Chain-link fence cost in Charlotte, NC
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (150 linear ft)
- $1,450 – $5,750
- Per linear ft
- $9.50 – $37.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −6%
- US $3,850
- Rank of 300 metros
- #179
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a chain-link fence in the Charlotte area: $1,450 to $5,750 for 150 linear ft. The low end is a basic job on easy ground; the high end is a premium spec with harder access. The midpoint runs 6% lower than the US figure. Construction laborers earn a median of $22.04 an hour in the Charlotte area, 3% below the US median of $22.66.
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Estimated cost for 150 linear ft in Charlotte, NC, standard level
$2,750 to $4,450
About $18 to $29 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 59% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,150 | $1,600 |
| Labor | $1,500 | $2,750 |
| Permits and fees | $70 | $110 |
| Total | $2,750 | $4,450 |
Cost breakdown for 150 linear ft in Charlotte, NC
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $870 | $1,400 | $1,900 | 38% |
| Labor | $550 | $2,150 | $3,750 | 59% |
| Permits and fees | $40 | $90 | $150 | 3% |
| Total | $1,450 | $3,600 | $5,750 | 100% |
What is behind the Charlotte number
The wage side of the estimate leans on construction laborers, who do 60% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $22.04 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Charlotte is 0.92 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 59% of the total.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Charlotte is at 96.6 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $1,450 nationally becomes $1,400 here (midpoint, 150 linear ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 97.3: $40 to $150.
Pick a size, pick a tier: chain-link fence pricing in Charlotte
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Charlotte. Bands overlap, because plenty of standard jobs cost as much as a light premium one. Sizes run from backyard (100 linear ft) to full lot (300 linear ft).
Basic
$1,450 to $3,200
4-ft galvanized, front yard
Standard
$2,750 to $4,450
6-ft galvanized backyard fence
Premium
$4,050 to $5,750
Vinyl-coated, 8 ft, extra gates
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| backyard (100 linear ft) | $990 – $2,150 | $1,850 – $3,000 | $2,750 – $3,900 |
| 150 ft (150 linear ft) | $1,450 – $3,200 | $2,750 – $4,450 | $4,050 – $5,750 |
| 200 ft (200 linear ft) | $1,950 – $4,200 | $3,650 – $5,900 | $5,350 – $7,650 |
| full lot (300 linear ft) | $2,900 – $6,300 | $5,450 – $8,800 | $7,950 – $11,400 |
Chain-link fence: what moves the price in Charlotte
Height
A 4-ft fence runs $10-$20 per linear foot; 6- to 8-ft backyard fences run $15-$40+ (HomeGuide).
Coating
Black or green vinyl-coated mesh costs more than galvanized.
Gates
Gates are $80-$1,000+ before installation. Rolling or slide gates are the expensive end.
What nearby projects cost in Charlotte
Jobs that often go together with chain-link fence are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Charlotte wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, vinyl fence comes out highest (−5%) and wood fence lowest (−6%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood fence | 150 linear ft | $2,850 – $7,150 | −6% |
| Vinyl fence | 150 linear ft | $4,350 – $8,700 | −5% |
| Aluminum fence | 150 linear ft | $3,550 – $10,700 | −6% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,350 – $9,600 | −6% |
Who does the work: Charlotte trade wages
The labor line is built from BLS wage data, one trade at a time. This job draws on 2 trades. We compare each trade's local median with the US median, weight the ratios by how much of the job each trade does, and apply the blend to the national labor cost. For Charlotte the blend is 0.92.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 60%) the local median is $22.04 an hour, which is in line with the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $18.36 and $23.92 an hour. BLS counts 10,840 of them working in the area, 79.8 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is about average.
Carpenters (47-2031), 40% of the weighting: a median of $24.50 an hour, 16% below the US median of $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $22.52 and $28.49 an hour. About 3,730 work in the metro. That is 27.5 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 43.1 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (construction laborers) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $120 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $230. That is a swing of roughly 6.3% to 3.2% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia has 1,358,370 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 21st by size among the 300 metros on this site.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 60% | $18.36 | $22.04 | $23.92 | $22.66 | 0.97 | metro |
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 40% | $22.52 | $24.50 | $28.49 | $29.12 | 0.84 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.92 | |||||
Extras that change the Charlotte total
Add-ons start from national price ranges and are scaled by 0.94 for Charlotte, which is the average of the area's wage index (0.92) and goods price index (0.97). The estimator above can add them to your total.
| Add-on | Local range |
|---|---|
| Add one gate (flat) | $75 – $940 |
How Charlotte compares
Same job, same size (150 linear ft), priced for the nearest metros. Charlotte is the priciest of the group. Greensboro is the cheapest at $3,400.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte, NCthis page | $1,450 – $5,750 | $3,600 | |
| Hickory, NC60 miles | $1,450 – $5,600 | $3,500 | −2% |
| Spartanburg, SC65 miles | $1,450 – $5,600 | $3,500 | −3% |
| Winston, NC70 miles | $1,450 – $5,550 | $3,500 | −4% |
| Columbia, SC75 miles | $1,400 – $5,500 | $3,450 | −4% |
| Greensboro, NC80 miles | $1,400 – $5,450 | $3,400 | −5% |
| North Carolina (statewide) | $1,450 – $5,650 | $3,550 | −2% |
| United States | $1,550 – $6,150 | $3,850 | +7% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Charlotte ranks #179 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Charlotte is 2% above the North Carolina figure.
