How to Price Fences

Measure the area of your yard you wish to fence in. Use your house as the front side of the fence; this way you can avoid having to install four sides. A typical yard that is 50 feet wide, and 100 feet deep will use 300 linear feet of fencing material. One acre of land will require 1,070 linear feet.

Calculate how many fence posts you will need. Fence posts are typically set every 6 to 8 feet, depending on the material used and personal preference. Fence posts set closer together generally make for stronger fences, so try to calculate one post every 6 feet.

Decide on the material you want to use for the fence. Chain link fence is the least expensive, followed by wood pickets, ornamental steel and wrought iron.

Choose the style and height. A 4-foot-tall picket fence will cost much less than a 6-foot privacy fence. The taller a fence is, the more material will be used, which increases the price. Ornamental fences often require more material and man hours to install and will cost much more than a basic fence.

Decide how many gates you want. Fence gates are much more expensive than regular fencing material, and a single fence gate can add $250 or more to the total cost.

Call a fencing contractor and tell him the total amount of linear feet of your yard, the type of fencing material you want, the height of the fence, the style of the fence and the number of gates you want.