Homeowners who live near roads or share yard space with neighbors should consider privacy fencing along property lines or specific outdoor spaces. This can create a sanctuary where your family can dine, play, and relax while enjoying outdoor views. Many property fence ideas can complement your outdoor area, offer privacy, and improve your home’s curb appeal. This guide sheds light on privacy fence styles, materials, and more to help you discover which is right for you.
How Tall Should Your Privacy Fence Be?
How you plan to use your privacy fence should dictate its height. In some areas, fences can be as tall as you like, while some homeowners associations issue restrictions in other areas. Six feet is the most common height for a privacy fence.
Pros
- Contains large dogs
- Keeps out deer
- Provides privacy when neighbors have high vantage points from an uphill property or a high deck
- Reduces noise from busy streets
Cons
- Can block views of the neighborhood and make you feel isolated
- Can reduce the resale value of your property and turn off potential buyers
- Might offend the neighbors by blocking sunlight or neighborhood views
- Requires additional materials and costs more
Types of Privacy Fences
You can choose from a wide array of privacy fence designs, such as a classic white picket fence, a rustic wood fence, a luxury vinyl privacy fence, or composite fencing. Read about different types of privacy fences below.
- Hybrid fences: Hybrid fences typically have metal posts or framing that support wood planks or metal or vinyl sheets.
- Modern fences: Modern fences usually feature stone or block at the bottom, metal sheets and wood at the top, and traces of corrugated metal.
- Picket fences: A picket fence isn’t completely opaque but offers substantial privacy. Picket fences can be wood or vinyl and feature narrow vertical planks with pointed tops. You can paint a picket fence any color.
- Shadow box fences: A shadow box fence features narrow vertical planks that alternate on either side of a rail. This technique adds privacy by making gaps harder to see through.
- Stone fences: Stone fences complement a variety of architectural styles and offer charm and total privacy. They typically feature multiple colors and mimic the appearance of a traditional rock wall.
- Trellis fences: Trellis fences are made of wood, metal, vinyl, or bamboo and feature open spaces in the shape of squares or diamonds. You can increase privacy by adding planter boxes or growing climbing plants and shrubbery at the base of the fence.
- Wood fences: Wooden fences have a classic look, and you can install planks vertically or horizontally. Top a solid plank wall with lattice for a decorative effect.
Pro Tip
- Architectural historian Carl Lounsbury, of Colonial Williamsburg and the University of Virginia, advises homeowners to think about placement when choosing a fence style: “Tall fences go in the rear, because that’s considered private space. Out front, if the house is not immediately on the street, there is that smaller, picket fence that says, ‘You’re invited to see, but this is my house and my property.’”
As This Old House general contractor Sam explained during the Arlington House project, a shadowbox fence “has the same look from both sides,” making it a neighborly choice since neither side gets the less-finished view. It’s also ideal where you want some airflow—the alternating boards allow ventilation to pass through while still limiting sightlines.
Materials Used for Privacy Fences
You can build your new fence using several materials. Each material below offers different aesthetics, life spans, and maintenance requirements.
Composite
Composite fences are especially durable and made of a composite of recycled plastic and wood. They’re available in various styles and colors and can mimic the appearance of fences made of natural materials. Composite fences are more expensive than vinyl or wood, but they’re low maintenance and don’t warp or rot. Homeowners should remember that they can’t paint composite fences and that the fencing is prone to fading. Composite fences can last between 20 and 30 years and are impervious to the effects of temperature and the environment.
Metal
Metal fencing is available in aluminum, wrought iron, or chain link fence styles, and its styles range from classic to modern. Corrugated metal fences are more specifically composed of solid metal panels that offer optimal privacy and a modern look. Wooden frames typically surround the panels, which creates an industrial appearance. Corrugated metal fences are resistant to rust, rot, and mold, require minimal maintenance, and can last more than 40 years.
Stone
Stone privacy walls are long-lasting, attractive, and ideal for homeowners who want a classic look. Stone offers complete privacy and provides optimal soundproofing qualities, which makes it ideal for properties near roads. This type of privacy fence isn’t vulnerable to severe weather, rot, or insects and can last up to a century with proper upkeep. Stone fences require annual inspections, cleaning, and professional installation and repairs.
Pro Tip
- When it comes to noise reduction, stone walls are hard to beat. According to This Old House Magazine, an 8-foot-high solid wall can knock 6 to 10 decibels off traffic and other ambient noise. Because the decibel scale is logarithmic, a 10-decibel drop sounds to the human ear like half as much noise—roughly the difference between an older dishwasher and a refrigerator’s hum. For maximum effectiveness, the wall should have no gaps and reach all the way to the ground, since sound waves will flow through any opening like liquid.
