, often lower than people expect for a rear boundary and lower again at the front, and community restrictions can be stricter. Since privacy is the whole point, it is worth confirming the permitted height before designing rather than discovering it afterwards.
Can I just close in my existing fence for privacy?
Only after checking the posts. Adding boards to fill the gaps converts an open fence into a solid one and roughly transforms the wind load its posts carry. Posts and footings sized for a spaced fence may not hold a solid one, and the failure happens in the first real storm.
The formula
total = hours x people x rate + parts + call-out, then sales tax
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How to use this calculator
- Hours on site (h). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 20 h.
- People needed. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 1.
- Labour rate charged ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $78.
- Parts and materials ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $2,000.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $95.
- Sales tax (%). Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to estimated total, 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 |
|---|---|
| Hours on site | 20 h |
| People needed | 1 |
| Labour rate charged | $78 |
| Parts and materials | $2,000 |
| Call-out or diagnostic fee | $95 |
| Sales tax | 0% |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Estimated total main result | $3,655 |
| Labour | $1,560 |
| Before tax | $3,655 |
| Sales tax | $0 |
About $3,655: $1,560 of labour, $2,000 of parts and a $95 call-out.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only labour rate charged, this is what happens to estimated total. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Labour rate charged ($) | Estimated total |
|---|---|
| $39 | $2,875 |
| $59 | $3,275 |
| $78 example above | $3,655 |
| $117 | $4,435 |
| $156 | $5,215 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Hours on site (h)
- Measured in h, between 0 and 400, starting at 20 h.
- People needed
- A number, between 0 and 40, starting at 1.
- Labour rate charged ($)
- A money amount, starting at $78.
- Parts and materials ($)
- A money amount, starting at $2,000.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($)
- A money amount, starting at $95.
- Sales tax (%)
- Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Estimated total | The headline result. A money figure. |
| Labour | A money figure. |
| Before tax | A money figure. |
| Sales tax | A money figure. |
Estimating is the easy part
The jobs you never hear about cost more than the ones you mis-measure. BDEVY builds the marketing, systems and automation that bring them in.