A fence is the kind of project that's "small" until you start pricing it out. The difference between a five-year fence and a thirty-year fence is mostly the choices you make in the first hour, and almost none of them are about the boards you can see. We help you make the right ones.
Privacy fences we build in Austin
- Cedar privacy fences: Western Red Cedar, 6 or 8 foot. Naturally rot-resistant, no chemicals, ages beautifully.
- Horizontal slat fences: the modern Austin look. Boards run sideways for clean, contemporary lines.
- Board-on-board (vertical privacy): the classic. Overlapping pickets eliminate gaps as the wood shrinks.
- Shadowbox fences: identical from both sides, semi-private with airflow. Great compromise between privacy and breeze, and the easiest sell to a neighbour splitting the cost.
- Split-rail and ranch fences: Hill Country style for acreage and rural lots.
- Custom gates: matching pedestrian gates, double drive gates, and side gates with self-closing hardware.
- Stain & sealing services: if you want it sealed on day one, we do that too.
What a privacy fence costs in Austin
Fences are priced per linear foot, and the style you pick moves the number more than anything else. These are the ranges we are actually quoting around Austin right now, installed.
| Fence style | Per linear foot, installed | Typical 200-foot backyard |
|---|---|---|
| Side-by-side cedar (standard privacy) | $32 to $48 | $6,400 to $9,600 |
| Board-on-board (overlap, no gaps) | $38 to $55 | $7,600 to $11,000 |
| Shadow-box (good from both sides) | $40 to $58 | $8,000 to $11,600 |
| Horizontal cedar (modern look) | $48 to $72 | $9,600 to $14,400 |
| Split-rail / ranch cedar | $22 to $38 | $4,400 to $7,600 |
Gates, steel posts, stain, and difficult terrain are the usual add-ons. See the full 2026 cedar fence cost guide →
Which privacy fence style is right for your yard
Side-by-side
Pickets butted edge to edge. The standard Austin backyard fence and the cheapest way to get real privacy. The honest catch is that cedar shrinks as it dries, so a fence that is solid the day it goes up will show thin gaps by its second summer. That is normal, not a defect, and if it bothers you the answer is board-on-board.
Board-on-board
Pickets overlap so there is no line of sight even after the wood moves. Roughly 20 percent more material than side-by-side, which is most of the price difference. If privacy is the actual reason you are building the fence, this is usually the right call.
Shadow-box
Pickets alternate front and back of the rails, so it looks the same from both yards and air moves through it. Two practical advantages: it handles wind far better than a solid fence, and it is much easier to get a neighbour to split the cost when their side looks as good as yours.
Horizontal
The modern look, and the most expensive of the four. Horizontal boards span between posts with nothing under them, so they need closer post spacing and thicker material or they sag within a couple of years. If a horizontal quote is close to a vertical one, ask exactly how far apart the posts are.
The parts of a fence that decide how long it lasts
Nearly every fence failure we get called out to is the same failure, and it is never the pickets.
- Posts. This is the whole ballgame. Wood posts set in concrete eventually rot at the soil line, which is why old fences lean before they look worn out. Galvanized steel posts cost more up front and routinely outlast two sets of pickets. On a fence you intend to keep, they are the single best upgrade on the list.
- Post depth. Austin's clay swells and shrinks through the year and will heave a shallow post. Depth is not the place to save money.
- Concrete, and how it is finished. A footing that dishes inward holds water against the post. Crowned so it sheds, it does not.
- Fasteners. Cedar's natural tannins corrode the wrong fastener and bleed black streaks down a brand new fence. Stainless or properly coated only.
- Rails. Two rails is builder-grade. Three keeps a 6-foot fence flat for far longer.
- Gates. The gate is the part that gets used ten times a day and it is the first thing to sag. Proper bracing and heavy hinges are the difference between a gate that works in year five and one you have to lift.
Austin-specific things worth knowing
Permits and height
Most residential fences in Austin under 7 feet do not need a building permit, and the surrounding cities each set their own rules. Front-yard fences are usually held to a lower height limit than back-yard fences. We confirm the current rule for your address rather than assuming.
Property lines and easements
Get this wrong and you may be taking the fence down at your own expense. We check your survey and the recorded easements before we set a post, and where a utility easement runs through the line we plan for access instead of discovering the problem later.
