"How much per foot?" is the first question everyone asks, and most companies dodge it. We won't — but understand that the range is wide because your yard sets the number, not a price sheet. Here's how it actually breaks down in the Portland metro in 2026.
The Per-Foot Ranges
Cedar privacy runs roughly $45–$75 per linear foot installed, depending on height and style. Chain-link is the budget end, often $18–$30. Ornamental steel or aluminum lands higher, $55–$95, because the panels themselves cost more. Vinyl sits close to cedar. Gates, especially automated drive gates, are priced separately — they're their own little project.
What Actually Moves the Number
Three things drive most of the variance: terrain (a flat yard is fast; a slope, roots, or rock means more labor and stepped panels), tear-out and haul-away of an old fence, and access (can we get a truck and a post-hole digger to the fence line, or is it all wheelbarrows through a side gate?). Height matters too — a 6-foot fence isn't 50% more than a 4-foot; it's often a different post and footing spec entirely.
Why the Cheapest Bid Costs More
The lowball bids we see usually cut the same corners: shallow post holes, no concrete, thinner pickets, and "we'll figure out the gate later." That fence leans within two winters. A properly built fence — concrete-set posts, correct spacing, real hardware — costs more up front and less over ten years. Ask any bidder exactly how deep the posts go and what they're set in. The answer tells you everything.
Get a Real Number
The only honest quote is one where someone stood in your yard and measured the actual run. That's why our estimates are free and on-site — we'd rather give you a fixed, written number than a range you can't budget around.