How the wood fence cost calculator works
The species of wood sets most of a wood fence price, followed by the style. The calculator takes your fence line, subtracts the gate openings, and multiplies the fenced length by the installed range for the wood you pick. Gates, removal of an old fence and a permit are added on top, each as its own line.
Installed cost = fenced length (ft) × price per ft for the species or style + gates × price per wood gate + removal + permit
HomeAdvisor and Fixr both price wood by species, but their numbers differ. Where they disagree, the calculator's range runs from the lower low to the higher high, and the note under the result tells you which publisher said what.
A worked example
A 150 foot line with two corners and one 4 foot gate leaves 146 feet of fence. With HomeAdvisor's wood gate at $200 to $600:
| Wood | Per foot | 146 ft of fence | With the gate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pine or spruce | $10 to $35 | $1,460 to $5,110 | $1,660 to $5,710 |
| Cedar | $15 to $40 | $2,190 to $5,840 | $2,390 to $6,440 |
| Redwood | $25 to $120 | $3,650 to $17,520 | $3,850 to $18,120 |
| Wood privacy, any species | $17 to $50 | $2,482 to $7,300 | $2,682 to $7,900 |
Labor on the cedar fence, at $5 to $20 per foot, is $730 to $2,920 of that. Pick Fixr's wood gate at $52 to $300 instead and the cedar total becomes $2,242 to $6,140.
Pine, cedar or redwood: what the sources say
| Species | HomeAdvisor (2025 data) | Fixr (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Pine or spruce | spruce $22 to $35 | $10 to $25 |
| Cedar | $35 to $40 | $15 to $30 |
| Redwood | $35 to $120 | $25 to $40 |
HomeAdvisor also lists pressure-treated pine at $45 to $90 per foot. That is above its own cedar price and above its $10 to $30 per foot range for wood fences overall, so it looks like an error on the page and we don't use it. Homewyse's September 2026 calculator prices a basic pressure-treated fence on 4x4 posts set in concrete at 8 foot spacing at $32.36 to $52.49 per foot, which sits at the top of our cedar and privacy ranges and a little above them.
Redwood has the widest range by far: HomeAdvisor's top end is three times Fixr's. If you want redwood, get quotes early; the calculator can only tell you the spread.
How much of a wood fence is labor?
HomeAdvisor gives $5 to $20 per foot for wood fence labor and Fixr gives $10 to $20, against $5 to $15 per foot for materials in Fixr's guide. HomeAdvisor puts labor at roughly half of a fence project, so that is the share a DIY build saves, less any tool rental. The wood fence calculator gives the posts, rails, pickets and concrete for the same line, so you can price the materials yourself.
What does a wood gate cost?
HomeAdvisor gives $200 to $600 installed for a wood gate and Fixr gives $52 to $300. The gate list switches between them; the chart below the calculator uses the same gate for every material.
Removal, permits and upkeep
Removing and hauling away an old wood fence runs $2 to $5 per foot at Fixr and $3 to $5 at HomeAdvisor; the calculator uses $3 to $5 on the whole line, $450 to $750 here. Permit figures differ a lot between the sources: HomeAdvisor's wood fence page says $100 to $500, its main fence guide $20 to $60, and Fixr $70 to $400. The permit switch adds $20 to $400.
Wood also carries an upkeep cost the other materials here don't list: HomeAdvisor puts wood fence staining or painting at $2 to $14 per foot. The fence stain calculator works out the gallons.
Which wood fence should you price?
Start with the style you want, then change the species. The chart compares the same fence line in chain link, vinyl and composite. For a tall solid fence in several materials, the privacy fence cost calculator is the better comparison; for every material, use the fence cost calculator.