Privacy Fence Cost in Virginia: Price Per Foot and Averages

The average privacy fence cost is $25 to $60 per linear foot installed for a 6 foot fence, or about $5,000 to $12,000 for 200 feet. Those are HomeGuide’s national figures, not our prices, but they give you a fair planning range. Where your own yard lands depends on the material, the board style, the height, the footage and the ground along the fence line.

These numbers are national averages, so treat them as a budget range. The only way to a real number is a quote based on your own layout. Good Neighbor Fence gives fast, free quotes across Central and Northern Virginia.

What Is the Average Price for a Privacy Fence?

Most homeowners want one number first, so here it is by fence length. The table uses HomeGuide’s national range of $25 to $60 per foot for a 6 foot wood or vinyl privacy fence, installed.

Fence length	Average privacy fence cost
50 ft	$1,250 to $3,000
100 ft	$2,500 to $6,000
150 ft	$3,750 to $9,000
200 ft	$5,000 to $12,000
300 ft	$7,500 to $18,000

A typical suburban backyard takes 150 to 200 feet of fence. However, the per-foot price is not fixed: corners, gates and slopes push it up, while long straight runs bring it down.

Privacy Fence Price Per Foot by Material

In short, material is the biggest single choice in the cost of a privacy fence. These are national installed prices for fences up to 6 feet tall.

Material	Price per foot, installed	Upkeep
Wood (pressure-treated pine or cedar)	$25 to $50	Stain or seal every few years
Vinyl privacy panel	$40 to $60	Occasional wash, no stain
Composite	$55 to $85	Occasional wash
Chain link with privacy slats	$14 to $48	Very little

Of that installed price, labor runs about $10 to $20 per foot, and materials make up the rest. Pressure-treated pine is the most common choice in Virginia, and it is usually the least expensive way to get a solid 6 foot wall. In contrast, cedar costs more for the boards but has straighter grain and natural decay resistance. Vinyl costs more up front than pine, but it never needs stain or paint. For a closer look at each, see what a wood fence costs in Virginia and our vinyl fence cost guide.

Grade also matters, especially for posts. The American Wood Protection Association says ground contact calls for treated wood rated Use Category 4A (UC4A) or higher, so ask for that rating on every post.

How Height Changes the Price

Most backyard privacy fences are 6 feet tall, which is the $25 to $60 per foot range above. An 8 foot privacy fence runs about $50 to $85 per foot in the same national figures. That is because a taller fence needs longer boards, longer posts set deeper, more concrete and often an extra rail. If you want extra screening, our tall wood fence ideas show a few ways to get it.

In addition, height is a zoning question. In Chesterfield County, for example, fences can be up to 7 feet in side and rear yards and up to 4 feet in front and corner side yards. Rules differ by county and city, so check how tall a privacy fence can be in Virginia before you pick a height.

What Moves the Number on a Virginia Lot

Every privacy fence quote is built from the same few variables. Some are choices you make, while others come with the lot you own.

Board style: stockade, shadowbox or board-on-board

First, style moves the price more than most homeowners expect. Stockade and dog-ear panels butt the boards edge to edge, so they use the least lumber. Meanwhile, shadowbox alternates boards on both sides of the rails, so the fence looks finished from both yards and lets some air through. Board-on-board overlaps each board over its neighbor. That takes more lumber and more labor, but the overlap keeps the fence private as the boards dry and shrink.

Footage, layout and gates

Second, total linear feet is the biggest multiplier on any quote. Corners and end posts add work, so a yard with many turns costs more per foot than one long, straight run. Gates are also part of the project, and each one needs heavier posts and hardware. Our guide to fence installation cost covers these in more depth.

Slope, soil and old fence removal

Finally, a flat, open fence line is the cheapest to build. However, slopes mean stepping or racking each section, and Central Virginia clay and tree roots slow digging. If an old fence has to come out first, removal and haul-away add labor and disposal. Before anyone digs, Virginia 811 marks public utility lines for free, and you need to contact them at least 3 working days ahead.

How Privacy Fence Styles Compare on Cost

The table below ranks the common privacy builds by relative installed cost. Your own quote will depend on footage, gates and ground, but the general order holds for most yards.

Style and material	Relative install cost	Upkeep	Best for
Stockade or dog-ear, pressure-treated pine	Lowest	Stain or seal every few years	Full privacy on a tight budget
Shadowbox, pressure-treated pine	Moderate	Same as other pine fences	Looks the same from both yards
Board-on-board, pressure-treated pine	Moderate to high	Same as other pine fences	Staying private as boards shrink
Board-on-board, cedar	High	Weathers to gray or takes stain	A premium natural wood look
Vinyl privacy panel	High	Occasional wash, no stain	Low upkeep over the long haul

For a Richmond example, this board and lattice fence pairs solid pressure-treated boards with a diagonal lattice band on top. It keeps eye-level privacy while letting light and air through the upper band.

What Else Adds to the Cost of a Privacy Fence?

Also, a few line items sit outside the per-foot price. These are national figures from the same HomeGuide cost guide.

Extra	Typical national cost
Fence permit, where one is required	$40 to $150
Land survey	$200 to $1,200
Staining or painting	$2 to $14 per foot
Yard grading	$500 to $3,000

In Virginia, the building code lists fences as work that does not need a building permit, except pool barriers and fences required for pedestrian safety. Local zoning rules still apply, though. Gates and removal of an old fence are also priced separately, so ask for both on the quote.

Board Shrinkage and What It Costs You

Pressure-treated pine often goes up with plenty of moisture still in it, and it shrinks as it dries. The USDA Forest Products Laboratory’s Wood Handbook explains that wood shrinks most in the direction of the growth rings and only slightly along the grain.

On a stockade fence with tightly butted boards, that shrinkage can open thin gaps over the first months. So you have three choices. You can accept small gaps, pay more for board-on-board so the overlap hides them, or ask about kiln-dried-after-treatment lumber, which costs more but does most of its shrinking before it reaches your yard. Our post on wood fence board spacing goes deeper on gaps.

Plan the Job Before You Ask for Quotes

How to Compare Quotes

For example, two quotes for a 6 foot wood privacy fence can describe very different fences. Ask every contractor to spell out the same details, so you are comparing like with like.

• Board style, and whether the boards are butted or overlapped
• Material and grade by name, including the post rating
• Post size, spacing and depth
• Gate count, gate widths, gate posts and hardware
• Removal and haul-away of any old fence
• Who contacts Virginia 811 before digging

If one quote is far below the rest, look for what is missing from that list. After all, a low number often means fewer posts, lighter lumber or a missing line item.

Ways to Keep the Total Down

• Match the style to the spot. Put board-on-board where privacy matters most, such as along a patio, and a simpler style along the back of the lot.
• Keep gates to what you need. Each gate adds posts and hardware, and a walk gate costs less than a double drive gate.
• Phase the project. Fence the backyard first and add side runs later, as long as the style can be matched.
• Spread the payments. Good Neighbor Fence offers financing through Wisetack starting at 0% APR for qualified buyers. See our fence financing options.