How Much Does a Fence Cost in New Jersey?

Everyone wants a number before they let a contractor onto the property, and most fence companies will not give one until they have been out. That is understandable — the price genuinely depends on the yard — but it is not much help when you are trying to work out whether this is a $4,000 job or a $12,000 one.

So here are our actual starting prices, and more usefully, what moves them.

What we charge, installed

These are per linear foot, installed, including materials and labor:

• • Chain link — from $18
• • Wood privacy — from $32
• • Vinyl privacy — from $38
• • Bamboo — from $40
• • Aluminum ornamental — from $45
• • Pool-safety aluminum — from $48
• • Composite — from $52

"From" is doing real work in that sentence. A straight run across flat, open ground lands at the bottom. Very little in northern New Jersey is flat and open.

What a hundred feet actually costs

For a typical back yard — 100 linear feet with one walk gate — those figures put you roughly here:

• • Chain link: around $1,950
• • Wood privacy: around $3,450
• • Vinyl privacy: around $4,100
• • Aluminum ornamental: around $4,850
• • Composite: around $5,600

A walk gate adds between $150 and $400 depending on the material. A drive gate costs considerably more, and an automated one more again.

The five things that move the price

**Gates.** A gate costs several times what the same width of fence costs. The posts either side have to be heavier and set deeper, the frame has to be built square, and the hardware is not cheap. Two gates instead of one is a real line item, not a rounding error.

**Slope.** A fence on a hill is either racked to follow the ground or stepped down it. Both take longer than a straight run, and stepping leaves triangular gaps at the bottom that may need filling.

**What is already there.** Removing an old fence is part of the job. If the old posts are set in concrete, digging those footings out is often the slowest part of the day.

**What is underground.** Tree roots, buried rock, old footings and utility lines all slow post-setting down. In older parts of Bergen and Passaic County we hit all four regularly.

**Access.** If everything — posts, panels, concrete, spoil — has to come through a three-foot side gate by hand, that costs more than backing a truck up to the run.

What should be in a written quote

Ask for these in writing, because they are the things that are invisible once the job is done and they are where cheap quotes get cheap:

• • Post depth and whether the posts are set in concrete
• • Post material and gauge, not just "posts"
• • Whether removal and disposal of the old fence is included
• • Gate hardware — hinges and latches, by name
• • What the warranty covers and for how long

A quote that is 20% cheaper and does not mention post depth is not a cheaper version of the same fence.

Permits

Most towns here require a permit for a new fence, and pool enclosures always need one. Fees vary by municipality and are usually modest, but the permit affects the schedule more than the budget. We tell you at the estimate whether yours needs one.

Getting a real number

Use the cost estimator on this site for a ballpark — it uses the same per-foot figures above. Then book the free on-site visit, because a price quoted off a satellite image is a price that changes once someone is standing in the yard.

We measure in person, usually within 48 hours, and the figure you get is written down with the materials named on it.