27 Cheap Fence Ideas

These creative ideas for affordable fences will help you gain privacy, border definition and good looks at a fraction of the price.

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Be Fence Smart

Whether you're building a fence to mark your property line, keep pets or children in or gain privacy from passersby, there are endless design options worth considering before breaking ground. But some are cheaper than others. Classic picket and privacy fences require more materials and are pricier than a split rail or chain fence, but not to fret, friend. We compiled a list of our best budget-friendly fence ideas to help you design the fence of your dream — without breaking the bank in the process.

Our handy guide to saving money when planning your fence will help you make thoughtful, budget-friendly choices. Read on to get the scoop on our top 27 inexpensive fence ideas and learn how to recreate them for your home.

Make the Right Material Choice

When it comes to fences, wood is less expensive than vinyl, but of course, entails far more maintenance and upkeep. Treated pine tends to be the most affordable, and also durable wood option. Cedar tends to be a pricier wood for fencing, and redwood and teak are at the top end. Vinyl, wrought iron, brick or stone fences are the most expensive.

Find More Ideas: 54 Design Ideas for Privacy Fences

Split Rail Fence

Split rail fencing is a handsome option, especially for ranch-style homes, and a great way of restricting large swaths of your property line. Because there is so much space between the rails, this type of fence requires less material and therefore costs less.

From: LaGuardia Design Group

Add In DIY Additions

You may not want to fence in your entire front yard, but a couple of white picket fence panels can add tons of charm. An 8-foot panel goes for about $50. Paint or stain it to match your home’s exterior or go with the quintessential classic white. Use the fence panels to flank a walkway, outline a driveway or create an extra barrier from the street. No matter where you put your picket fence, be sure to plant some colorful blooms in front of it.

Find More Ideas: 50 Fresh Fence Design Ideas

Take a Strategic Approach

One foolproof way to save money on fencing is minimizing your square footage. Rather than fencing in your entire yard, consider enclosing a smaller section for gardening, as seen here. This approach is practical money-wise and creates a beautiful barrier between your enticing garden goodies and curious neighborhood rabbits, deer and raccoons.

Find More Ideas: 32 Gorgeous Garden Fence + Gate Ideas

From: Bria Hammel Interiors

Get Growing

Take your gardening game to the next level and breathe new life into your backyard fence with this eye-catching idea. Grow a vertical garden on a portion of your privacy fence using climbing beauties like morning glories or star jasmine. Container-friendly plants and posies like ferns, succulents and fresh herbs are ideal for filling your vertical garden with lush texture and color.

Get the How-To: How to Create a Living Wall

Put Upcycled Wood Pallets to Work

Wooden pallets are an inexpensive mainstay for home projects, and they just so happen to make the perfect budget-friendly material option for crafting up your wooden fence. Learn how to make your wooden pallet fence (that doubles as a planter) in our step-by-step guide, linked below.

Get the How-To: How to Make a Garden Fence From Upcycled Pallets

Wood + Wire

Enjoy an open, airy fence design while maintaining a secure enclosure for your yard with a wood and wire combination like this crisp-white beauty. The X-style fence frames the view of the lush green landscape beyond, while barely-there chicken wire keeps kids and pets from wandering off during outdoor play. Bonus: Utilizing a simple wooden frame and filling it out with wire allows you to cover more ground for far less money than a traditional picket or privacy fence.

Get the How-To: How to Reinforce Fence Posts

From: Living Gardens Landscape Design

Pull Out Your Paintbrushes

Give your existing fence a new lease on life with just a few coats of paint. Take cues from this stately Colonial Revival and coordinate your fence color with your home’s façade or exterior shutters and doors for a charming, cohesive result. Another idea? Keep it classic with a few coats of bright-white paint. Pro tip: Not all paint is created equal. Invest in an outdoor-friendly formula, such as acrylic latex, to ensure lasting results.

Get the How-To: How to Stain or Paint a Wood Fence

From: Ansley Real Estate Christie's International and Luxury Portfolio International®

Crown With a Custom Pergola

Lend your existing fence a luxurious look without the heart-stopping price tag by adding a custom pergola topper. Take notes from this outdoor space and create a cozy corner by training ivy to climb up your pergola topper and installing string lights overhead for ambiance after hours.

Find More Ideas: 36 Backyard Pergola and Gazebo Design Ideas

From: Native Edge Landscape

Install a Picket Fence

When in doubt, you can never go wrong with the classics. Surround your home and yard with charm galore using our easy-to-follow guide in the link below. Trust us, it’s easier (and cheaper) than you think.

Get the How-To: How to Build a Picket Fence

Embellish a Little

Transform your modest privacy fence into a luxurious garden-ready backdrop with the help of latticework panels. Treillage is a traditional and timeless technique that involves lining walls, fences and even outdoor structures with a trellis or latticework panel. This addition brings dimension to your partition and provides a lovely anchor for climbing vines and blooms. The best part? Lattice panels are inexpensive, customizable and easy to install onto your existing fence over the weekend.

Shop Our Favorites: 11 Great Garden Trellises for Climbing Vines, Blooms and Vegetables

From: Williams Trew and Luxury Portfolio International®

Elevate Your Gate

Off-set your simple privacy fence with a striking entry gate a la this bohemian backyard. Here, a laser-cut gate welcomes guests with style and lets natural light into this outdoor space. Investing in a focal point fence gate will instantly elevate your otherwise budget-friendly enclosure and showcase your design chops in one fell swoop.

