Aluminum fence cost in Merced, CA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (150 linear ft)
- $4,200 – $12,500
- Per linear ft
- $28 – $82.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +10%
- US $7,600
- Rank of 300 metros
- #25
- 1 = most expensive
Merced homeowners pay roughly $4,200 to $12,500 to install an aluminum fence at 150 linear ft, or $28 to $82.50 per linear ft (permit not included). Against the US midpoint, Merced is 10% higher. Carpenters earn a median of $35.94 an hour in the Merced area, 23% above the US median of $29.12.
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Estimated cost for 150 linear ft in Merced, CA, standard level
$6,700 to $10,000
About $44.50 to $66 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 38% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,000 | $6,250 |
| Labor | $2,600 | $3,700 |
| Permits and fees | $70 | $110 |
| Total | $6,700 | $10,000 |
Cost breakdown for 150 linear ft in Merced, CA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,350 | $5,150 | $7,900 | 61% |
| Labor | $1,800 | $3,150 | $4,500 | 38% |
| Permits and fees | $40 | $95 | $150 | 1% |
| Total | $4,200 | $8,400 | $12,500 | 100% |
What is behind the Merced number
We price the labor side from BLS wage data for 3 trades: carpenters at 40%, construction laborers at 40%, sheet metal workers at 20%. Weighted together, Merced wages are 1.20 times the national level. Labor makes up about 38% of the midpoint estimate (35% at national prices).
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Merced metro is 105.2 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 150 linear ft comes to $5,150, compared with $4,900 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (98.3) and land at $40 to $150.
Data note: 20% of the labor weighting for this project uses a statewide median because BLS has no published metro figure for that trade in Merced. The wage table below marks each row.
How Merced compares
Contractors rarely work more than an hour or two from home, so the neighboring metros set a rough ceiling and floor for your quotes. Midpoints for 150 linear ft range from $8,200 to $9,100 across Merced and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merced, CAthis page | $4,200 – $12,500 | $8,400 | |
| Modesto, CA30 miles | $4,250 – $12,700 | $8,450 | +1% |
| San Jose, CA40 miles | $4,600 – $13,500 | $9,100 | +8% |
| Stockton, CA60 miles | $4,150 – $12,400 | $8,300 | −1% |
| Fresno, CA60 miles | $4,100 – $12,300 | $8,200 | −2% |
| Santa Cruz, CA70 miles | $4,300 – $12,800 | $8,550 | +2% |
| California (statewide) | $4,300 – $12,900 | $8,600 | +2% |
| United States | $3,800 – $11,400 | $7,600 | −9% |
Across 300 US metros, Merced comes in at #25 from the top. The priciest is Honolulu, HI at $9,700; the cheapest is Brownsville, TX at $6,500 (midpoints, 150 linear ft). Statewide, Merced is 2% below the California figure.
Other California metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, CA | 6,271,560 jobs | $4,300 – $12,800 | $8,550 | +2% |
| San Francisco, CA | 2,373,920 jobs | $4,800 – $14,100 | $9,450 | +13% |
| Riverside, CA | 1,716,760 jobs | $4,100 – $12,300 | $8,200 | −2% |
| San Diego, CA | 1,538,060 jobs | $4,300 – $12,900 | $8,600 | +3% |
| San Jose, CA | 1,134,970 jobs | $4,600 – $13,500 | $9,100 | +8% |
| Sacramento, CA | 1,080,590 jobs | $4,300 – $12,700 | $8,500 | +1% |
Cities with a workforce like Merced's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Merced against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saginaw, MI | 80,000 jobs | $3,700 – $11,000 | $7,350 | −12% |
| Chico, CA | 78,220 jobs | $4,200 – $12,500 | $8,350 | level |
| Las Cruces, NM | 80,000 jobs | $3,550 – $10,700 | $7,100 | −15% |
| Napa, CA | 77,860 jobs | $4,350 – $12,900 | $8,600 | +3% |
When to schedule aluminum fence in Merced
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Merced Muni Ap (5 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
October through May is the stretch where exterior installation runs into the fewest weather problems in Merced (8 of 12 months). June, July, August and September have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
Merced gets about 12 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are January, February and December (2.4 inches in January). Inside the workable window, May and October are the driest, at 0.6 and 0.6 inches. The station averages about 100 days a year at 90°F or above.
Does the season change the price? Probably, but we do not have a sourced seasonal price curve, so the estimator shows a year-round figure and does not adjust by month. When you collect quotes, ask whether scheduling in a slower month gets a better rate.
| Month | Avg high °F | Avg low °F | Precip (in) | For this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 37 | 2.4 | Workable |
| Feb | 62 | 39 | 2.2 | Workable |
| Mar | 68 | 42 | 1.8 | Workable |
| Apr | 74 | 45 | 1.1 | Workable |
| May | 83 | 52 | 0.6 | Workable |
| Jun | 91 | 58 | 0.1 | Hot |
| Jul | 96 | 62 | 0.0 | Hot |
| Aug | 95 | 61 | 0.0 | Hot |
| Sep | 91 | 57 | 0.1 | Hot |
| Oct | 80 | 49 | 0.6 | Workable |
| Nov | 66 | 41 | 1.0 | Workable |
| Dec | 56 | 36 | 1.9 | Workable |
Planning more than one job in Merced?
Because every project leans on different trades, Merced's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, chain-link fence runs +13% and vinyl fence +8%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vinyl fence | 150 linear ft | $4,900 – $9,950 | +8% |
| Wood fence | 150 linear ft | $3,400 – $8,500 | +11% |
| Chain-link fence | 150 linear ft | $1,700 – $7,000 | +13% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $39,900 – $124,500 | +10% |
Local wages behind the labor line
Wages are the part of this estimate that changes most from town to town. 3 trades carry the job here, and each is compared with its US median. The weighted result for Merced is 1.20 times the national level.
