Wood fence cost in Raleigh, NC
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (150 linear ft)
- $2,800 – $7,150
- Per linear ft
- $18.50 – $47
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −7%
- US $5,350
- Rank of 300 metros
- #182
- 1 = most expensive
Raleigh homeowners pay roughly $2,800 to $7,150 to install a wood fence at 150 linear ft, or $18.50 to $47 per linear ft (permit not included). Against the US midpoint, Raleigh is 7% lower. Carpenters earn a median of $24.43 an hour in the Raleigh area, 16% below the US median of $29.12.
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Estimated cost for 150 linear ft in Raleigh, NC, standard level
$4,150 to $5,850
About $27 to $38.50 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 40% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,300 | $3,500 |
| Labor | $1,750 | $2,250 |
| Permits and fees | $70 | $110 |
| Total | $4,150 | $5,850 |
Cost breakdown for 150 linear ft in Raleigh, NC
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,450 | $2,900 | $4,350 | 58% |
| Labor | $1,350 | $2,000 | $2,650 | 40% |
| Permits and fees | $40 | $95 | $150 | 2% |
| Total | $2,800 | $5,000 | $7,150 | 100% |
What is behind the Raleigh number
The wage side of the estimate leans on carpenters, who do 60% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $24.43 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Raleigh is 0.89 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 40% of the total.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Raleigh metro is 96.6 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 150 linear ft comes to $2,900, compared with $3,000 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (98.2) and land at $40 to $150.
Cost by quality level and size in Raleigh
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Raleigh 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 4 common sizes.
Basic
$2,800 to $4,550
Pine pickets or split rail, 4 ft
Standard
$4,150 to $5,850
6-ft cedar or treated privacy fence
Premium
$5,450 to $7,150
Premium hardwood or 8-ft privacy fence
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| backyard (100 linear ft) | $1,900 – $3,050 | $2,800 – $3,950 | $3,650 – $4,850 |
| 150 ft (150 linear ft) | $2,800 – $4,550 | $4,150 – $5,850 | $5,450 – $7,150 |
| 200 ft (200 linear ft) | $3,750 – $6,050 | $5,500 – $7,800 | $7,200 – $9,500 |
| full lot (300 linear ft) | $5,600 – $9,050 | $8,200 – $11,600 | $10,800 – $14,200 |
Local wages behind the labor line
Wages are the part of this estimate that changes most from town to town. 2 trades carry the job here, and each is compared with its US median. The weighted result for Raleigh is 0.89 times the national level.
For carpenters (47-2031, weighted 60%) the local median is $24.43 an hour, which is 16% below the national $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $21.31 and $29.01 an hour. BLS counts 2,680 of them working in the area, 36.1 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 43.1), so the local bench is thinner than average.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 40% of the weighting: a median of $21.95 an hour, 3% below the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $18.31 and $23.77 an hour. About 6,360 work in the metro. That is 85.6 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
Quotes come from real crews, not medians. If the carpenters on your job are paid at the 75th percentile ($29.01 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $210. At the 25th percentile ($21.31) it shrinks by about $140. The total moves by 4.2% or 2.9%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 743,120 jobs in the Raleigh-Cary area. That makes it the 41st largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.48% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 60% | $21.31 | $24.43 | $29.01 | $29.12 | 0.84 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 40% | $18.31 | $21.95 | $23.77 | $22.66 | 0.97 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.89 | |||||
When to schedule wood fence in Raleigh
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Raleigh Durham Intl Ap (10 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
August through June is the stretch where exterior installation runs into the fewest weather problems in Raleigh (11 of 12 months). July has an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
Raleigh gets about 46 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 5 inches of snow. The wettest months are July, August and September (5.2 inches in September). Inside the workable window, February and November are the driest, at 2.8 and 3.3 inches. The station averages about 52 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 | 52 | 32 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Feb | 56 | 34 | 2.8 | Workable |
| Mar | 63 | 40 | 4.1 | Workable |
| Apr | 73 | 49 | 3.5 | Workable |
| May | 80 | 58 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Jun | 87 | 66 | 3.9 | Workable |
| Jul | 91 | 70 | 5.0 | Hot |
| Aug | 89 | 69 | 4.7 | Workable |
| Sep | 83 | 63 | 5.2 | Workable |
| Oct | 73 | 50 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Nov | 63 | 40 | 3.3 | Workable |
| Dec | 55 | 34 | 3.4 | Workable |
Extras that change the Raleigh total
Extras are quoted nationally and then scaled to Raleigh by the average of the local wage index (0.89) and goods index (0.97), a factor of 0.93. 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) | $140 – $740 |
Wood fence: what moves the price in Raleigh
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.
