Planning & Costs · 5 min read
Fence Installation Cost in NJ: Vinyl vs. Wood vs. Aluminum
Fence quotes come per linear foot, which makes them look easy to compare — until three bids for 'the same fence' come back thousands apart. Here's what's inside the number.
Material ranges per foot, installed
Typical installed ranges we see across Monmouth, Ocean, and Middlesex County:
- Wood stockade/board privacy: moderate cost up front, needs staining every few years
- Vinyl privacy: higher up front — roughly $35–$60 per linear foot installed — nearly zero maintenance
- Aluminum ornamental (and pool code): roughly $30–$55 per linear foot depending on grade and gates
- Gates add per-unit costs; slopes, rock, and old fence removal add labor
Why the cheap bid leans in three winters
Post setting is where low bids hide their savings: shallow holes, no concrete, or posts set above frost depth. Central Jersey frost line is roughly 36 inches — posts set shallower than that heave and lean, and no material choice can save a fence with bad posts.
Ask every bidder two questions: how deep do posts go, and is concrete included at every post? Ours: below frost line, concrete, every post — and old fence tear-out and haul-away in the quote so there are no surprise disposal fees.