Chain-link fence cost in Madison, WI
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (150 linear ft)
- $1,550 – $6,600
- Per linear ft
- $10 – $43
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +6%
- US $3,850
- Rank of 300 metros
- #66
- 1 = most expensive
A chain-link fence in Madison, WI usually costs $1,550 to $6,600 for 150 linear ft. That works out to about $10 to $43 per linear ft before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $250 more. Construction laborers earn a median of $27.40 an hour in the Madison area, 21% above the US median of $22.66.
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Estimated cost for 150 linear ft in Madison, WI, standard level
$3,100 to $5,100
About $20 to $33 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 65% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,150 | $1,550 |
| Labor | $1,850 | $3,450 |
| Permits and fees | $70 | $110 |
| Total | $3,100 | $5,100 |
Cost breakdown for 150 linear ft in Madison, WI
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $840 | $1,350 | $1,850 | 33% |
| Labor | $690 | $2,650 | $4,650 | 65% |
| Permits and fees | $40 | $90 | $150 | 2% |
| Total | $1,550 | $4,100 | $6,600 | 100% |
Why Madison 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 $27.40 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Madison is 1.14 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 65% of the total.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Madison is at 93.8 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 97.3: $40 to $150.
Why two Madison quotes can differ
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.
Optional extras in Madison
Add-ons start from national price ranges and are scaled by 1.04 for Madison, which is the average of the area's wage index (1.14) and goods price index (0.94). The estimator above can add them to your total.
| Add-on | Local range |
|---|---|
| Add one gate (flat) | $85 – $1,050 |
Madison weather and the chain-link fence calendar
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Madison Dane Rgnl 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 Madison are April through November: 8 of 12. Outside them, January, February, March and December have an average daytime high under 45°F.
In January, February, March 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.
Madison gets about 37 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 52 inches of snow. The wettest months are June, July and August (5.3 inches in June). Inside the workable window, October and November are the driest, at 2.8 and 2.2 inches. The station averages about 9 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 | 27 | 12 | 1.5 | Cold |
| Feb | 31 | 15 | 1.5 | Cold |
| Mar | 44 | 25 | 2.3 | Cold |
| Apr | 57 | 36 | 3.8 | Workable |
| May | 69 | 47 | 4.1 | Workable |
| Jun | 79 | 57 | 5.3 | Workable |
| Jul | 82 | 62 | 4.5 | Workable |
| Aug | 80 | 60 | 4.2 | Workable |
| Sep | 73 | 51 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Oct | 60 | 40 | 2.8 | Workable |
| Nov | 45 | 29 | 2.2 | Workable |
| Dec | 32 | 18 | 1.6 | Cold |
Planning more than one job in Madison?
Jobs that often go together with chain-link fence are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Madison wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, gravel driveway comes out highest (+12%) and vinyl fence lowest (−2%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood fence | 150 linear ft | $3,100 – $7,700 | +1% |
| Vinyl fence | 150 linear ft | $4,400 – $9,000 | −2% |
| Aluminum fence | 150 linear ft | $3,850 – $11,500 | +1% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,800 – $11,400 | +12% |
Cost by quality level and size in Madison
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Madison. 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
$1,550 to $3,600
4-ft galvanized, front yard
Standard
$3,100 to $5,100
6-ft galvanized backyard fence
Premium
$4,600 to $6,600
Vinyl-coated, 8 ft, extra gates
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| backyard (100 linear ft) | $1,050 – $2,400 | $2,100 – $3,450 | $3,100 – $4,450 |
| 150 ft (150 linear ft) | $1,550 – $3,600 | $3,100 – $5,100 | $4,600 – $6,600 |
| 200 ft (200 linear ft) | $2,100 – $4,750 | $4,100 – $6,750 | $6,100 – $8,750 |
| full lot (300 linear ft) | $3,100 – $7,100 | $6,100 – $10,100 | $9,100 – $13,100 |
Madison against nearby metros and the rest of Wisconsin
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 $3,800 to $4,250 across Madison and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison, WIthis page | $1,550 – $6,600 | $4,100 | |
| Janesville, WI40 miles | $1,600 – $6,850 | $4,250 | +3% |
| Rockford, IL60 miles | $1,600 – $6,900 | $4,250 | +4% |
| Dubuque, IA80 miles | $1,500 – $6,100 | $3,800 | −7% |
| Oshkosh, WI85 miles | $1,600 – $6,850 | $4,250 | +4% |
| La Crosse, WI85 miles | $1,550 – $6,600 | $4,050 | level |
| Wisconsin (statewide) | $1,550 – $6,500 | $4,050 | −1% |
| United States | $1,550 – $6,150 | $3,850 | −6% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Madison ranks #66 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Madison is 1% above the Wisconsin figure.
