Wood fence cost in Alabama
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (150 linear ft)
- $2,650 – $6,850
- Per linear ft
- $17.50 – $44.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −11%
- US $5,350
- Metros covered
- 9
Alabama prices for wood fence: $2,650 to $6,850 for 150 linear ft, or $17.50 to $44.50 per linear ft without the permit. The state midpoint is 11% below the national one. Local wages for carpenters are $23.18 an hour.
Inside Alabama, the metros we cover range from $4,550 (Dothan) to $4,850 (Birmingham) at the midpoint. Pick your closest city in the table for a tighter number.
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Estimated cost for 150 linear ft in Alabama (statewide), standard level
$3,900 to $5,600
About $25.50 to $36.50 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 37% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,300 | $3,450 |
| Labor | $1,550 | $2,000 |
| Permits and fees | $65 | $100 |
| Total | $3,900 | $5,600 |
Cost breakdown for 150 linear ft in Alabama
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,450 | $2,900 | $4,350 | 61% |
| Labor | $1,200 | $1,800 | $2,350 | 37% |
| Permits and fees | $35 | $85 | $130 | 2% |
| Total | $2,650 | $4,750 | $6,850 | 100% |
Why two Alabama quotes can differ
Wood species
A 6-ft privacy fence is $25-$50 per linear foot installed; an 8-ft one goes up to $75. Tropical hardwood privacy fences run $35-$55 (HomeGuide).
Style
Split-rail and picket styles are cheaper to build than privacy fence, which uses more boards and takes more labor.
Height and permits
Fences over about 6 ft often need a permit and a setback check. Permits run $40-$150.
Slope and soil
Hills, rock, and tree roots slow post digging.
Composite
A composite wood-look privacy fence is $55-$85 per linear foot installed (HomeGuide).
Alabama seasons and wood fence
Weather decides when exterior installation can happen, and Alabama is not uniform. The table uses NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals from the weather station nearest each metro we cover, and counts the months that are neither cold nor hot enough to complicate the job.
Daphne has the longest comfortable season of the metros we cover in Alabama at 12 months; Dothan has the shortest at 9 (September through May). Rainfall runs from 49 inches a year in Decatur to 66 inches in Daphne.
We do not adjust prices by month, because we have no reliable published data on seasonal pricing. Timing is still worth raising when you collect bids.
| Metro | Jan avg low °F | Jul avg high °F | Precip (in/yr) | Comfortable months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | 35 | 91 | 57 | 10: September through June |
| Huntsville | 33 | 92 | 54 | 10: September through June |
| Mobile | 43 | 92 | 61 | 9: September through May |
| Montgomery | 37 | 94 | 51 | 9: September through May |
| Tuscaloosa | 35 | 92 | 57 | 9: September through May |
| Daphne | 39 | 89 | 66 | 12: all year |
| Auburn | 35 | 89 | 56 | 12: all year |
| Decatur | 32 | 90 | 49 | 10: September through June |
| Dothan | 40 | 93 | 54 | 9: September through May |
Alabama versus the states around it
Alabama ranks 48 of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) for wood fence, where 1 is the most expensive. The costliest is Hawaii at $6,800 and the cheapest Arkansas at $4,650, both for 150 linear ft at the midpoint. Alabama sits at $4,750. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 170 miles away | $2,750 – $7,050 | $4,900 | +3% |
| Mississippi | 180 miles away | $2,700 – $6,850 | $4,750 | level |
| Tennessee | 190 miles away | $2,800 – $7,150 | $4,950 | +4% |
| Louisiana | 310 miles away | $2,650 – $6,800 | $4,750 | level |
| South Carolina | 350 miles away | $2,800 – $7,100 | $4,950 | +4% |
Other Alabama jobs that often go with wood fence
Each project weights the trades differently, so Alabama's wage level does not push every price by the same amount. Compared with the US midpoint, vinyl fence is −8% and chain-link fence −14%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vinyl fence | 150 linear ft | $4,250 – $8,400 | −8% |
| Chain-link fence | 150 linear ft | $1,400 – $5,200 | −14% |
| Aluminum fence | 150 linear ft | $3,400 – $10,300 | −10% |
| Wood deck | 300 sq ft | $6,700 – $13,500 | −11% |
Alabama labor market for wood fence
Alabama's labor line is priced from 2 trades, each compared with its US median wage. After weighting by each trade's share of the work, the state comes out at 0.79 times the national level.
