Vinyl Fence Styles and What They Cost
Vinyl, or PVC, comes as hollow posts and prefab panels, usually 6 or 8 feet long. The style decides the price more than anything else.
Solid Vinyl Privacy
Tightly spaced boards block the view completely, which is why it's the popular backyard choice. It's also the costliest vinyl style.
- 6 ft: $40 to $60 per linear foot installed
- 8 ft: $60 to $85 per linear foot
A solid panel is a sail. Ask how the posts are reinforced (see the FAQ) and read Storm Damage Fence Repair for how fences fare in Tallahassee's storms.
Semi-Privacy, Shadowbox and Lattice-Top
These styles trade a little privacy for light and airflow. Vinyl shadowbox panels overlap with small gaps, stand 4 to 6 feet tall, and run $40 to $65 a foot. A lattice-top fence is mostly solid with an open lattice band on top, which keeps the privacy at eye level and softens the look. Fixr prices lattice-top vinyl at $18 to $45 a foot installed.
Vinyl Picket
Picket vinyl stands 3 to 4 feet tall and is mostly a front-yard fence, there for looks rather than privacy. Guides list it at $30 to $45 a foot. Wood picket styles and spacing for dogs are covered on Picket Fences.
Vinyl Ranch Rail
Two to four flat rails between posts set about 6 feet apart. It marks a line or edges a driveway without blocking the view. HomeGuide puts vinyl split rail at $15 to $30 a foot and Fixr's ranch rail at $11 to $18. For livestock, see Horse Fencing; for the rustic wood look, see Split Rail Fences.
Wood-Grain and Color Vinyl
Vinyl isn't only white anymore, but color costs extra. Material prices per foot, before labor:
| Vinyl color | Material per linear foot |
|---|---|
| White | $20-$25 |
| Gray | $25-$45 |
| Wood-grain brown, beige or sand | $30-$55 |
| Black | $30-$65 |
Darker and more saturated colors cost more, and all vinyl fades somewhat over time. Painting vinyl is a bad idea since paint doesn't stick well. Pick the color you want to live with.
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
Vinyl Posts, Gates and Inserts
The panels rarely decide whether a vinyl fence lasts. The posts do. Vinyl is light and can sway in high wind, so most of the engineering is in what's inside and under each post.
Post size
Fixr suggests posts at least 5 inches square for larger privacy fences.Depth
Those posts should go 1.5 to 2 feet into the ground, set in concrete.Inserts
Steel or aluminum inserts slide inside a hollow post for about $40 to $95 each. Ask which posts get them: gate posts and corners at least.Hybrid
Vinyl panels on aluminum posts make a stiffer fence than all-vinyl.Gates
A standard 4 to 6 ft vinyl gate runs $150 to $780 installed.
If the vinyl fence also serves as a pool barrier, it has to meet Florida's pool barrier rule, gates included.
Living With a Vinyl Fence in Tallahassee
Vinyl won't rot or warp, it resists pests, and HomeGuide rates it well for humid, rainy climates. The trade-offs are real, though:
- Shaded runs grow a green film of mildew; a hose and mild soap clear it
- A hard hit from a mower or a falling limb can crack a panel, and a cracked panel is usually replaced, not patched
- Colors fade, so a replacement panel years later may not match
Expect 20 to 30 years from a well-built vinyl fence, and more than 40 if it's kept clean. For a cracked or leaning section, see Fence Repair.