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Fence Cost Per Foot

What "per foot" really measures

Contractors quote fences by the linear foot because it is the one number every job shares. But the figure is an average across the whole project, not the price of one foot of boards. A 60 ft run with two gates has a far higher cost per foot than a 300 ft straight run with no gates, because gates, corner posts, mobilization and haul-away get spread across fewer feet. When you see a "$/ft" figure online, assume it came from a job that is not yours.

Short jobs are the clearest example. Many installers have a minimum charge to cover the truck, the auger and a day of crew time. On a short run that minimum can dominate, so the per-foot price looks high even though nothing is wrong with the quote. Long agricultural runs go the other way: the crew sets up once and installs hundreds of feet, so the per-foot figure falls.

The parts inside a per-foot price

• Infill: pickets, panels, chain-link fabric or wire. This is the part people picture, but it is often less than half the total.
• Structure: posts, rails, brackets and fasteners. Taller fences need longer posts and often an extra rail.
• Footings: concrete or gravel per post, which depends on hole size and depth. See the fence concrete calculator.
• Gates and hardware: hinges, latches, drop rods and heavier gate posts. One gate can cost as much as several sections of fence.
• Labour: digging, setting, hanging and cleanup. Rocky soil, roots, slopes and tight access raise it.
• Site work: old-fence removal and disposal, clearing brush, grading and stump work.
• Soft costs: permits, surveys, utility locates (free in most places, but they take time) and taxes.

Material families and why they price differently

We do not print dollar figures in this table because lumber and metal prices move month to month and region to region. Your supplier's current price list is the only reliable source.

How to build your own per-foot number

1. Measure the line carefully using how to measure a fence line, including every corner and gate opening.
2. Run the fence calculator to get posts, rails, pickets and concrete.
3. Price that list at one or two suppliers. Add delivery.
4. Add gates, hardware and any removal or disposal fees.
5. If hiring, ask installers to quote both a total and a per-foot figure, and to list what is excluded.
6. Enter everything in the fence cost calculator and compare quotes on the same basis.

Worked example

Figures below are illustrative examples (2026-10-29), not quotes or guarantees.

Assumptions: 120 ft of 6 ft wood privacy fence, one walk gate. Materials priced by the homeowner at $18/ft including posts and concrete; installer labour $22/ft; gate $350; old fence removal $400; permit $150. Total: 120 × 18 = $2,160 materials, 120 × 22 = $2,640 labour, plus $350 + $400 + $150 = $5,700. Per foot: $47.50. If the same layout were 240 ft, the fixed items ($900) spread further and the per-foot figure falls to about $43.75. These numbers are invented inputs to show the arithmetic, not market rates.

Reading quotes side by side

When comparing quotes, line them up item by item. Does each include removal of the old fence? Are gate posts upsized? Is concrete included for every post or only gates and corners? Who calls in utility locates and who pulls the permit? What happens if they hit rock? A quote that looks $5/ft cheaper may exclude a few hundred dollars of work the other quote includes.

Ask about the warranty on workmanship separately from the material warranty. Material warranties often cover rot or defects in the boards or panels, while workmanship covers leaning posts and sagging gates. Note the expected start date too; seasonal demand affects both price and timing.

Things that push the price up

• Slopes that need stepped or racked panels
• Rocky, root-filled or clay soil that needs extra digging time
• Deeper holes where local rules or frost conditions require them
• Taller fences, extra rails or decorative caps
• Restricted access where materials are carried in by hand
• Removal of concrete footings from an old fence

Per foot versus per section versus per project

Some installers quote by the section (one span between posts) and some by the project. To compare a per-section quote to a per-foot quote, divide the section price by the spacing: a section price covering 8 ft of fence divided by 8 gives you a rough per-foot equivalent, but you still need to add posts at ends, corners and gates, which a section price may not include. A per-project quote is the most honest number for your yard because it reflects your exact layout, but it makes comparison harder; ask the installer to break it into materials, labour, gates and site work so you can compare lines.

Timing and seasonality

Spring and early summer are busy for fence crews in most of North America, and some homeowners find more flexible scheduling in late summer or fall, ground conditions permitting. Frozen ground in winter makes digging difficult or impossible in cold regions. Lumber prices also move with the wider building market. None of this guarantees a saving; it simply means the same quote request in different months can come back differently, so date your quotes and ask how long each price is held.

FAQ

Is cost per foot the same as price per panel?

No. Panels are usually 6 or 8 ft wide; per-foot figures include posts, labour and extras spread over the whole run.

Does per-foot pricing include gates?

Sometimes. Many quotes list gates separately. Always ask.

Why are online averages so different from my quote?

Averages blend regions, materials and job sizes. Your local market and site conditions matter more. See fence cost in Canada for regional factors.

Can I lower the cost per foot?

Simplify the layout, reduce gates, choose a shorter height where bylaws allow, and do removal or staining yourself. Read DIY vs hire.

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