Introduction
A fence can make your property look great, add privacy or keep your children and pets inside. Irrespective of the reason for building a fence, they cost a lot to build. You may be able to reduce the cost of installation by searching for a “fencing company near me” and hiring one that gives you the best price. However, the bulk of the cost is made by the fencing material. Let’s check out the most cost-effective fence materials:
The Materials
- Chain Link – Chain link fence consists of thick steel wires that are bent in the form of oval or round rings and linked together. They are well suited for a small budget and work great for securing your property. A chain-link fence would cost you around $10 to $20 for every linear foot.
While the chain-link fence may be good for security, the wide spacing inside doesn’t provide you any privacy. It isn’t too attractive either when compared to wood. However, you can make it look good by adding fast-growing ivy vines to it. If it suits your style, you can also make it more vibrant with oil-based paint.
- Treated Pine – If you want to install a wooden fence, treated pine is a great cost-effective material. The pine panels are chemically or pressure-treated to resist both environmental and pest damage.
Unlike naturally rot-resistant lumbers like redwood or cedar, treated pine doesn’t break the bank. They cost around $12 to $19 for each linear foot and can be installed in both vertical and horizontal orientation. However, you need to choose them carefully. Browse through your local lumberyard and pick up pine panels that don’t have a greenish tint and don’t feel damp. Otherwise, they’ll warp very easily.
- Wrought Iron – This is a budget-friendly option, that looks great, has immense stability, and is sturdy and deterring enough to intruders. If your home has a traditional look with long columns, a brick-laid path, and other such elements, a wrought iron fence would sit right in place.
You can choose thin and vertically oriented balusters made from low-carbon iron alloy. The balusters would sit a few inches apart and would be reinforced at the top and the bottom with connecting bars of the same material. They can resist rot and won’t warp unless the temperatures are blisteringly hot or frigid cold. They cost around $24 to $32 for every linear foot.
- Hog Wire – If you really want to squeeze your budget, then you would appreciate this dirt-cheap fence material. Hog-wire fences would cost you around $3 to $5 per linear foot and are usually used to mark boundaries or enclose animals.
In this type of fencing, you have a wooden frame with rigid metal wire grids strung over them. The minimal wood footprint allows you room for investing in high-quality lumbers like cedar to make it more attractive.
- Barbed Wire – Barbed wires are for homeowners who have a large rural property and want to keep their livestock within the property boundaries. It is also storing and deterring enough against coyotes and wolves who might want to grab a quick snack.
This sort of fence has wooden or metal posts with a few strands of barbed wire stretched horizontally between them. This type of fence usually isn’t permitted within city limits. They are cheaper than hog-wire fencing and cost you around $1.50 to $2 for every linear foot.
- Pallet – recently the price of timber has gone through the roof which makes it unaffordable for both home construction and fencing for many people. That’s why people have been innovating and looking for alternatives. Some have started using wooden pallets for their fencing.
They are available for a few cents or for free at construction sites, nurseries, and other such places. You can get your entire yard fenced with this material for less than $20. However, make sure that the pallets you pick up have the IPPC(International Plant Protection Convention) logo on them. This shows that they have been certified to be heat treated and won’t spread diseases or pests.
- Picket fence – The picket fence has been the symbol of the American dream for decades. Fortunately, it’s a super inexpensive material that has quite the aesthetic appeal. If you want your fence to serve an ornamental purpose, you can install them vertically as you’ve seen throughout pop culture.
Otherwise, you can make long panels by nailing pickets horizontally against wooden posts to remodel them into a privacy fence. Make them tall enough and you can also keep trespassers out and your pets in. They cost around $5 to $10 for every linear foot and are available in all sorts of shapes and colors.
- Privet – There’s no reason for compromising on looks when you’re on a budget. If you want a fence that looks great, provides privacy, and can also decrease the carbon footprint of your home, then look into living privacy fences made of privet hedges.
Among the 50 privet species, choose one that is evergreen and grows tall around 8 or 10 feet. You can plant them over your property line and reap the benefits as long as they get enough water and sunlight. They cost around 1 to 2 feet per linear foot.
- Yew – Yew is another plant you can use for building a privacy fence. It features dense and hardy evergreen foliage that protects your privacy from intruding eyes and also creates a cool microclimate if you live in a hot region.
However, unlike privet fencing, they cost a bit more and are slow growing. They will take years to mature and reach their full height of 20 feet or more. You need patience if you want to build this fence.
Conclusion
Now that you know all about the budget fencing materials you can choose one that fits your needs. You can save even more by installing them yourself. Otherwise, you can search for “fencing company near me” and leave it to the professionals.
