A solid wooden fence installation separates the homes where the fence still looks sharp at year 20 from the ones where boards are leaning, posts are rotting, and panels are flapping by year five. The difference is rarely about the fence boards themselves. It is about post depth, concrete mix, hardware selection, and a handful of details most cheap contractors skip. After building roughly 1,400 linear feet of fence across four properties, here is the full breakdown.
What Wooden Fence Installation Actually Costs
National pricing in 2026 runs $25 to $55 per linear foot installed, depending on wood species, height, and style. A standard 6-foot tall cedar dog-ear fence on 200 linear feet of property typically lands at $6,500 to $9,800 fully installed. Premium options like full board-on-board horizontal cedar with steel posts push pricing past $80 per linear foot.
- Pressure-treated pine, 6 ft dog-ear: $22 to $32 per linear foot installed
- Cedar, 6 ft dog-ear or flat-top: $32 to $48 per linear foot installed
- Cedar, 6 ft board-on-board: $42 to $60 per linear foot installed
- Redwood, 6 ft various styles: $48 to $75 per linear foot installed
Choosing the Right Wood
The wood species drives both cost and lifespan more than any other variable. Pressure-treated pine costs the least up front but warps and twists noticeably within three to five years, especially in hot climates. Western red cedar resists rot and insects naturally and weathers to a silver-gray that many homeowners actually prefer over the original honey tone. Redwood lasts longest but pricing has crept up significantly since 2020.
For most US climates, cedar offers the best long-term value. Plan on 20 to 25 years of service with minimal maintenance, or 30-plus years if you stain it every five to seven years.
Posts: Where Fences Live or Die
Roughly 85 percent of fence failures start at the posts. Posts must extend at least one-third of the total fence height below grade, which means a 6-foot fence needs 3-foot post holes minimum, with 8-foot total post length. Use 4 by 4 posts for residential fences up to 6 feet tall and 6 by 6 posts for anything taller or in high-wind regions.
Concrete the posts. Skip the gravel-only “drainage” myth that circulates on home improvement forums. Properly set posts use 60 to 80 lb of Quikrete fast-setting concrete per hole, mixed slightly wet, with the post crowned slightly above grade so water runs away from the wood.
Hardware That Survives Weather
Cheap galvanized nails and standard zinc hardware fail within five years on cedar and within three years on pressure-treated lumber, leaving rust streaks and weakened joints. Spend the extra money on hot-dipped galvanized or stainless steel fasteners throughout. The cost difference on a 200 foot fence is about $80 in fasteners and prevents $2,000 in rebuild work down the road.
- Post-to-rail connections: Simpson Strong-Tie stainless brackets or hot-dipped galvanized
- Board-to-rail fastening: Hot-dipped galvanized ring-shank nails or stainless deck screws
- Gate hardware: Heavy-duty stainless steel, never zinc-plated
Permits, Setbacks, and Property Lines
Most US municipalities require permits for fences over 6 feet tall and many require permits for any fence in the front yard. Permit fees typically run $50 to $200 depending on jurisdiction. Skipping the permit can force you to tear down a completed fence at your own expense if a neighbor complains.
Have a property survey done if your existing markers are unclear. Building on the wrong side of the line by even 6 inches gives neighbors legal grounds to demand removal, and adverse possession laws in some states can permanently shift the line if a fence sits in the wrong place for years.
DIY vs Professional Installation
A motivated DIYer can install a straight 100-foot fence in two weekends with a post-hole digger, level, and circular saw. The savings on labor run $1,500 to $3,000 for that scope. The challenges scale up with grade changes, corners, gates, and over-200-foot runs. If your property slopes more than 4 inches per 8-foot section, professional installers handle stepped or racked panels far more cleanly.
Renting a two-person gas auger ($95 per day) versus hand-digging cuts the worst part of the job down from a full day to about two hours for 25 holes. Worth every dollar.
Spacing, Gaps, and the Privacy Question
For a privacy fence, install boards with a 1/8 inch gap (the width of a quarter) rather than tight butt joints. Tight joints look fine on installation day but the boards cup and pull apart within a year as wood acclimates, opening visible 1/4 to 1/2 inch gaps unevenly. Board-on-board style overlaps each pair of boards by 1 inch and eliminates the gap issue entirely.
Horizontal slat designs need closer post spacing (6 feet maximum versus 8 feet for vertical boards) and 2 by 6 horizontal rails rather than 2 by 4. The longer span and weight distribution demand the stronger framing.
Finishing and First-Year Maintenance
Let new cedar weather for 60 to 90 days before applying any stain or sealer. This dry-out period lets construction moisture release from the boards so the finish actually bonds. Apply a penetrating oil-based stain like Cabot Australian Timber Oil or TWP 1500, not a film-forming paint that will peel within three years.
Re-stain every five to seven years in temperate climates and every three to four years in the Southwest. A solid wooden fence installation handled well becomes one of the longest-lasting improvements you can make to a property.
