Field guide

Fence guides for people about to spend real money

Quantities, costs, codes and trade-offs — written to be useful before you order material, and short enough to read while the coffee is still hot.

How Many Posts, Rails and Pickets Do You Need? (Per 100 Feet)

The quantities a supplier would quote you for 100 feet of fence, and the three details that quietly change every number.

Installed and DIY ranges for every common fence material, plus what separates a $28/ft fence from a $48/ft fence.

The three materials most homeowners actually choose between, compared over a 20-year horizon instead of the sticker price.

Installation is 40 to 55 percent of the bill. Here is what you are actually buying, and when doing it yourself is a bad trade.

Four checks that take an afternoon and prevent the two most expensive mistakes in fencing: digging into a utility or building on someone else's land.

3 ft, 4 ft, 6 ft or 8 ft: what each height actually buys you, plus the code minimums that apply to pools and the practical ones for dogs.