# Wood Fence Cost: Pine vs Cedar, Panels, and Stain

Canonical URL: https://www.simplywise.com/blog/wood-fence-cost/
Plain text: https://www.simplywise.com/blog/wood-fence-cost/llms.txt
Publisher: SimplyWise, Inc. (https://www.simplywise.com)
Published: September 9, 2026
Updated: October 23, 2026
Category: Project Cost Guides
Summary: Wood fence cost per 100 feet, priced off two suppliers: pine against cedar pickets, panels against sticks, posts, concrete, and the stain line most bids miss.

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## Wood Fence Cost: Pine, Cedar, Panels, and Stain

Wood fence cost is a species and finish decision before it is a labor decision. Here is what each adds, priced off two suppliers the same day.

The short version

1. Pine pickets for 100 feet of six foot fence run $416 to $764. Cedar, $725 to $983.
2. Preassembled privacy panels cost $780 to $975 per 100 feet, more than loose pine pickets, because you buy assembly.
3. Fourteen treated 4×4 posts run $151 to $378. Their concrete adds $336, at $7.99 a bag.
4. Stain is $29.99 to $54.96 a gallon, and the fence has 1,200 square feet of face.
5. Fence erectors earn a median of $23.07 an hour, so a two person crew costs about $46 an hour.
6. Every price but the panel and the concrete came from two suppliers on August 28, 2026. Local prices vary, and one publishes the proof.

## Where wood fence cost actually goes

Most fence quotes fall apart the same way: the bidder prices lumber, forgets that finish is recurring, and treats posts as an afterthought. This guide walks the four material lines, per 100 linear feet of six foot fence. For the install sequence, permits, and non wood materials, read our fence installation cost (https://www.simplywise.com/blog/fence-installation-cost/) guide. For a takeoff walked step by step, see the fence cost calculator (https://www.simplywise.com/blog/fence-cost-calculator/).

## Pine against cedar, priced at the picket

This is the biggest lever on wood fence cost, and both suppliers stock both species. A nominal 1×6 board has an actual face of 5.5 inches, so 100 feet of solid fence takes 219 boards.

| Picket, 6 ft | Sutherlands | McCoy’s | 219 pickets |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Treated southern pine | $1.90 to $3.49 | $2.19 | $416 to $764 |
| Western red cedar | $3.31 to $4.49 | $4.19 | $725 to $983 |

On one McCoy’s shelf that day, a cedar dog ear picket was $4.19 against $2.19 for pine. Two dollars a board, about $438 across the 219 pickets, and it buys a wood that resists rot on its own rather than by treatment.

## Loose pickets against preassembled panels

The second decision is whether you build the fence or buy it in sections. A preassembled treated privacy section, six by eight feet, runs $59.99 to $74.99. Thirteen cover 100 feet, or $780 to $975.

That premium over loose pine pickets only reads as waste if your own hours are free. The panel is bought labor: somebody already nailed pickets to rails. On an easy grade it wins the whole job. On a slope, panels step and gap, and stick building wins.

Single source, flagged. Only one of our two suppliers stocks a preassembled wood privacy panel. That band comes from 34 store listings inside one chain, one publisher. Treat the panel line as softer than the pickets.

## Posts and the concrete nobody counts

Posts at eight feet on center means 14 posts across 100 feet, not 12. Treated 4×4 posts run $10.79 plain to $26.99 with a gothic top, so $151 to $378.

Then the footing. A 10 inch hole 24 inches deep holds 1.09 cubic feet, the post fills 0.17, leaving 0.92 cubic feet of concrete. A 50 pound bag yields 0.375 cubic feet, so three bags a post, 42 for the fence. At $7.99 a bag that is $336, close to what the posts cost, the line most bids leave out.

## The stain line nobody prices

What separates a wood fence cost estimate from a lumber list: wood needs finish, and finish is not a one time purchase.

Exterior stain and sealer runs $29.99 to $54.96 a gallon across the two suppliers, the same Ready Seal gallon at $39.95 to $49.99 in one chain and $48.99 in the other. A 100 foot fence six feet tall has 1,200 square feet of face counting both sides, and it comes back for a fresh coat on whatever cycle your climate demands.

The honest way to quote wood fence cost is two numbers: what it costs to stand up, and what it costs to keep. Cedar buys a wood that looks acceptable longer bare. Pine buys a lower bid and a standing appointment with a stain brush.

## What the crew costs

Federal wage data covers this trade. Fence erectors earned a median of $23.07 an hour in the May 2025 release, the middle half between $19.43 and $28.18. Carpenters, who often build the same fence, earn $29.12.

A two person crew costs about $46 an hour in wages, not what you bill. Your price carries overhead, insurance, and margin on top. Our contractor hourly labor rates (https://www.simplywise.com/blog/contractor-hourly-labor-rates-by-trade/) guide holds the full table.

