A compiled reference of 20 verified statistics on residential fence costs in the United States: what a fence costs to install overall and per linear foot, how the price breaks down by material, and what repairs and gates cost. Every figure is drawn from a named cost source, Fixr and Bob Vila, and independently checked against the original before publishing.
Fence cost by material
Installed cost per linear foot by material (Fixr).
Source: Fixr (fixr.com). Track spans $0 to $50 per linear foot installed; bars mark each material's range.
Key statistics
Key takeaways
Fence pricing is a per-foot, per-material calculation, and the two leading cost guides bracket a wide range. The numbers below trace the overall cost, the material breakdown, and the smaller recurring cost of repairs.
Installing a fence runs about $12 to $35 per linear foot.
The national average total lands around $3,000 to $4,500.
Chain link is the cheapest conventional fence; wrought iron the priciest.
Materials and labor each account for about half the total.
Fence repair averages about $500 ($200 to $850).
Replacing a gate runs $200 to $850.
How we built this report
Every figure was compiled in September 2026 from named cost sources and verified against the original before publishing.
- Compiled from two independent cost guides
Installation and repair figures from Fixr; a second, independent installation estimate and a wider material breakdown from Bob Vila.
- Two sources, shown side by side
The two guides land in different places on the "average" fence, so we show both rather than blending them into a single misleading number.
- Only explicitly stated figures
We include only numbers a named source states directly, and attribute each inline at the point it appears.
- Independent review
Written by one co-founder, reviewed by the other before publishing.
Scope note: these are national averages and ranges from consumer cost guides and vary widely by material, height, terrain, length, and region; they are directional, not quotes. Per-linear-foot figures are installed cost (material plus labor) unless noted as material-only.
Fence costs, by the numbers
All 20 figures, grouped into three themes, each from a named cost source and independently verified against the original.
What a fence costs to install
The two leading cost guides agree on the shape and disagree on the middle. According to Fixr (fixr.com), a fence runs $12 to $35 per linear foot and about $3,000 to $7,000 total, while Bob Vila (bobvila.com) puts it at $13 to $25 per foot and a $3,059 average.
Statistic 1
Installing a fence runs about $12 to $35 per linear foot.
Fixr
Statistic 2
The national average total is about $3,000 to $7,000, with most homeowners paying around $4,500.
Fixr
Statistic 3
A second cost guide puts fence installation at $13 to $25 per linear foot.
Bob Vila
Statistic 4
That guide puts the average installation at $3,059 (typically $1,743 to $4,431).
Bob Vila
Statistic 5
Materials and labor each account for about 50% of the total cost to install a fence.
Bob Vila
What this means: The gap between "$3,059" and "$4,500" for the same job is the whole lesson: a fence quote is meaningless without the length and material attached. For an operator budgeting across a portfolio, the per-linear-foot figure is the only one that transfers between properties, since total cost scales almost linearly with perimeter.
Cost by material
Material is the biggest single cost driver. According to Fixr (fixr.com), installed cost runs from chain link at the low end to wrought iron at the top, and Bob Vila (bobvila.com) shows an even wider spread once premium metals and specialty fencing are included.
Statistic 6
Wood fencing runs about $15 to $35 per linear foot installed.
Fixr
Statistic 7
Vinyl fencing runs about $15 to $40 per linear foot installed.
Fixr
Statistic 8
Chain link runs about $12.25 to $40 per linear foot installed (from $2.25 per foot for material only).
Fixr
Statistic 9
Aluminum runs about $15 to $40 per linear foot installed.
Fixr
Statistic 10
Wrought iron runs about $22 to $40 per linear foot installed (Bob Vila puts it at $30 to $55 or more).
Fixr / Bob Vila
Statistic 11
Composite fencing runs about $11 to $45 per linear foot.
Bob Vila
Statistic 12
Aluminum and steel can reach $17 to $90 per linear foot at the high end.
Bob Vila
Statistic 13
Split-rail fencing runs about $15 to $25 per linear foot.
Bob Vila
Statistic 14
Barbed wire ($1 to $6 per foot) and electric or invisible fencing ($2.40 to $3.90 per foot) are the cheapest options.
Bob Vila
Statistic 15
Material-only, wood runs about $5 to $15 per linear foot and chain link $2.25 to $20.
Fixr
What this means: The material choice can swing the per-foot cost more than tenfold, from a couple of dollars for barbed wire to $90 for premium metal. For most rental and hospitality properties the decision is a balance of privacy, durability, and look: vinyl and aluminum trade a higher upfront cost for low maintenance, while wood is cheaper to install but needs the recurring upkeep covered next.
Repairs and gates
The recurring cost of a fence is repair, and it is small next to replacement. According to Fixr (fixr.com), fence repair averages about $500, and gate work is a few hundred dollars.
Statistic 16
Fence repair runs about $200 to $850, with a national average of $500.
Fixr
Statistic 17
Professional fence repairs run about $10 to $50 per linear foot.
Fixr
Statistic 18
Repairing a fence gate costs about $150 to $500.
Fixr
Statistic 19
Replacing a fence gate averages $200 to $850, depending on the gate type.
Fixr
Statistic 20
Chain link is consistently the most affordable conventional material across both cost guides.
Fixr / Bob Vila
What this means: Fences fail in predictable, cheap-to-catch ways: a leaning post, a rotted rail, a sagging gate. Caught early, each is a $150-to-$850 repair; ignored, a failed fence stops doing its job, whether that job is a pool barrier, pet containment, or a property line. On a rental or hospitality property, a documented seasonal look at the fence line keeps a small repair from becoming a liability.
Cite this study
Academic or press use: copy a ready-made reference. RapidEye is the publisher.
Quick FAQ
How much does it cost to install a fence?
Fence installation runs about $12 to $35 per linear foot, or a national average of roughly $3,000 to $4,500, according to Fixr (fixr.com); Bob Vila (bobvila.com) puts the average at $3,059 (typically $1,743 to $4,431) and $13 to $25 per linear foot. Materials and labor each account for about half the total.
What is the cheapest fence material?
Chain link is the most affordable conventional fence, at about $12.25 to $40 per linear foot installed, according to Fixr (fixr.com). Barbed wire ($1 to $6 per foot) and electric or invisible fencing ($2.40 to $3.90 per foot) are cheaper still, per Bob Vila (bobvila.com), but serve different purposes. Wrought iron and premium metals are the most expensive.
How much does fence repair cost?
Fence repair runs about $200 to $850, with a national average of $500, or roughly $10 to $50 per linear foot, according to Fixr (fixr.com). Repairing a gate costs $150 to $500, and replacing one runs $200 to $850 depending on the gate type.
How much does a fence cost by material?
Installed per linear foot, Fixr (fixr.com) puts wood at $15 to $35, vinyl at $15 to $40, chain link at $12.25 to $40, aluminum at $15 to $40, and wrought iron at $22 to $40. Bob Vila (bobvila.com) lists a wider spread, including aluminum and steel up to $90 per foot and wrought iron at $30 to $55 or more.
Data sources
Every figure traces to one of these named sources, each checked against the original before publishing. We name each source and show its root domain, but do not hyperlink external sources; internal links stay live.
FixrFence installation and repair cost datafixr.com
Bob VilaFence installation cost and cost-by-material databobvila.com