Fencing & decking
Wood Fence Cost Calculator
Prices a timber fence, where the posts are what fails and the treatment rating decides when.
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. Timber fence cost splits between posts, rails and pickets, and the species and treatment drive the material line. What matters for the life of the fence rather than its price is that the part in the ground is rated for ground contact. Pressure treated lumber is sold at different retention levels, and boards rated for above ground use will rot in a few years if set in soil. That distinction costs very little at purchase and decides whether the fence lasts ten years or twenty.
What moves the number
- Whether the posts are rated for ground contact, which is the single biggest factor in service life.
- Species and grade, since cedar and redwood resist decay naturally and cost more than treated pine.
- Picket count, which follows the gap and is the largest material quantity.
- Hardware quality, because fasteners that corrode stain the timber and fail before the wood does.
Where this one goes wrong
Use ground contact rated material for anything in the soil, and check the tag rather than assuming all treated lumber is the same. This is the most common reason a fence needs its posts replaced early while the pickets are still sound. Fastener choice is the other quiet failure: ordinary steel in treated timber corrodes, because modern treatments are more corrosive to metal than the older ones, so hot dip galvanised or stainless fasteners rated for the treatment are necessary rather than an upgrade. And keep the timber off the soil where possible, since a picket touching ground wicks moisture up into the board.
Before you quote
- Confirm posts are ground contact rated, from the tag not the appearance.
- Use fasteners rated for the timber treatment to avoid corrosion.
- Hold pickets clear of the ground rather than resting them on it.
Questions
About this calculator
Why do fence posts rot before the rest of the fence?
Because they are in the soil, where moisture and organisms are constant, and often because they were not rated for ground contact. Treated lumber is sold at different retention levels, and above ground rated material set in soil fails in a few years. The correct rating costs very little more.
Cedar or pressure treated pine?
Cedar resists decay naturally, stays straighter and looks better, at a higher price. Treated pine is cheaper and, at the correct ground contact rating, lasts well in the ground. A common compromise is treated posts with cedar pickets and rails, which puts the durable material where it is needed.
Do fasteners matter on a wood fence?
More than people expect. Modern timber treatments are corrosive to ordinary steel, so uncoated fasteners rust out, stain the boards and fail before the wood does. Hot dip galvanised or stainless fasteners rated for the treatment are the correct choice rather than an optional upgrade.
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.