Carpenters (47-2031), 60% of the weighting: a median of $23.18 an hour, 20% below the US median of $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $19.43 and $27.11 an hour. About 5,560 work in the state. That is 26.3 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 43.1 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 40%) the local median is $17.74 an hour, which is 22% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $14.41 and $21.75 an hour. BLS counts 18,400 of them working in the state, 87.1 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is deeper than average.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for carpenters ($27.11 an hour) would add about $180 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($19.43) would take off about $170. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 2,113,660 jobs across Alabama (May 2025), which is 1.4% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 60% | $19.43 | $23.18 | $27.11 | $29.12 | 0.80 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 40% | $14.41 | $17.74 | $21.75 | $22.66 | 0.78 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 0.79 | |||||
Basic, standard or premium: Alabama prices
Bands overlap on purpose, since a good standard job can cost as much as a light premium one. Below are the three bands for the default size, then a grid from backyard (100 linear ft) to full lot (300 linear ft).
Basic
$2,650 to $4,350
Pine pickets or split rail, 4 ft
Standard
$3,900 to $5,600
6-ft cedar or treated privacy fence
Premium
$5,150 to $6,850
Premium hardwood or 8-ft privacy fence
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| backyard (100 linear ft) | $1,800 – $2,900 | $2,650 – $3,750 | $3,500 – $4,600 |
| 150 ft (150 linear ft) | $2,650 – $4,350 | $3,900 – $5,600 | $5,150 – $6,850 |
| 200 ft (200 linear ft) | $3,550 – $5,750 | $5,200 – $7,400 | $6,850 – $9,100 |
| full lot (300 linear ft) | $5,300 – $8,600 | $7,800 – $11,100 | $10,300 – $13,600 |
Optional extras in Alabama
Add-ons start from national price ranges and are scaled by 0.88 for Alabama, which is the average of the area's wage index (0.79) and goods price index (0.96). The estimator above can add them to your total.
| Add-on | Local range |
|---|---|
| Add one gate (flat) | $130 – $700 |
Alabama metro-by-metro prices
3 of the 9 metros sit above the statewide midpoint of $4,750, and the top-to-bottom gap is 7%. Each row prices the default size with that metro's own BLS wages and BEA price levels, so the gap between rows is real local variation rather than a flat markup.
| Metro | Range (150 linear ft) | Midpoint | vs. state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham, AL | $2,700 – $6,950 | $4,850 | +2% |
| Decatur, AL | $2,700 – $6,950 | $4,850 | +2% |
| Huntsville, AL | $2,700 – $6,900 | $4,800 | +1% |
| Daphne, AL | $2,650 – $6,850 | $4,750 | level |
| Mobile, AL | $2,650 – $6,850 | $4,750 | level |
| Tuscaloosa, AL | $2,650 – $6,850 | $4,750 | level |
| Montgomery, AL | $2,650 – $6,800 | $4,750 | level |
| Auburn, AL | $2,650 – $6,800 | $4,750 | −1% |
| Dothan, AL | $2,500 – $6,550 | $4,550 | −5% |
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Wood fence in Alabama: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a wood fence in Alabama?
$2,650 to $6,850 for 150 linear ft, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside Alabama can sit above or below that.
+Which city in Alabama is cheapest for wood fence?
Dothan at about $4,550 (midpoint, 150 linear ft). The priciest is Birmingham at $4,850.
+Is wood fence cheaper in Alabama than the US average?
It is 11% cheaper: $4,750 against $5,350 for 150 linear ft at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in Alabama?
About 37% ($1,800). Materials are 61%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 0.79x the national wage level.
+What do carpenters earn in Alabama?
The BLS statewide median is $23.18 an hour, against $29.12 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $19.43 to $27.11.
+Where does Alabama rank for wood fence costs?
48th most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $4,750 for 150 linear ft. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium wood fence work cost in Alabama?
For 150 linear ft, basic work runs $2,650 to $4,350 and premium work $5,150 to $6,850. Basic means: pine pickets or split rail, 4 ft. Premium means: premium hardwood or 8-ft privacy fence.
+Does the season matter for wood fence in Alabama?
Yes where winters or summers are hard. Of the Alabama metros we cover, Daphne has the most comfortable months (12 of 12) based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals. Our prices do not change by month, so ask contractors whether they charge more or less in busy and slow seasons.
+What does "add one gate" add in Alabama?
$130 to $700, from a national range scaled by the statewide wage and goods indexes.
Wood fence by city in Alabama
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 Wood Fence Cost? (2026) (accessed November 4, 2026)
- HomeGuide: 2026 Building Permit Costs | Fees & Cost Calculator (accessed November 4, 2026)
- HomeGuide: How Much Does a Vinyl Fence Cost? (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