Chain-link fence cost in Fargo, ND
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (150 linear ft)
- $1,500 – $6,100
- Per linear ft
- $9.80 – $40
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −1%
- US $3,850
- Rank of 300 metros
- #130
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a chain-link fence in the Fargo area: $1,500 to $6,100 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 lands close to the US figure. Building materials run about 4% below the US average here (BEA goods price index 95.7).
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Estimated cost for 150 linear ft in Fargo, ND, standard level
$2,900 to $4,750
About $19 to $31 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 62% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,150 | $1,550 |
| Labor | $1,650 | $3,050 |
| Permits and fees | $65 | $110 |
| Total | $2,900 | $4,750 |
Cost breakdown for 150 linear ft in Fargo, ND
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $860 | $1,350 | $1,850 | 36% |
| Labor | $610 | $2,350 | $4,100 | 62% |
| Permits and fees | $35 | $85 | $140 | 2% |
| Total | $1,500 | $3,800 | $6,100 | 100% |
Why Fargo prices look the way they do
The wage side of the estimate leans on construction laborers, who do 60% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $23.72 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Fargo is 1.02 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 62% of the total.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Fargo is at 95.7 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $1,450 nationally becomes $1,350 here (midpoint, 150 linear ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 90.9: $35 to $140.
Specs and site conditions that change a Fargo bid
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.
Survey
A land survey ($300-$900) is worth it before you put a fence near a boundary.
Fargo: what basic, standard and premium work costs
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Fargo. 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
$1,500 to $3,350
4-ft galvanized, front yard
Standard
$2,900 to $4,750
6-ft galvanized backyard fence
Premium
$4,300 to $6,100
Vinyl-coated, 8 ft, extra gates
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| backyard (100 linear ft) | $1,000 – $2,250 | $1,950 – $3,200 | $2,900 – $4,150 |
| 150 ft (150 linear ft) | $1,500 – $3,350 | $2,900 – $4,750 | $4,300 – $6,100 |
| 200 ft (200 linear ft) | $2,000 – $4,450 | $3,850 – $6,300 | $5,650 – $8,100 |
| full lot (300 linear ft) | $3,000 – $6,650 | $5,700 – $9,350 | $8,450 – $12,100 |
Fargo against nearby metros and the rest of North Dakota
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 $3,600 to $4,550 across Fargo and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fargo, NDthis page | $1,500 – $6,100 | $3,800 | |
| St. Cloud, MN150 miles | $1,600 – $6,600 | $4,100 | +7% |
| Bismarck, ND190 miles | $1,500 – $6,050 | $3,750 | −1% |
| Minneapolis, MN215 miles | $1,750 – $7,350 | $4,550 | +19% |
| Duluth, MN215 miles | $1,600 – $6,750 | $4,200 | +10% |
| Sioux Falls, SD235 miles | $1,450 – $5,750 | $3,600 | −6% |
| North Dakota (statewide) | $1,500 – $6,100 | $3,800 | −1% |
| United States | $1,550 – $6,150 | $3,850 | +1% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Fargo ranks #130 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Fargo is 1% above the North Dakota figure.
Elsewhere in North Dakota
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bismarck, ND | 71,270 jobs | $1,500 – $6,050 | $3,750 | −1% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Fargo against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Killeen, TX | 150,580 jobs | $1,350 – $5,200 | $3,250 | −14% |
| Myrtle Beach, SC | 146,260 jobs | $1,400 – $5,250 | $3,350 | −13% |
| Gainesville, FL | 152,670 jobs | $1,400 – $5,450 | $3,450 | −10% |
| Vallejo, CA | 144,130 jobs | $1,750 – $7,450 | $4,600 | +21% |
The best months for chain-link fence in Fargo
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Fargo Hector Intl 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 Fargo are April through October: 7 of 12. Outside them, January, February, March, November and December have an average daytime high under 45°F.
In January, February, March, November and December the average high stays below 45°F. Sealants, adhesives and some materials, such as vinyl, are harder to install well in the cold, and short daylight cuts the working day.