Vinyl
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) fencing comes in various styles, such as picket, solid, or lattice, and can mimic natural materials such as wood. Vinyl is a relatively inexpensive material, but installation can be complex and ultimately add to the overall cost. You don’t have to maintain vinyl much after you install it. A quality vinyl fence can last between 20 and 30 years and is more resistant to severe weather, pests, and rot. However, panels can warp due to high heat or crack in extreme cold.
Not all vinyl fencing is created equal. On a This Old House project, Roger Cook explained that the key to a quality vinyl fence is internal reinforcement: a top cap that stiffens the upper rail and, most importantly, an aluminum I-beam inside the bottom rail that prevents sagging or bowing over time. For added stability, every post should contain a piece of pressure-treated 6×6 lumber to hold it firmly in place.
Pro Tip
- When the This Old House team needed to enclose a yard around a shipping container pool, vinyl was the material of choice. John, a fence installer with 19 years of experience, explained the reasoning: “Basically, vinyl is a great option” for meeting code requirements, which typically mandate a fence at least 4 feet tall with no more than a 4-inch air gap between pickets. For that project, the team went with a 6-foot solid vinyl fence—well above the minimum—to maximize both safety and privacy.
Wood
Wood is one of the most popular fencing materials because it’s affordable, versatile, and offers a natural appearance. You can stain it so that it maintains its natural appearance, or paint it to be any color. Pressure-treated or properly sealed wood fences can last about 20 years, but wood is naturally prone to rot and vulnerable to termites. Stain and seal wood privacy fences annually, or every other year, to protect it.
Pro Tip
- Roger Cook, This Old House landscape contractor, says naturally rot- and insect-resistant cedar, mahogany, or redwood will last 15 to 25 years above ground, but only 10 to 15 years as posts, since posts sit in moist, fungi-rich earth and decay the fastest. Roger warns that pressure-treated pine is cheaper and just as durable, but it may warp and crack.
Costs of Privacy Fences
The cost of a privacy fence depends on its size, the complexity of the installation, and the materials required. Here’s a look at how much each material costs to install:
| Material | Installation Cost per Linear Foot* |
|---|---|
| Composite | $55–$85 |
| Metal | $75–$130 |
| Stone | $20–$75 |
| Vinyl | $40–$60 |
| Wood | $25–$50 |
DIY Privacy Fence Ideas
You can install your privacy fence as a do-it-yourself project if you have tools and a little building experience. Consider the following ideas:
- Basket weave fence: Install horizontal boards alternately in front of vertical slats, and behind vertical slats, to create a woven pattern.
- Chevron privacy wall: Arrange wood planks into a chevron pattern and install shorter planks diagonally to create a zigzag pattern.
- Horizontal wood planks: Horizontal wood plank fences feature wide planks and have vertical posts at different intervals.
- Pallet fence: You can recycle wooden pallets for a privacy fence by taking them apart and repurposing them or installing complete pallets in the shape of a grid.
- Vertical wood planks: This DIY project yields something unique, as vertical wood planks can have different widths.
Pro Tip
- Privacy fences don’t have to be solid, wall-like barriers to be effective. As noted in This Old House Magazine, small openings—between louvers or within latticework, for instance—provide airflow, a modicum of visibility, and an appealing look. Consider designs like a vertical louver, square lattice, or a board fence with a large-lattice topper to balance privacy with curb appeal.
Our Conclusion
Adding a privacy fence to your property can make your lawn feel more intimate and improve the aesthetic appeal of your outdoor living space. Consider how fencing will fit into your landscape, and how durable it is, as you weigh different privacy fence options. Consult a professional for advice if you’re unsure about the type of privacy fence best for your home.
Pro Tip
- Eric Sauer, a landscape architect in Dayton, Ohio, advises: “While a privacy fence might solve the problem, it’s not always the most aesthetically pleasing solution.” To break up the mass of a board fence, Sauer suggests adding an open lattice or baluster top and planting flowering or evergreen shrubs in front to soften its solidity.
FAQ About Privacy Fence Ideas
What is the cheapest privacy fence to build?
A wood privacy fence is the cheapest to build. However, the cost of maintaining it over time can increase the price.
Pro Tip: According to This Old House guide to wood fences, when installing a privacy fence, be sure to face the framework (posts and rails) toward your house. Out-facing framing is unsightly and makes the fence easy to climb, compromising both your security and privacy. This “good neighbor” approach ensures the tidy board side faces outward.
Is it cheaper to build a privacy fence or buy panels?
It is cheaper to buy premade fence panels than it is to build a privacy fence. It also takes less time to buy premade fence panels than it is to build a fence.
What is the best fence for privacy?
The best privacy fence is an opaque fence that meets your specific needs and style. Six-foot fences are the most common type, and they’re available in many types of material.
What is the best low-maintenance privacy fence?
The best low-maintenance privacy fences are vinyl, corrugated metal, and composite fences.
How can I make my privacy fence more attractive?
You can make your privacy fence attractive by planting shrubs or climbing plants near the fence’s base. You can also paint your fence.