For carpenters (47-2031, weighted 40%) the local median is $35.94 an hour, which is 23% above the national $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $27.11 and $39.05 an hour. BLS counts 350 of them working in the area, 44.0 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 43.1), so the local bench is about average.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 40% of the weighting: a median of $26.17 an hour, 15% above the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $21.73 and $33.81 an hour. About 380 work in the metro. That is 47.8 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
Sheet metal workers (47-2211) carry 20% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the Merced metro, so we used the California statewide median: $36.82 an hour against $29.71 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $28.47 and $51.62 an hour.
Quotes come from real crews, not medians. If the carpenters on your job are paid at the 75th percentile ($39.05 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $110. At the 25th percentile ($27.11) it shrinks by about $320. The total moves by 1.3% or 3.8%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 79,510 jobs in the Merced area. That makes it the 240th largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.05% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 40% | $27.11 | $35.94 | $39.05 | $29.12 | 1.23 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 40% | $21.73 | $26.17 | $33.81 | $22.66 | 1.15 | metro |
| Sheet metal workers (47-2211) | 20% | $28.47 | $36.82 | $51.62 | $29.71 | 1.24 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 1.20 | |||||
Why two Merced quotes can differ
Pool codes
Many codes require a pool barrier with gaps under 4 inches, which influences the style you can buy.
Permit
A fence permit runs $40-$150.
Style
Aluminum picket runs $25-$50 per linear foot installed, ornamental fence $40-$75, and privacy designs $75-$130 (HomeGuide).
Add-ons priced for Merced
Extras are quoted nationally and then scaled to Merced by the average of the local wage index (1.20) and goods index (1.05), a factor of 1.13. Tick any of them in the estimator above to add them to your total. Treat these as planning figures: an add-on touches different trades than the main job, so the scaling is an approximation.
| Add-on | Local range |
|---|---|
| Add one gate (flat) | $230 – $1,000 |
Merced: what basic, standard and premium work costs
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Merced wages and prices. They overlap on purpose: a good standard job and a modest premium job can cost the same. The grid below prices the same bands at 3 common sizes.
Basic
$4,200 to $7,550
Standard picket or ornamental, 4 ft
Standard
$6,700 to $10,000
Ornamental pool-code fence, 4-5 ft
Premium
$9,200 to $12,500
Tall privacy slat or custom ornamental
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| pool fence (100 linear ft) | $2,800 – $5,050 | $4,500 – $6,750 | $6,200 – $8,400 |
| 150 ft (150 linear ft) | $4,200 – $7,550 | $6,700 – $10,000 | $9,200 – $12,500 |
| 200 ft (200 linear ft) | $5,600 – $10,000 | $8,950 – $13,400 | $12,200 – $16,700 |
Get 3 local quotes
Tell us about the job and we will try to connect you with up to three local contractors for written quotes. It is free and you are under no obligation to hire. Your estimate of $6,700 to $10,000 for Merced, CA is attached.
Detailed aluminum fence report for Merced, CA, $9
The report lays out the aluminum fence numbers for Merced, CA line by line, with the local wage and price inputs, permit and timing notes, a quote comparison sheet and the full method. Save your estimate above, preview page 1 free, and unlock the full report for $9 one-time, or get every report with CostLocal Pro.
Aluminum fence in Merced: your questions
+How much does it cost to install an aluminum fence in Merced?
For 150 linear ft, expect $4,200 to $12,500 in the Merced area. A standard-spec job lands at $6,700 to $10,000. Small jobs usually cost more per linear ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per linear ft for aluminum fence in Merced?
About $28 to $82.50 per linear ft for materials and labor, plus $40 to $150 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $25 to $75.
+Is aluminum fence cheaper in Merced or Modesto?
Modesto is 30 miles away. The midpoint for 150 linear ft there is $8,450, which is 1% more than Merced ($8,400). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Merced?
About 38% at the midpoint, or $3,150 out of $8,400. Materials are 61% and permits 1%. Nationally, labor is 35%.
+What would 150 ft (150 linear ft) cost in Merced?
$4,200 to $12,500. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does aluminum fence need a permit in Merced?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $40 to $150 for fees in the Merced area (our national range of $40 to $150 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Merced expensive for aluminum fence compared with the rest of California?
Merced is 2% below the California statewide estimate ($8,600 at the midpoint). We cover 23 metros in California; see the state page to compare them.
+What do carpenters earn in Merced?
The BLS median is $35.94 an hour in the Merced area, compared with $29.12 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $27.11 to $39.05.
+What do basic and premium aluminum fence work cost in Merced?
For 150 linear ft, basic work runs $4,200 to $7,550 and premium work $9,200 to $12,500. Basic means: standard picket or ornamental, 4 ft. Premium means: tall privacy slat or custom ornamental.
+When is the best time to install an aluminum fence in Merced?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are October through May. May and October are typically the driest of those months. Local contractors' schedules matter as much as the weather, so book early for the busy months.
+What does "add one gate" add in Merced?
$230 to $1,000, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Aluminum fence near Merced
Where these numbers come from
Base prices are national ranges from the sources below. We scale labor by local BLS wages, materials by BEA goods prices and permits by the BEA all-items price level. Full method on the methodology page.
- HomeGuide: How Much Does an Aluminum Fence Cost? (2026) (accessed November 4, 2026)
- HomeGuide: 2026 Building Permit Costs | Fees & Cost Calculator (accessed November 4, 2026)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020
Note on derived figures: Materials = installed range minus HomeGuide's $10-$25/ft labor range.