The formula
Every calculator works the same way: a quantity times a price, line by line. A fence estimate is four lines added together.
- Materials: the fence length times a materials price per foot.
- Labor: the fence length times a labor price per foot. If you're building it yourself, this line is zero.
- Gates: each gate at an installed price.
- Old fence removal, if you tick the box: the fence length times a flat $5 a foot.
The total is the midpoint. We then show 15% below it and 15% above it, because a real quote depends on things we can't see, and one exact figure would suggest a precision nobody has.
Where the suggested prices come from
We don't survey contractors. For each kind of fence, gate, deck and railing, we read the cost ranges currently published by several US home-improvement cost guides, including HomeGuide, Angi, HomeAdvisor and Homewyse, and set one mid-range figure for materials and one for labor. We have no connection to any of them.
That makes our prices a reasonable starting point for a typical job. It doesn't make them right for your town. A quote from a local contractor or a price tag at your store is better information than any national average, which is why every calculator lets you type your own.
The labor setting
Labor is the part that changes most from place to place. The setting multiplies our suggested labor price: Lower uses 85% of it, Average uses it as listed, and Higher uses 125%.
It's a blunt adjustment and we know it. If you type your own labor price, the setting is ignored and your number is used as is.
Suggested prices for fences
Materials and labor are per linear foot. Gate prices are for one gate, installed.
| Fence | Materials / ft | Labor / ft | Walk gate | Drive gate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood privacy (pressure-treated pine), 4 ft | $11 | $11 | $350 | $900 |
| Wood privacy (pressure-treated pine), 6 ft | $18 | $17 | $350 | $900 |
| Wood privacy (pressure-treated pine), 8 ft | $26 | $22 | $350 | $900 |
| Wood privacy (cedar), 4 ft | $15 | $11 | $450 | $1,100 |
| Wood privacy (cedar), 6 ft | $24 | $17 | $450 | $1,100 |
| Wood privacy (cedar), 8 ft | $34 | $22 | $450 | $1,100 |
| Vinyl privacy, 4 ft | $18 | $9 | $400 | $1,000 |
| Vinyl privacy, 5 ft | $23 | $10 | $400 | $1,000 |
| Vinyl privacy, 6 ft | $28 | $12 | $400 | $1,000 |
| Vinyl privacy, 8 ft | $38 | $15 | $400 | $1,000 |
| Vinyl picket, 4 ft | $15 | $9 | $350 | $900 |
| Chain link (galvanized), 4 ft | $7 | $8 | $250 | $600 |
| Chain link (galvanized), 5 ft | $9 | $9 | $250 | $600 |
| Chain link (galvanized), 6 ft | $11 | $10 | $250 | $600 |
| Chain link (galvanized), 8 ft | $15 | $13 | $250 | $600 |
| Chain link (black or green vinyl-coated), 4 ft | $10 | $8 | $300 | $700 |
| Chain link (black or green vinyl-coated), 5 ft | $12 | $9 | $300 | $700 |
| Chain link (black or green vinyl-coated), 6 ft | $14 | $10 | $300 | $700 |
| Chain link (black or green vinyl-coated), 8 ft | $18 | $13 | $300 | $700 |
| Aluminum (flat top), 4 ft | $26 | $12 | $500 | $2,000 |
| Aluminum (flat top), 5 ft | $30 | $13 | $500 | $2,000 |
| Aluminum (flat top), 6 ft | $36 | $14 | $500 | $2,000 |
| Aluminum (ornamental), 4 ft | $40 | $14 | $650 | $2,400 |
| Aluminum (ornamental), 5 ft | $46 | $15 | $650 | $2,400 |
| Aluminum (ornamental), 6 ft | $54 | $16 | $650 | $2,400 |
| Barbed wire (4 strands), 4 ft | $1.50 | $3 | $250 | $450 |
| Woven wire (field fence), 4 ft | $1.75 | $1.75 | $250 | $450 |
| Split rail (3 rails), 4 ft | $8 | $6.50 | $300 | $600 |
Privacy slats for chain link add $6 a foot to materials.