> The cheapest wood fence cost on paper is treated pine. The cheapest one over ten years depends on who buys the stain.SimplyWise

## Quote the fence from a photo

Turn a photo of the yard into an itemized estimate in about six seconds, with material, labor, and fee lines you can edit. Free on a 7 day trial, then $29.99 a month or $239.99 a year.

## Keep reading

- Fence installation cost (https://www.simplywise.com/blog/fence-installation-cost/), every material class.
- Fence cost calculator (https://www.simplywise.com/blog/fence-cost-calculator/), the takeoff step by step.
- Siding and fence pricing guide (https://www.simplywise.com/blog/siding-and-fence-pricing-guide/), the siding side of the bid.
- Contractor hourly labor rates by trade (https://www.simplywise.com/blog/contractor-hourly-labor-rates-by-trade/).

## Sources

- Sutherlands, treated pine fence board (https://sutherlands.com/products/item/90282/sutherlands-1-x-6-inch-x-6-foot-treated-yellow-pine-fence-board) ($1.90 to $3.49, 35 listings; 2026-08-28).
- Sutherlands, western red cedar board (https://sutherlands.com/products/item/90480/sutherlands-1-x-6-inch-x-6-foot2-better-no-hole-western-red-cedar-fence-board) ($3.31 to $4.49, 32 listings; 2026-08-28).
- Sutherlands, treated privacy section (https://sutherlands.com/products/item/3176088/universal-forest-1116-inch-x-8-x-6-foot-treated-privacy-fence-section) ($59.99 to $74.99, 34 listings; 2026-08-28).
- McCoy’s, treated pine dog ear picket (https://www.mccoys.com/shop/p/0115201) ($2.19; 2026-08-28).
- McCoy’s, western red cedar dog ear picket (https://www.mccoys.com/shop/p/011512) ($4.19; 2026-08-28).
- 4×4 by 8 ft treated posts, 2026-08-28: McCoy’s (https://www.mccoys.com/shop/p/011003) plain $10.79, Sutherlands (https://sutherlands.com/products/item/23168/sutherlands-4-x-4-inch-x-8-foot2-treated-french-gothic-yellow-pine-top-post) gothic top $14.99 to $26.99 (3 listings).
- McCoy’s, Sakrete fast setting mix, 50 lb (https://www.mccoys.com/shop/p/040210) ($7.99; 2026-08-28).
- Stain and sealer, 1 gal, 2026-09-09: Sutherlands Flood cedar (https://sutherlands.com/products/item/139089/ppg-flood-1-gallon-cedar-cwf-uv-wood-finish) $29.99 (4 listings), Cabot Gold (https://sutherlands.com/products/item/189027/cabot-gold-gallon-sun-drenched-oak-exterior-wood-finish) $54.96 (5), Ready Seal (https://sutherlands.com/products/item/775171/ready-seal-ready-seal-1gallon-mission-brown-wood-stainsealer) $39.95 to $49.99 (31), McCoy’s Ready Seal (https://www.mccoys.com/shop/p/26123048) $48.99.
- QUIKRETE Concrete Mix data sheet 1101 (https://www.quikrete.com/pdfs/data_sheet-concrete%20mix%201101.pdf) (50 lb yields 0.375 cu ft; 2026-08-28).
- BLS OEWS 47-4031, Fence Erectors (https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) (May 2025 release, median $23.07; 2026-08-28).
- SimplyWise Cost Estimator, App Store (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simplywise-cost-estimator/id6670619664) (4.8 rating).

## Wood fence cost questions

**How much does a wood fence cost per 100 feet?**

Materials for six foot treated pine run about $903 to $1,478 per 100 feet: pickets, 14 posts, and 42 bags of concrete. Cedar pushes the top to about $1,697.

**Is cedar worth the extra money over treated pine?**

Cedar pickets cost roughly $2 more each, about $438 per 100 feet. Cedar resists rot naturally rather than by treatment, so you trade a higher opening price for a lighter finish schedule.

**Are preassembled fence panels cheaper than loose pickets?**

No, not on material. Panels run $780 to $975 per 100 feet against $416 to $764 for loose pine pickets. The panel price buys assembly labor you no longer perform.

**How much concrete does a fence post need?**

A 10 inch hole 24 inches deep leaves 0.92 cubic feet around a 4×4. At 0.375 cubic feet per 50 pound bag that is three bags a post, or $23.97 in mix.

**How much does it cost to stain a wood fence?**

Stain and sealer runs $29.99 to $54.96 a gallon. A 100 foot fence six feet tall has 1,200 square feet of face, and it needs re coating on whatever cycle the climate demands.

**Can SimplyWise price a fence from a photo?**

Yes. SimplyWise Cost Estimator turns a photo into an itemized estimate in about 6 seconds.

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