Do Fences or Concrete Walls Cost Less?

Wire or Chain-Link Fence

• Materials for installing a woven wire fence yourself cost about 40 cents to $1.50 a foot, and having one professionally installed costs about $1.50 to $4 a foot. Installing a four or five-strand non-electric wire fence on your own costs about 25 cents to $1.50 a foot and one that's professionally installed costs about 50 cents to about $4 a foot. An electric wire fence that you install yourself costs about 5 cents to 75 cents a foot and about 20 cents to $3 a foot if installed by a professional.

  A do-it-yourself installation of a chain-link fence costs $3 to $6 a foot for a 4-foot-high fence and about $8 to $15 a foot for a 6-foot-high fence. If the fence you're installing has other features, including a gate, materials for a 100-foot fence can cost about $400 to as much as $2,000. Professional installation of a chain-link fence costs about $5 to $35 a foot or up to $600 to as much as $4,000 for 100 feet of fencing.

Wood or Vinyl Fence

• Materials for a wooden split-rail or post-and-rail fence that you install yourself costs an average of $3 to $10 a foot or about $8 to over $25 a foot to have one professionally installed. The price differs based on the type of wood, height of the fence and the fence's design.

  A split-rail or post-and-rail fence made of vinyl that you install yourself costs about $4 to $12 a foot or about $7 to $25 or more a foot if you have one professionally installed. As with wooden fences, the cost of the fence is based on the height of the fence and the fence's design.

Steel or Aluminum Fence

• Materials for a fence made of steel or aluminum cost about $20 to more than $100 a foot, and a 100-foot-long DIY one with a basic gate can cost as much as $2,500 to more than $10,000. A steel or aluminum 100-foot fence that's professionally installed can cost $30 to over $300 a foot. The estimate can increase to about $3,500 to as much as $35,000 if the professionally installed fence has ornamental details and other features.

Concrete Stone Blocks or Poured Concrete

• Materials for building a concrete wall yourself cost about about $10 to $15 a square face foot, or square footage of the wall's face. For example, a wall that's 30 inches high and 20 feet long would cost you about $750 to as much as $1,500 in materials. The estimate doubles if it's completed by a professional.

  Poured concrete costs about $40 or more a square foot or up to $2,000 for a wall that's 30 inches high and 20 feet long.