How to Calculate Fence Cost — Step by Step

The short answer

To work out what a fence costs, measure the fence, work out the fence run, and add the gates. For a 150 foot fence that gives a run of $4,500.00 and one gate at $250.00, which costs $4,750.00 in total, or $31.67 a foot all-in.

The three numbers that matter

The first number is the fence length, in feet, measured along the boundary where the fence will go. For this fence that is 150 feet. The second number is the cost per linear foot, which covers the posts, the panels or pickets, and the labour to put them in. Wood privacy installed is about $30.00 a foot, so the fence run is 150 times $30.00, which is $4,500.00.

The third number is the gates. A gate costs far more than a foot of fence, because it has the frame, the hinges, the latch and the fitting. One standard wood gate installed is about $250.00. The total is the run plus the gates: $4,500.00 plus $250.00, which is $4,750.00. The all-in cost per foot is the total divided by the fence length: $4,750.00 divided by 150 is $31.67 a foot.

The method

The method is two multiplications and an addition. One: multiply the fence length by the cost per linear foot to get the fence run. Two: multiply the number of gates by the cost per gate to get the gates total. Three: add the run and the gates together to get the total. The gates are the part people forget, and they are the part that stops the job over budget, so it is worth getting them right. Check it with the all-in cost per foot.

Step by step

Step 1: find the fence length. Measure along the boundary where the fence will go, in feet, with a tape measure or a measuring wheel. For this fence that is 150 feet. Measure the fence line, not the straight-line distance: a fence that follows a curve or a slope is longer than the straight line between its ends.

Step 2: find the fence run. Multiply the fence length by the cost per linear foot. For this fence that is 150 times $30.00, which is $4,500.00. The cost per foot covers the posts, the panels, and the labour. Wood privacy is about $30.00 a foot, vinyl is about $45.00, and materials-only do-it-yourself is about $18.00.

Step 3: price the gates. Multiply the number of gates by the cost per gate. For this fence that is 1 times $250.00, which is $250.00. A gate is mostly fitting: the frame, the hinges, the latch and the labour to hang it straight, which is why it costs far more than a foot of fence.

Step 4: add the run and the gates together and check. The total is $4,500.00 plus $250.00, which is $4,750.00. The check is the all-in cost per foot: $4,750.00 divided by 150 is $31.67, the number to compare between fences and between quotes. If a quote is far from $31.67 a foot for the same fence, ask what is different.

Step 5: check the budget. Subtract the gates from the budget, then divide what is left by the cost per foot. A $5,000 budget minus the $250 gate leaves $4,750, and $4,750 divided by $30.00 is 158.33 feet of fence. That covers the 150 foot fence with 8.33 feet to spare.

The worked example

A homeowner is fencing a 150 foot back garden, and the fencer charges $30.00 a linear foot for wood privacy installed, and $250.00 for one gate. The fence run is 150 times $30.00, which is $4,500.00. The gate costs 1 times $250.00, which is $250.00. The total is $4,500.00 plus $250.00, which is $4,750.00, or $31.67 a foot all-in. A $5,000 budget buys 158.33 feet of fence, so the 150 foot fence is covered with 8.33 feet to spare.

A shorter fence, and other round numbers

Some fences are worth knowing by heart. A 100 foot fence is 100 times $30.00, which is $3,000.00 for the run, plus the $250.00 gate, which is $3,250.00 in total. Vinyl at $45.00 a foot instead of $30.00 costs $6,750.00 for the run, and the total rises to $7,000.00. Two gates instead of one cost $500.00 for the gates, and the total is $5,000.00. Doing it yourself, at $18.00 a foot instead of $30.00, brings the run down to $2,700.00 and the total down to $2,950.00.

Working backwards from a budget

To find how much fence a budget buys, subtract the gates from the budget, then divide what is left by the cost per foot. A $5,000 budget minus the $250 gate leaves $4,750. Divide that by $30.00 a foot, and it buys 158.33 feet of fence, which is 8.33 feet more than the 150 of this fence, so $5,000 covers the fence with room to spare. A $6,000 budget buys 191.67 feet, which is 41.67 feet more than the default fence.

Common mistakes

The most common mistake is pricing the fence length, not the run plus the gates. A 150 foot fence is $4,500.00 of fence but $4,750.00 with the gate, so pricing the run alone leaves $250.00 short, and the job stops before the gate. The second mistake is forgetting the gate entirely, which is the same $250.00. The third is measuring the straight-line distance instead of the fence line, which loses feet on a curve or a slope. The fourth is using the wood price for a vinyl fence, which is $45.00 a foot, not $30.00. The fifth is counting panels instead of feet: panels are 6 or 8 feet long, so a 150 foot fence is 25 six-foot panels or 19 eight-foot panels, and the last panel is cut to fit.

The verdict

A 150 foot fence costs $4,750.00 installed: 150 feet at $30.00 a foot, which is $4,500.00, plus 1 gate at $250.00. Measure the fence, price the run, and add the gates. Check the numbers yourself on the fence cost calculator, work out the pickets with the fence picket chart, or check the concrete for the posts with the concrete calculator.