Search this question and you will find a lot of confident-sounding numbers, most of them a single average price per linear foot presented as fact. The honest answer is that wood fence cost depends on species, height, style, local labor rates and how the site is priced by whoever installs it, enough variables that any single number is a guess dressed up as data.
What actually makes up the cost
A real wood fence quote breaks into a handful of line items, each of which you can price yourself with a local supplier or contractor quote:
- Material subtotal: posts, rails and pickets, priced per unit, plus concrete for the post holes.
- Gate hardware: hinges, a latch, and framing lumber for each gate opening.
- Labor: if installed rather than DIY, a per-linear-foot labor rate, which varies significantly by region and by how the site is priced (open, flat yard versus tight, sloped or obstructed).
- Removal: if an old fence needs to come out first, that is a separate line item, often priced per linear foot.
- Permit fee: some municipalities require a permit for a new fence, particularly at certain heights or near a property line.
Why species changes the number, not the formula
Pressure-treated pine, cedar and redwood all use the same post, rail and picket quantities for the same fence design. What differs is unit price and expected lifespan: pressure-treated pine is typically the least expensive, cedar sits in the middle with better natural rot resistance, and redwood tends to command a premium.
A way to get a real number for your fence
Rather than trusting one published average, get your actual material quantities first, then price them with a real local quote. The wood fence calculator computes exact posts, rails, pickets and concrete for your fence length, height and species choice. Feed the resulting quantities, plus a labor rate from a local contractor, into the fence cost calculator, which computes a DIY total, an installed total, and a cost-per-linear-foot for each, built from your own numbers rather than a guessed national average.
Related reading: wood vs chain link fence cost, how many pickets for 100 feet of fence.