The honest answer is that a fence quote is mostly arithmetic you can do yourself once you know what the variables are. Here is what actually moves the number in Johnson County, and a worked example so you can sanity-check anything you are quoted.
The range we work in
Most cedar privacy fences we build across Johnson County land between $28 and $55 per linear foot installed. That is a wide band on purpose, because a six-foot side-by-side cedar fence on flat ground with no gates and a four-foot board-on-board fence stepping down a slope with two gates and steel posts are not the same product.
Two things are worth saying up front. First, that price includes tearing out and hauling away the old fence — we do not bill removal separately, and you should be suspicious of a quote that leaves it off and adds it later. Second, it is a range and not a quote: we measure on site and give you a firm written price, because guessing at footage over the phone is how people end up with change orders.
The six things that move your number
Height. Six foot is the default. Going to eight adds material on every picket, rail and post, and in most cities it also changes what the ordinance allows.
Board pattern. Side-by-side uses the least cedar. Board-on-board overlaps every picket so there are no gaps when the wood shrinks, and it costs more because it uses roughly a third more material. Horizontal costs more again, because it needs closer post spacing to stop the boards bowing.
Post material. Cedar posts look consistent with the fence. Galvanised steel posts cost more up front and outlast the pickets, which is why we recommend them on long runs and anywhere the soil moves.
Gates. Every gate is a small piece of engineering — upsized posts, bracing, hardware. A single walk gate is a modest add. A double drive gate is a different conversation.
Tear-out. Included in our pricing, but the condition of what is coming out matters. Old post concrete that has to be dug rather than pulled takes longer.
Access and grade. A flat back yard with a wide gate to drive through is quick. A sloped lot behind a narrow side return, where every post hole and every picket is carried by hand, is not.
- Height and board pattern
- Cedar or steel posts
- Number and size of gates
- Tear-out condition
- Slope and site access
- Stain and finish
A worked example
This is an illustrative scenario, not a past job — but it is the shape of a typical quarter-acre back yard in Alvarado or Joshua.
Say you have roughly 150 linear feet to enclose, you want six-foot board-on-board cedar with the finished side facing out, one walk gate, steel posts, and an existing chain-link fence that has to come out. That specification sits in the middle-to-upper part of the range rather than at the bottom, because board-on-board and steel posts both cost more than the entry-level build.
Run the range against your own footage and you will get a bracket. Then get it measured — a tape on the actual property line routinely finds ten or fifteen feet that nobody counted.
Where the cheapest quote usually hides the money
The gap between a low quote and a fair one is almost always in three places: the depth and diameter of the post holes, whether the old post concrete is dug out or buried, and whether the stain is a proper penetrating product or a coat of something thin sprayed on at the end.
None of that is visible on the day the fence goes up. All of it decides whether you are calling somebody in three years. If you are comparing quotes, ask each contractor how deep they set posts and what happens to the old concrete — the answers separate them fast.
Frequently asked questions
Does your fence price include removing the old fence?
Yes. Tear-out of the existing fence, the old post concrete and all debris is included in our pricing rather than added as a separate line. Your yard is left clean.
How much is a privacy fence per foot in Johnson County?
Most cedar privacy fences fall in the $28 to $55 per linear foot range installed, depending on height, board pattern, post material, gates and tear-out. We give a firm written price after measuring on site.
Is board-on-board worth the extra cost over side-by-side?
Usually yes, if privacy matters to you. Cedar shrinks as it dries, and a side-by-side fence develops gaps between the pickets over the first year. Board-on-board overlaps every picket so the gaps never open up.
Get your project measured
Grace Construction builds fences, gates, decks and outdoor living across Johnson, Tarrant and Ellis counties from our shop in Alvarado. Free on-site measure, written price, no obligation.