What nearby projects cost in Raleigh
Because every project leans on different trades, Raleigh's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, vinyl fence runs −5% and wood deck −8%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vinyl fence | 150 linear ft | $4,350 – $8,700 | −5% |
| Chain-link fence | 150 linear ft | $1,450 – $5,750 | −6% |
| Aluminum fence | 150 linear ft | $3,550 – $10,700 | −6% |
| Wood deck | 300 sq ft | $6,950 – $14,000 | −8% |
Raleigh against nearby metros and the rest of North Carolina
Same job, same size (150 linear ft), priced for the nearest metros. Durham is the priciest of the group at $5,050. Greenville is the cheapest at $4,850.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raleigh, NCthis page | $2,800 – $7,150 | $5,000 | |
| Durham, NC40 miles | $2,850 – $7,200 | $5,050 | +1% |
| Burlington, NC55 miles | $2,750 – $7,050 | $4,900 | −2% |
| Fayetteville, NC60 miles | $2,750 – $7,000 | $4,850 | −3% |
| Greenville, NC60 miles | $2,700 – $6,950 | $4,850 | −3% |
| Greensboro, NC75 miles | $2,750 – $7,000 | $4,850 | −3% |
| North Carolina (statewide) | $2,800 – $7,100 | $4,950 | −1% |
| United States | $3,050 – $7,650 | $5,350 | +7% |
Across 300 US metros, Raleigh comes in at #182 from the top. The priciest is Honolulu, HI at $7,050; the cheapest is Brownsville, TX at $4,350 (midpoints, 150 linear ft). Statewide, Raleigh is 1% above the North Carolina figure.
Other North Carolina metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte, NC | 1,358,370 jobs | $2,850 – $7,150 | $5,000 | level |
| Greensboro, NC | 365,410 jobs | $2,750 – $7,000 | $4,850 | −3% |
| Durham, NC | 344,020 jobs | $2,850 – $7,200 | $5,050 | +1% |
| Winston, NC | 271,980 jobs | $2,750 – $7,050 | $4,900 | −2% |
| Wilmington, NC | 191,280 jobs | $2,850 – $7,200 | $5,000 | level |
| Asheville, NC | 180,620 jobs | $2,850 – $7,250 | $5,050 | +1% |
Cities with a workforce like Raleigh's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Raleigh against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach, VA | 763,060 jobs | $2,750 – $7,000 | $4,900 | −2% |
| Providence, RI | 714,120 jobs | $3,150 – $7,850 | $5,500 | +11% |
| Jacksonville, FL | 765,930 jobs | $2,800 – $7,100 | $4,950 | −1% |
| Louisville, KY | 685,190 jobs | $2,900 – $7,350 | $5,150 | +3% |
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Multi-page report for Raleigh, NC: low, typical and high cost, a line-item breakdown of materials and labor by trade, permit notes, the best months to schedule, a quote comparison sheet, red flags, questions for contractors, checklists and every source. Save your estimate above, preview page 1 free, and unlock the full report for $9 one-time, or get every report with CostLocal Pro.
Wood fence in Raleigh: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a wood fence in Raleigh?
For 150 linear ft, expect $2,800 to $7,150 in the Raleigh area. A standard-spec job lands at $4,150 to $5,850. Small jobs usually cost more per linear ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per linear ft for wood fence in Raleigh?
About $18.50 to $47 per linear ft for materials and labor, plus $40 to $150 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $20 to $50.
+Is wood fence cheaper in Raleigh or Durham?
Durham is 40 miles away. The midpoint for 150 linear ft there is $5,050, which is 1% more than Raleigh ($5,000). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Raleigh?
About 40% at the midpoint, or $2,000 out of $5,000. Materials are 58% and permits 2%. Nationally, labor is 42%.
+What would 200 ft (200 linear ft) cost in Raleigh?
$3,750 to $9,500. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does wood fence need a permit in Raleigh?
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 Raleigh area (our national range of $40 to $150 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Raleigh expensive for wood fence compared with the rest of North Carolina?
Raleigh is 1% above the North Carolina statewide estimate ($4,950 at the midpoint). We cover 11 metros in North Carolina; see the state page to compare them.
+What do carpenters earn in Raleigh?
The BLS median is $24.43 an hour in the Raleigh area, compared with $29.12 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $21.31 to $29.01.
+What do basic and premium wood fence work cost in Raleigh?
For 150 linear ft, basic work runs $2,800 to $4,550 and premium work $5,450 to $7,150. Basic means: pine pickets or split rail, 4 ft. Premium means: premium hardwood or 8-ft privacy fence.
+When is the best time to install a wood fence in Raleigh?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are August through June. February 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 Raleigh?
$140 to $740, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Wood fence near Raleigh
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