Fargo gets about 24 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 51 inches of snow. The wettest months are May, June and July (4.3 inches in June). Inside the workable window, April and October are the driest, at 1.5 and 2.2 inches. The station averages about 11 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 | 18 | 0 | 0.7 | Cold |
| Feb | 23 | 4 | 0.7 | Cold |
| Mar | 36 | 18 | 1.3 | Cold |
| Apr | 54 | 32 | 1.5 | Workable |
| May | 69 | 44 | 3.1 | Workable |
| Jun | 78 | 56 | 4.3 | Workable |
| Jul | 82 | 59 | 3.1 | Workable |
| Aug | 81 | 57 | 2.6 | Workable |
| Sep | 72 | 48 | 2.7 | Workable |
| Oct | 56 | 35 | 2.2 | Workable |
| Nov | 38 | 21 | 1.0 | Cold |
| Dec | 24 | 8 | 0.9 | Cold |
Optional extras in Fargo
Add-ons start from national price ranges and are scaled by 0.99 for Fargo, which is the average of the area's wage index (1.02) and goods price index (0.96). The estimator above can add them to your total.
| Add-on | Local range |
|---|---|
| Add one gate (flat) | $80 – $990 |
Who does the work: Fargo 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 Fargo the blend is 1.02.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 60%) the local median is $23.72 an hour, which is 5% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $22.29 and $29.85 an hour. BLS counts 1,760 of them working in the area, 118.4 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is deeper than average.
Carpenters (47-2031), 40% of the weighting: a median of $28.34 an hour, in line with the US median of $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $23.34 and $31.06 an hour. About 880 work in the metro. That is 59.2 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 43.1 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (construction laborers) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $380 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $90. That is a swing of roughly 2.3% to 9.9% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Fargo has 148,660 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 156th 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% | $22.29 | $23.72 | $29.85 | $22.66 | 1.05 | metro |
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 40% | $23.34 | $28.34 | $31.06 | $29.12 | 0.97 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.02 | |||||
What nearby projects cost in Fargo
Jobs that often go together with chain-link fence are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Fargo wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, gravel driveway comes out highest (level) and vinyl fence lowest (−3%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood fence | 150 linear ft | $3,000 – $7,450 | −2% |
| Vinyl fence | 150 linear ft | $4,400 – $8,850 | −3% |
| Aluminum fence | 150 linear ft | $3,800 – $11,300 | −1% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,500 – $10,200 | level |
Get 3 local quotes
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Chain-link fence in Fargo: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a chain-link fence in Fargo?
For 150 linear ft, expect $1,500 to $6,100 in the Fargo area. A standard-spec job lands at $2,900 to $4,750. Small jobs usually cost more per linear ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per linear ft for chain-link fence in Fargo?
About $9.80 to $40 per linear ft for materials and labor, plus $35 to $140 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $10 to $40.
+Is chain-link fence cheaper in Fargo or St. Cloud?
St. Cloud is 150 miles away. The midpoint for 150 linear ft there is $4,100, which is 7% more than Fargo ($3,800). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Fargo?
About 62% at the midpoint, or $2,350 out of $3,800. Materials are 36% and permits 2%. Nationally, labor is 60%.
+What would 200 ft (200 linear ft) cost in Fargo?
$2,000 to $8,100. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does chain-link fence need a permit in Fargo?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $35 to $140 for fees in the Fargo area (our national range of $40 to $150 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Fargo expensive for chain-link fence compared with the rest of North Dakota?
Fargo is 1% above the North Dakota statewide estimate ($3,800 at the midpoint). We cover 2 metros in North Dakota; see the state page to compare them.
+What do construction laborers earn in Fargo?
The BLS median is $23.72 an hour in the Fargo area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $22.29 to $29.85.
+What do basic and premium chain-link fence work cost in Fargo?
For 150 linear ft, basic work runs $1,500 to $3,350 and premium work $4,300 to $6,100. 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 Fargo?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are April through October. April 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 Fargo?
$80 to $990, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Chain-link fence near Fargo
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).