How do the prices of different materials compare?

It’s a great question and one we often get. There are differences in the way the products are priced, and fluctuations in the prices themselves, that make a direct comparison difficult. But here are a few guidelines that should help you get your arms around the choice that’s right for your budget.

Chain Link

Chain link is generally our most affordable fence product. It’s priced by the linear foot, with each terminal post extra. You’ll need a terminal post wherever there’s a corner, gate post, or a relatively sharp change in the grade. Your sales rep can give you more detail here. The price for 5′ high residential chain link (as of July 2023) is $35/ft and $85 for each terminal.

Iron

Iron is priced by the linear foot. A 5′ Marquee fence (a basic model that has squished-top pickets) is $109/ft (as of July 2023). Keep in mind there are more ornate models that cost more, and simpler iron fences as well.

The Marquee features squished-top pickets.

Wood

Because privacy is often the goal with wood and vinyl fencing, 6′ heights are more common than in chain link and iron. A 6′ Forest Hill in pressure treated wood is $109/ft, and the same in red cedar is $149/ft (as of July 2023). There are definitely more expensive and less expensive wood fences you can check out, but the Forest Hill is a good baseline.

Vinyl

Vinyl fences are largely designed to imitate the structural look of original wood models. Alexandria vinyl makes a good comparison with Forest Hill in wood. A 6′ high Alexandria in white is $139/ft (as of July 2023).

Gates

Gates are priced at twice the linear foot of the fence style. So a 6′ high Forest Hill cedar gate would cost $298/ft (i.e., 2 x $149).

Summary

Chain link is the most affordable fence and vinyl is often (but not always) the most expensive. We have many different models at different price points in wood, iron, and vinyl. But the numbers above should give you a good indication of where our prices are at as of Summer 2023.