Cost method
Fence cost: price your run, not a national average
Count your fence run, price it at your store's prices or a quote's per-foot price, and compare bids for the same height, material and gates. The page gives no national price per foot, because no primary source publishes one; it shows what fence erectors earn instead.
How to use this page
Count the run with the calculator, price it from a store shelf or a quote, then compare every bid per linear foot for the same scope.
Price it with your own numbers
The fence calculator counts the posts, panels, rails and 80-lb concrete bags for your run and multiplies each by the price you enter; enter a quote's price per linear foot instead and it totals the installed job. Two quotes compare per linear foot only when they cover the same run, height, material and gates.
Open the fence calculatorWhat the labor side earns
| Percentile | U.S. | California | Texas |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th percentile | $19.43 | $22.47 | $16.41 |
| Median | $23.07 | $26.95 | $17.92 |
| 75th percentile | $28.18 | $33.50 | $22.01 |
| Percentile | U.S. | California | Texas |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th percentile | $18.57 | $23.15 | $17.66 |
| Median | $22.66 | $28.98 | $19.53 |
| 75th percentile | $28.72 | $37.75 | $22.57 |
Employees’ wages, before benefits (30.5% of construction compensation in June 2026) and overtime. A contractor’s quote adds overhead and margin.
What moves the price
Material system
Chain link, wood, vinyl and aluminum have different material and installation profiles. Posts, rails, fasteners, finish and waste must match the selected system.
Site friction
Rock, roots, slope, haul distance, old-fence removal and narrow access add labor without adding visible fence length.
Scope outside the run
Gates, retaining conditions, survey work, permits and HOA submittals should be itemized instead of buried in the per-foot headline.
How to compare real quotes
- Compare quotes using the same length, height and material grade
- Divide each installed total by the same run to compare the price per linear foot
- Require gate count, demolition and disposal to be explicit
- Keep permit, survey and landscaping allowances visible
From research to quotes
Give every bidder the same scope.
Set the run length, height, material and gate count. The brief adds the post, span and concrete takeoff, and asks every bidder for an installed total and its price per linear foot over that same run. No contact details needed; sending it on is optional.
Create fence briefUse the dimensions, not a guess
Related field notes
- Do You Need a Permit for a Fence?
- Pool Fence Requirements: Height, Gates and Latches
- Easements on Your Property: What You Can Build in One
- Right-of-Way Permits: Curb Cuts, Sidewalk Repair and Encroachments
- Good Neighbor Fence Law: Who Pays for a Shared Fence
- A Neighbor's Tree Over the Line: Who Owns It, Who May Trim It
- Building Permit Cost and Time: Fees in Austin and Los Angeles