Removal prices
| Fence type | Tear-down / ft | With concrete footings / ft | 150 ft, hauled away |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood | $3.50 | $5.50 | $955–$1,290 |
| Chain link | $3.50 | $5.50 | $955–$1,290 |
| Vinyl | $3.50 | $5.50 | $955–$1,290 |
| Wrought iron or steel | $5 | $7 | $1,150–$1,550 |
Disposal is a flat fee: $300 if the crew hauls the debris away, or $50 in dump fees if you haul it yourself.
Gates
The gate calculator prices one gate at a time: the gate with its hardware, then the installation.
| Gate | Gate and hardware | Installation |
|---|---|---|
| Wood, walk gate | $230 | $120 |
| Wood, double drive gate | $600 | $300 |
| Wood, sliding gate | $1,450 | $750 |
| Vinyl, walk gate | $260 | $140 |
| Vinyl, double drive gate | $650 | $350 |
| Vinyl, sliding gate | $1,600 | $800 |
| Chain link, walk gate | $160 | $90 |
| Chain link, double drive gate | $400 | $200 |
| Chain link, sliding gate | $1,000 | $500 |
| Aluminum, walk gate | $330 | $170 |
| Aluminum, double drive gate | $1,350 | $650 |
| Aluminum, sliding gate | $2,150 | $1,050 |
| Wrought iron or steel, walk gate | $460 | $240 |
| Wrought iron or steel, double drive gate | $1,450 | $750 |
| Wrought iron or steel, sliding gate | $2,350 | $1,150 |
Sizes are fixed at 4 ft for a walk gate, 12 ft for a double drive gate and 14 ft for a sliding gate. An automatic opener adds $2,000 installed for a standard unit, or $3,500 for a heavy-duty one. The split between gate and installation is our own estimate, set so the two add up to the installed prices the cost guides publish.
Staining
Square feet to cover is the fence length times its height times the number of sides. Gallons are the square feet times the coats, divided by coverage and rounded up to a whole gallon.
- Coverage: 250 sq ft a gallon for semi-transparent stain and 200 for solid, on smooth wood. Weathered or rough wood cuts that by 25%.
- Stain: $35 a gallon for semi-transparent, $40 for solid.
- Labor: $0.90 per square foot for the first coat and half that for a second.
- Power washing: $0.30 per square foot. This is our own figure, taken from the gap between published prices with and without washing.
Decks
A deck estimate is the deck's area times a materials price and a labor price per square foot, plus railing and stairs if you add them.
| Decking | Materials / sq ft | Labor / sq ft | Built / sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pressure-treated pine | $18 | $18 | $31–$41 |
| Cedar | $21 | $18 | $33–$45 |
| Composite | $30 | $26 | $48–$64 |
| PVC | $33 | $26 | $50–$68 |
The square-foot prices cover the platform: footings, framing, decking and hardware. Stairs add $150 a step in wood and $170 in composite. Railing in the deck calculator runs along the three open sides, so its length is the width plus twice the depth.
Deck stairs
The stair calculator divides the deck's height by 7¾ inches, the tallest riser the International Residential Code allows, and rounds up. That gives the number of risers. There is one fewer tread than risers, and the run is the number of treads times the tread depth you pick. Stringers are counted one at each side and no more than 16 inches apart. Step prices are for stairs 36 inches wide and scale with the width.
| Deck height | Risers | Height of each riser | Treads | Run, with 10½ in treads |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 in | 2 | 7 in | 1 | 10 1/2 in |
| 21 in | 3 | 7 in | 2 | 21 in |
| 30 in | 4 | 7 1/2 in | 3 | 31 1/2 in |
| 36 in | 5 | 7 3/16 in | 4 | 42 in |
| 48 in | 7 | 6 7/8 in | 6 | 63 in |
| 60 in | 8 | 7 1/2 in | 7 | 73 1/2 in |
| 96 in | 13 | 7 3/8 in | 12 | 126 in |
Deck staining
The area is the deck floor plus, if you include it, 6 square feet for every foot of railing. Gallons and stain prices are the same as for fences. Labor is $1.50 per square foot and washing $0.35, both higher than for a fence because a deck takes more preparation.