Find More Ideas: 20 Garden Gates and Arches We're Obsessing Over

From: FineLines Design Studio

Let There be Light

Good lighting is everything in design, and your outdoor space is no exception. Highlight your backyard and give your fence a high-end look with integrated solar deck lights. Another wallet-friendly option? Fasten bistro lights flush along the top of your fence for a tailored and tidy look you can easily remove as needed.

Find More Ideas: 25 Outdoor Lighting Ideas That Won't Break the Bank

From: Landwell Design + Build Co.

Keep a Low Profile

Charm passersby with a petite picket fence lining your front garden. While this knee-high fence design isn’t ideal for keeping rambunctious pets or kiddos contained, it’s the perfect polishing touch for the front of your home. Better still, the low-profile design calls for fewer materials, making it a much more cost-effective option than a traditional picket fence.

Find More Ideas: 32 Gorgeous Garden Fence + Gate Ideas

Perk Up Your Picket Fence

Give your DIY picket fence a custom look by installing pickets at varying heights to create an undulating effect. This scalloped silhouette adds ample charm to your outdoor space and the results look far more expensive than they actually are.

Cable Fence

Aluminum-framed or wood-frame fences with stainless steel cables are not the most inexpensive option there is, but considering their durability and lack of maintenance, they are a good value. Aluminum is more expensive than wood frame. If you already have a wood fence, leave the posts and replace the existing pickets with cables; kits are available to make the retrofit fairly simple.

Go Wide Horizontally

Don’t let your sloped lot stop you from building a head-turning privacy fence. Our tip? Skip traditional vertical slats because they require endless cutting to create one seamless line. Plus if you use wide horizontal planks instead of skinny vertical pickets, you'll save money on material. Instead, achieve a cohesive streamlined look by building a horizontal slat privacy fence using our step-by-step tutorial in the link below.

Get the How-To: How to Build a Horizontal-Plank Privacy Fence

Corrugated Metal Fence

Corrugated metal is a budget-friendly option that you might not have considered. Sheets of metal can be easily cut to size and paired with either horizontal or vertical wood posts (or both, as seen here). It’s a great choice for a more modern home.

Unique DIY Privacy Fence

Need a little privacy from those nosy neighbors? Our unique take on the traditional privacy fence will have you relaxing in peace in no time. Use found objects including window frames, doors or shutters and a simple wooden frame to create privacy and separation between your yard and the neighbors.

Get the How-To: How to Build a Unique Privacy Wall

Let in Light With Lattice

Another great option is to use lattice as the predominant material for your fencing. While this won’t necessarily provide a lot of privacy, it’s a great option if you're looking for a more open and airy look.

Find More Ideas: 54 Design Ideas for Privacy Fences

Privet Hedge

Great for a formal hedge or shrub, privet has semi-evergreen, dense foliage that can reach up to 10 feet high and serves as a great "living fence." The downside, however, is that it grows very quickly and usually needs trimming about four times a year. The leaves and berries of the plant are considered poisonous and can affect humans and animals alike. Other options for green living fences include yew — a slow-growing hedge option — and spotted laurel.

Find More Ideas: 50 Fresh Fence Design Ideas

Wattle Fence

For a real DIY project, craft your own wattle fence. Dating to Medieval times, this woven fence comes together with nothing but sticks. You can use fruit tree or shrub trimmings, brush you’re clearing, or gleanings from your local yard waste pile. Fresh sticks work best for weaving because they’re supple, but you can use older, dried sticks, although they’ll break more easily through the process. Willow is a popular choice because you can soak dried branches and they become supple again. Other good woods for weaving include hazel, sycamore and oak.

Find More Ideas: 20 Garden Edging Ideas for Lawn Borders

Chainlink Fence

OK, it's not the most aesthetic option. But chainlink is affordable and a great way to keep pets or children safe. And you can enhance the look by choosing a black vinyl-coated variety, painting the fence a shade of green that allows it to blend into its background, or allowing a vine or climbing plant to grow over the fence. Some options include wisteria, creeping fig, Boston ivy, honeysuckle and clematis. This rustic patio area features a black chain link fence that contains the dog run located just behind the space.

Learn More : 15 Perennial Vines

From: Alderwood Landscaping

Put Your Money Where It Has the Biggest Payoff

When you use handsome wooden posts to anchor your fence entryway, inexpensive wire ends up looking much more finished and refined. And this option is great to deer- and animal-proof your vegetable garden at a minimal cost. This fence proves if you put your money at the entry, you can skimp a bit more with the plain wire fence.

Keep It Simple

Made from 1x4 lumber and 4x4x posts, this handsome fence is easy to build and elementary in its design, but the look is custom without the expense.

Learn More: How to Stain or Paint a Wood Fence

From: Davis Landscape Design

Simple Chicken Wire

Whether you choose a neater, more attractive wooden frame for your chicken wire, or just tall posts with chicken wire as shown here, a combination of wood and chicken wire can make for a very affordable fence. If protecting and containing chickens is what you are after, give your chickens a place to roost and run with a coop like the one shown. Wire mesh ensures that your backyard flock is safe from predators.