Garden Fence Types by the Pest You're Fencing Out
Deer jump, rabbits squeeze through small gaps and armadillos dig under. One fence rarely stops all three, so start with whatever is doing the damage now and build for that.
8 ft Deer Fence (Poly and Steel Mesh)
Deer jump well, so guides build deer fence at least 8 feet tall. Two approaches are common:
- Fine mesh (about 3/4 inch): light enough to hang from posts, poles or even trees, though HomeGuide warns it catches on everything while it goes up.
- Woven wire: economical and strong. HomeGuide prices an 8-foot woven wire deer fence at $1.80 to $2.50 a foot; Fixr's range for wire deer fence runs $1.75 to $5.50.
For a large plot, Clemson Extension calls an electric setup the most cost-effective option. It describes a two-tier polytape fence, an outer strand 18 to 24 inches high and an inner fence 4 to 5 feet inside it. Deer misjudge the depth and stay out. The weeds under it have to be kept down or the fence shorts out.
Welded Wire Garden Fence
Welded wire is mesh with its crossing wires welded into fixed squares or rectangles, hung on wood or steel posts. Fixr puts it at $4 to $10 per foot installed and says most wire fences stand 26 to 48 inches tall. At that height it won't stop deer, but it keeps out the dog and gives beans and cucumbers something to climb.
Picket Garden Fence
A picket fence around a flower or herb garden is mostly about looks, with some help against dogs and rabbits if the gaps are tight and the bottom sits close to the ground. If rabbits are the problem, add chicken wire to the inside of the lower pickets. Styles and prices are on Picket Fences.
Raised-Bed and Kitchen-Garden Enclosures
A small kitchen garden near the house often gets a framed enclosure: wood posts and rails with hog wire panels set in, plus a walk gate. Framed hog wire runs about $15 to $38 per foot installed, more than plain wire but neat enough to sit beside a patio. Ask for the gate to be wide enough for a wheelbarrow.
Rabbit and Armadillo Guard
Rabbits are stopped by small mesh. Chicken wire, at about $2 to $4 per foot installed, is the cheap fix along the bottom of an existing fence.
Armadillos dig. Clemson Extension's advice for keeping them out is a fence at least 3 feet tall buried 12 to 18 inches deep, deeper in sandy soil. They can also jump 3 to 4 feet when startled, so a short fence alone may not hold them.
Why Tallahassee homeowners call Tallahassee Expert Fencing
- The call and the form are free
- Your request goes to one contractor, not a list of bidders
- Ask for posts, gates, removal and cleanup priced line by line
- Hold the final payment until the gates swing and latch
Garden Fence Cost by Material
National installed ranges per linear foot from Fixr's wire fence guide and HomeGuide's hog wire guide.
| Garden fence | Installed per linear foot |
|---|---|
| Chicken wire or small mesh | $2-$4.50 |
| Wire deer fence, 8 ft | $1.75-$5.50 |
| Welded wire | $4-$10 |
| Frameless hog wire | $6-$13 |
| Framed hog wire panels | $15-$38 |
HomeGuide adds about $150 to $500 per gate on a hog wire fence.
Planning a Garden Fence
Height limits
Before you order an 8-foot fence, check the city and county height rules summarized on Wood Privacy Fences.Electric strands
Most cities don't allow electric fencing in residential neighborhoods, so the polytape option suits rural land.Buried mesh and utilities
Anything dug in, posts or a buried apron, needs a utility locate first (see Chain Link Fences).Pets too
If the same fence has to hold a dog, see Dog Fences.