Deck resurfacing
| New boards | Boards / sq ft | Labor / sq ft | Total / sq ft, old boards removed | 12 × 16 deck |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pressure-treated pine | $3.50 | $7 | $11–$16 | $2,200–$2,980 |
| Cedar | $5.50 | $7 | $13–$18 | $2,530–$3,420 |
| Composite | $11.50 | $12 | $23–$30 | $4,320–$5,850 |
| PVC | $12.50 | $12 | $23–$32 | $4,490–$6,070 |
Taking up and hauling off the old boards is $3 per square foot. That figure is our own estimate. Published removal prices are for tearing out a whole deck, which costs more.
Wood against composite
Both decks are priced with the deck figures above. The wood deck is then stained in its first year and again every two or three years, each time at the price of one staining job, with washing and labor when a painter does it. Composite and PVC are counted with no upkeep cost. We do not assume a lifespan for either deck or any repairs, so the comparison covers staining only.
| 12 × 16 deck | Built | After 20 years, stained every 2 | After 20 years, stained every 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pressure-treated pine | $6,910 | $10,810 | $9,640 |
| Cedar | $7,490 | $11,390 | $10,220 |
| Composite | $10,750 | $10,750 | $10,750 |
| PVC | $11,330 | $11,330 | $11,330 |
Deck railing
| Railing | Materials / ft | Labor / ft | Installed / ft | 40 ft installed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood | $15 | $17 | $27–$37 | $1,090–$1,470 |
| Composite | $25 | $18 | $37–$49 | $1,460–$1,980 |
| Vinyl | $22 | $16 | $32–$44 | $1,290–$1,750 |
| Aluminum | $40 | $20 | $51–$69 | $2,040–$2,760 |
| Cable | $90 | $40 | $111–$150 | $4,420–$5,980 |
| Glass | $140 | $50 | $162–$218 | $6,460–$8,740 |
Posts are counted every 6 ft. Balusters are counted one every 5 inches, which keeps the gaps under 4 inches. Cable railing is counted as 10 runs of cable.
Concrete and lumber
The post hole calculator works from geometry. The hole is a cylinder, we subtract the space the post fills, and divide by what one bag makes: 0.375 cubic feet for a 50 lb bag, 0.45 for 60 lb and 0.6 for 80 lb. Gravel under the post, when you tick it, is 6 inches deep.
| Hole depth | Concrete, cu ft | 50 lb bags | 60 lb bags | 80 lb bags |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 in | 1.0 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 1.7 |
| 30 in | 1.3 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 2.2 |
| 36 in | 1.5 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 2.6 |
| 42 in | 1.8 | 4.8 | 4.0 | 3.0 |
The picket calculator divides the fence length by the picket width plus the gap. Its suggested prices are typical big-box store prices: $3.50 for a 6 ft picket, $6 for an 8 ft 2×4 rail, $11.50 for an 8 ft 4×4 post and $7 for a 50 lb bag of fast-setting concrete. Lumber prices move more than anything else on this site, so check your store.
How we count parts
- Posts: one at each end of every section, plus one more per gate. Sections are 8 ft for wood and vinyl, 10 ft for chain link and split rail, 6 ft for aluminum and 12 ft for wire.
- Concrete: 50 lb bags of fast-setting mix, 3 for each wood or vinyl post and 2 for each chain link or aluminum post. That fills a hole about three times the post's width and 2 feet deep. Wire and split rail fences are counted without concrete.
- Pickets: wood privacy fence is counted with 5½ in pickets set edge to edge.
- Wire and mesh: chain link in 50 ft rolls, woven wire in 330 ft rolls, barbed wire in 1,320 ft rolls at four strands.
- Deck boards and joists: boards 5½ in wide with a small gap, running the width of the deck, and one joist every 16 inches. These are for budgeting. Your plans and your local code set the real framing.
- Lot size: an acre is 43,560 square feet. The acre calculator works out the lot's width and depth from its area and shape, then adds up the sides you want fenced.
None of the counts include waste. Buy a little extra of anything you'll be cutting.
What's not in the estimate
Sales tax, permits and surveys. Clearing brush or trees off the fence line. Extra labor for steep slopes, rock or a yard that's hard to get into. Stain, paint or sealer after the fence is up.
What this is for
Planning, and checking whether a quote is in the right neighborhood. It isn't a quote, an offer or professional advice. Before you commit to anything, get written quotes from licensed contractors near you and check your local building rules.
If one of our numbers looks wrong, tell us. We'd rather fix it than defend it.