Elsewhere in Wisconsin
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee, WI | 820,780 jobs | $1,550 – $6,650 | $4,100 | level |
| Green Bay, WI | 174,550 jobs | $1,550 – $6,400 | $4,000 | −3% |
| Appleton, WI | 124,230 jobs | $1,600 – $6,700 | $4,150 | +1% |
| Oshkosh, WI | 93,750 jobs | $1,600 – $6,850 | $4,250 | +4% |
| Eau Claire, WI | 86,060 jobs | $1,550 – $6,550 | $4,050 | −1% |
| La Crosse, WI | 84,380 jobs | $1,550 – $6,600 | $4,050 | level |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Madison against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge, LA | 409,690 jobs | $1,400 – $5,450 | $3,400 | −16% |
| Albuquerque, NM | 404,700 jobs | $1,450 – $5,700 | $3,600 | −12% |
| Knoxville, TN | 424,600 jobs | $1,450 – $5,750 | $3,600 | −12% |
| Bridgeport, CT | 404,180 jobs | $1,600 – $6,800 | $4,200 | +3% |
What local crews earn in Madison
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 Madison the blend is 1.14.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 60%) the local median is $27.40 an hour, which is 21% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $22.70 and $31.94 an hour. BLS counts 2,370 of them working in the area, 58.1 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is thinner than average.
Carpenters (47-2031), 40% of the weighting: a median of $30.52 an hour, 5% above the US median of $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $25.71 and $39.68 an hour. About 2,320 work in the metro. That is 56.9 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 $280 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $290. That is a swing of roughly 7.1% to 6.8% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Madison has 408,070 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 61st 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% | $22.70 | $27.40 | $31.94 | $22.66 | 1.21 | metro |
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 40% | $25.71 | $30.52 | $39.68 | $29.12 | 1.05 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.14 | |||||
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Chain-link fence in Madison: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a chain-link fence in Madison?
For 150 linear ft, expect $1,550 to $6,600 in the Madison area. A standard-spec job lands at $3,100 to $5,100. Small jobs usually cost more per linear ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per linear ft for chain-link fence in Madison?
About $10 to $43 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 Madison or Janesville?
Janesville is 40 miles away. The midpoint for 150 linear ft there is $4,250, which is 3% more than Madison ($4,100). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Madison?
About 65% at the midpoint, or $2,650 out of $4,100. Materials are 33% and permits 2%. Nationally, labor is 60%.
+What would 200 ft (200 linear ft) cost in Madison?
$2,100 to $8,750. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does chain-link fence need a permit in Madison?
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 Madison area (our national range of $40 to $150 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Madison expensive for chain-link fence compared with the rest of Wisconsin?
Madison is 1% above the Wisconsin statewide estimate ($4,050 at the midpoint). We cover 12 metros in Wisconsin; see the state page to compare them.
+What do construction laborers earn in Madison?
The BLS median is $27.40 an hour in the Madison area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $22.70 to $31.94.
+What do basic and premium chain-link fence work cost in Madison?
For 150 linear ft, basic work runs $1,550 to $3,600 and premium work $4,600 to $6,600. 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 Madison?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are April through November. October and November 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 Madison?
$85 to $1,050, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Chain-link fence near Madison
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).