Elsewhere in North Carolina
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raleigh, NC | 743,120 jobs | $1,450 – $5,750 | $3,600 | level |
| Greensboro, NC | 365,410 jobs | $1,400 – $5,450 | $3,400 | −5% |
| Durham, NC | 344,020 jobs | $1,450 – $5,800 | $3,650 | +1% |
| Winston, NC | 271,980 jobs | $1,450 – $5,550 | $3,500 | −4% |
| Wilmington, NC | 191,280 jobs | $1,450 – $5,750 | $3,600 | level |
| Asheville, NC | 180,620 jobs | $1,450 – $5,850 | $3,650 | +2% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Charlotte against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orlando, FL | 1,411,730 jobs | $1,400 – $5,450 | $3,450 | −5% |
| Baltimore, MD | 1,356,680 jobs | $1,550 – $6,200 | $3,900 | +8% |
| Tampa, FL | 1,447,120 jobs | $1,450 – $5,650 | $3,550 | −2% |
| St. Louis, MO | 1,341,320 jobs | $1,700 – $7,300 | $4,500 | +25% |
The best months for chain-link fence in Charlotte
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Charlotte Douglas Ap (5 miles from the city center). They are 30-year averages, so any one year can run hotter, colder or wetter.
For exterior installation, the comfortable months in Charlotte are August through June: 11 of 12. Outside them, July has an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
Charlotte gets about 44 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 4 inches of snow. The wettest months are March, June and August (4.3 inches in August). Inside the workable window, February and October are the driest, at 3.1 and 3.2 inches. The station averages about 49 days a year at 90°F or above.
We do not adjust the estimate by month, because we have no reliable published data on seasonal pricing. It is still worth asking contractors whether an off-peak start date changes their bid.
| Month | Avg high °F | Avg low °F | Precip (in) | For this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 32 | 3.5 | Workable |
| Feb | 57 | 35 | 3.1 | Workable |
| Mar | 64 | 41 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Apr | 73 | 49 | 3.8 | Workable |
| May | 80 | 58 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Jun | 87 | 66 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Jul | 90 | 70 | 3.7 | Hot |
| Aug | 89 | 69 | 4.3 | Workable |
| Sep | 83 | 63 | 3.7 | Workable |
| Oct | 73 | 50 | 3.2 | Workable |
| Nov | 63 | 40 | 3.3 | Workable |
| Dec | 55 | 35 | 3.6 | Workable |
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Chain-link fence in Charlotte: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a chain-link fence in Charlotte?
For 150 linear ft, expect $1,450 to $5,750 in the Charlotte area. A standard-spec job lands at $2,750 to $4,450. Small jobs usually cost more per linear ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per linear ft for chain-link fence in Charlotte?
About $9.50 to $37.50 per linear ft for materials and labor, plus $40 to $150 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $10 to $40.
+Is chain-link fence cheaper in Charlotte or Hickory?
Hickory is 60 miles away. The midpoint for 150 linear ft there is $3,500, which is 2% less than Charlotte ($3,600). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Charlotte?
About 59% at the midpoint, or $2,150 out of $3,600. Materials are 38% and permits 3%. Nationally, labor is 60%.
+What would 200 ft (200 linear ft) cost in Charlotte?
$1,950 to $7,650. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does chain-link fence need a permit in Charlotte?
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 Charlotte area (our national range of $40 to $150 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Charlotte expensive for chain-link fence compared with the rest of North Carolina?
Charlotte is 2% above the North Carolina statewide estimate ($3,550 at the midpoint). We cover 11 metros in North Carolina; see the state page to compare them.
+What do construction laborers earn in Charlotte?
The BLS median is $22.04 an hour in the Charlotte area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $18.36 to $23.92.
+What do basic and premium chain-link fence work cost in Charlotte?
For 150 linear ft, basic work runs $1,450 to $3,200 and premium work $4,050 to $5,750. Basic means: 4-ft galvanized, front yard. Premium means: vinyl-coated, 8 ft, extra gates.
+When is the best time to install a chain-link fence in Charlotte?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are August through June. February 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 Charlotte?
$75 to $940, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Chain-link fence near Charlotte
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 a Chain-Link Fence Cost? (2026) (accessed November 4, 2026)
- Visual Fence Pro: Chain Link Fence Cost & Pricing Guide for Contractors (2026) (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 = Visual Fence Pro's $6-$13 per foot for residential galvanized 4-6 ft fence (taller or vinyl-coated fence costs more).