Too many fence owners set their price per foot by asking what the other guy charges. That number tells you nothing about your own costs, your crew or your margin. Here is how to build a price per linear foot from the ground up, with typical US numbers you can check against your own.
Step 1: price your materials per foot
Take your most common fence, say a 6 ft wood privacy fence with posts every 8 feet, and price one 150-foot job at your supplier:
- Posts: 150 ÷ 8 + 1 = 20 posts. At about $25 each for 4x4x8 treated, $500
- Rails: 3 per section, 19 sections, 57 rails. At about $8, $456
- Pickets: about 328 boards at 5.5 inches. At about $3, $984
- Concrete: 2 bags per post, 40 bags. At about $7, $280
- Screws, nails and hardware: about $100
That is roughly $2,300, or about $15.50 a foot in material. Your supplier's numbers will differ, so use them, not these.
Step 2: price your labor
A two-person crew sets the posts on day one and hangs rails and pickets on day two for a 150-foot job on easy ground. That is about 32 crew hours. If your loaded labor cost (wages, payroll tax and workers' comp) is $30 an hour, labor is about $960, or $6.40 a foot.
Step 3: add overhead
Overhead is everything that is not material or crew time: the truck, fuel, insurance, the auger, phones, software, your time quoting and the jobs you quote that never sign. Add up a normal month and divide by the fences you install. Many small fence companies land between $400 and $900 of overhead per job.
Step 4: add your margin
Material plus labor plus overhead is your break-even. On the example above that is about $2,300 + $960 + $650 = $3,910. Price the job at $5,000 and you keep about $1,090, a margin of around 22%. That is the floor for a healthy fence company, not the ceiling.
Why a starting price works better than a flat rate per foot
Short runs cost more per foot. The trip, layout, permit, utility locate and cleanup take the same time on 50 feet as on 200 feet. If you charge a flat $33 a foot, a 50-foot side yard pays $1,650 and loses money.
The fix is a starting price that covers the first 50 feet, then a rate for each foot after. With sample rates of $2,000 for the first 50 feet of wood privacy and $30 a foot after:
- 50 ft: $2,000, or $40 a foot
- 100 ft: $3,500, or $35 a foot
- 150 ft: $5,000, or $33.33 a foot
- 200 ft: $6,500, or $32.50 a foot
The customer sees a fair price per foot on a long run, and the short job still pays for the truck roll. The FencePilot fence estimate calculator works exactly this way: a starting price per fence type, a rate per foot, and add-ons for gates and tear-out.
Typical starting rates by fence type
These are mid-market installed rates for a licensed, insured company. They are a place to start, not a rule:
| Fence | First 50 ft | Each foot after | 150 ft total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chain link, 4 ft | $1,100 | $17 | $2,800 |
| Wood privacy, 6 ft | $2,000 | $30 | $5,000 |
| Aluminum, 4 to 5 ft | $2,200 | $34 | $5,600 |
| Vinyl privacy, 6 ft | $2,400 | $36 | $6,000 |
Read wood vs vinyl vs chain link fence cost for how each material changes the math.
Price the extras separately
Gates, tear-out and stain should never be buried in your price per foot, because not every job has them:
- Walk gate: about $250 on chain link, $450 on wood, $500 on aluminum, $550 on vinyl
- Double drive gate: about $600 on chain link, $950 on wood, $1,200 on vinyl, $1,300 on aluminum
- Tear-out and haul-away of the old fence: about $400 for chain link, $600 for wood or vinyl on a typical yard
- Stain or seal a new wood fence: about $700
Check every job after you finish it
Write down the hours and the material you actually used. If a job ran a day long because of rock, your price on rocky ground is too low. Owners who check five jobs in a row usually find one number to fix.
Show the price before the visit
Once your rates are right, put them where customers can see them. A homeowner who saw a range of $5,800 to $7,500 for 200 feet of wood privacy and still booked the estimate is a much better use of your evening than one who wanted it for $3,000.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I charge per linear foot for a wood fence?
Many companies land around $30 to $40 a foot installed for 6 ft wood privacy, depending on length and region. Build your own rate from material, labor, overhead and margin; short runs should cost more per foot.
Should I charge a minimum for fence jobs?
Yes. A starting price that covers the first 50 feet, or a flat minimum, protects you on small jobs where the trip and setup cost as much as on a long fence.