Splitting the cost with a neighbour
Texas does not require your neighbour to pay for a shared fence, but plenty of them will if asked before the work starts rather than after. A shadow-box fence makes that conversation much easier because there is no bad side. We are happy to write the quote so the split is clear.
Staining, and when
New cedar needs to dry before it will take stain properly, usually a few months in our climate. Sealed too early, the finish will not penetrate and you will be redoing it. If you want it done on day one anyway, we will tell you what to expect.
Where we build privacy fences around Austin
We install fences across Austin, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, Leander, Georgetown, Lakeway, Buda, Kyle, and Dripping Springs, and the rest of Travis, Hays, and Williamson counties. In town we work regularly in South Austin, Circle C, Crestview, Allandale, Travis Heights, Barton Hills, and out along the 360 and 2222 corridors.
Need a fence quote? Use the Design Builder to pick a style, height, and stain. We'll come measure for free and write you a real, line-itemed quote.
Design my fence →How a JB fence project goes
- Free on-site measure. We walk the line, check the survey and easements, and talk through style, height, and posts.
- Line-itemed quote. Material, posts, gates, tear-out and haul-off, stain, all separated so you can see what each choice costs.
- HOA submission. Prepared and submitted for you where your neighbourhood requires it.
- Tear-out and post setting. Old fence hauled off, new posts set to depth and left to cure.
- Rails, pickets, gates. Then a magnet sweep and a walk of the whole line with you.
Most residential fences are finished in 2 to 4 days. Acreage and split-rail runs take 1 to 2 weeks.
Ready to start? Call (512) 587-3914 for a free on-site estimate. Call or text anytime, every time.
Get my free fence quote →Austin privacy fence questions, answered
How much does a privacy fence cost in Austin?
A standard 6-foot side-by-side cedar privacy fence in Austin runs $32 to $48 per linear foot installed, which puts a typical 200-foot backyard between $6,400 and $9,600. Board-on-board runs $38 to $55, shadow-box $40 to $58, and horizontal cedar $48 to $72. Terrain, gate count, steel versus wood posts, and stain all move the number, so we measure before quoting and every quote is line-itemed and free.
What's the best privacy fence for an Austin backyard?
For most Austin homes, board-on-board cedar. Cedar handles our heat and resists rot without chemical treatment, and the overlapping pickets mean you still have full privacy after the wood dries and shrinks, which a side-by-side fence will not. If you want it to look good from your neighbour's yard too, or you're on an exposed windy lot, shadow-box is the better pick.
How long does a fence install take?
Most residential fence projects in Austin are completed in 2 to 4 days. Larger acreage installs and split-rail Hill Country fences can take 1 to 2 weeks.
Cedar or pressure-treated for an Austin fence?
Cedar lasts 20 to 30 years here and looks better as it weathers. Pressure-treated is cheaper but warps and twists more in Texas heat and goes a dark grey-green over time. Most Austin homeowners choose cedar if it fits the budget. We help you compare based on yard size and how the fence will look from the house.
Are steel posts worth it on a cedar fence?
On a fence you plan to keep, usually yes. Almost every leaning fence in Austin failed at the post, not the pickets: wood posts rot at the soil line while the boards above them are still fine. Galvanized steel posts cost more up front and routinely outlast two sets of pickets, which makes them the highest-value upgrade on most fence quotes.
Do I need a permit for a fence in Austin?
Most residential fences in Austin under 7 feet do not require a building permit, though front-yard fences are usually held to a lower height limit and the surrounding cities each set their own rules. HOA approval and easement checks are the more common hurdles. We handle the easement check and the HOA submission as part of every project.
When should I stain a new cedar fence?
Give it a few months to dry out first. New cedar holds too much moisture to take stain properly, and sealing it too early means the finish sits on the surface instead of penetrating, so you end up redoing it. If you want it sealed on day one anyway we will do it, but we will tell you honestly what to expect from it.
Can I split the cost with my neighbor?
Nothing in Texas requires them to, but plenty of neighbours will if you ask before the work starts rather than after. A shadow-box fence makes that conversation much easier because it looks identical from both yards, so nobody gets the bad side. We'll write the quote so the split is clear if that helps.
Still deciding on a style? Our guide to picking an Austin privacy fence compares cedar against pressure-treated and horizontal against vertical in more detail, and the 2026 cedar fence cost guide has the full pricing breakdown.