Wood Fence Cost Per Foot in Fort Myers: What You’ll Actually Pay for a Fence That Doesn’t Rot in Five Years
Wood Fence cost per foot in Fort Myers typically runs $18 to $30 installed, depending on board style and treatment spec. A standard 150-foot dog-ear fence using ground-contact pressure-treated pine lands around $2,700 to $4,500 for the full project, while premium shadowbox or board-on-board designs push closer to the $9,000 top end. For an exact quote on your property, call (844) 638-7249 - estimates are free and we’ll walk you through the material-grade difference most pricing pages won’t mention.
Derek Hollenbeck has pulled out wood fence posts in Fort Myers that were installed five years ago and looked like they’d been underground for twenty. The salt air off the Gulf, summer standing water, and sand that holds moisture like a sponge destroy untreated pine faster here than anywhere in the continental U.S. If you’re comparing fence installation quotes right now, the per-foot number on the estimate is only half the story.
The Cost Variable Nobody Mentions Until the Fence Starts Leaning
Most budget crews in Lee County use standard UC3B framing lumber for fence posts because it’s cheaper. UC3B is rated for above-ground use with intermittent moisture contact. Bury it in direct soil contact in our climate and rot failure begins within three to five years. We’ve seen it. After Hurricane Ian, the rebuild rush brought a wave of out-of-state contractors who installed wood fences with non-compliant materials and disappeared. Lee County’s joint DBPR enforcement sweeps documented it extensively, and homeowners who hired unlicensed crews have no recourse - the warranty is worthless the moment the phone stops ringing.
The real cost comparison isn’t $22 per foot versus $26 per foot. It’s seven-year replacement versus fifteen-year performance from the right material spec. For Fort Myers, only pressure-treated lumber rated UC4B or higher - designated for ground contact and fresh-water immersion - belongs in the post holes. Our uniformed, background-checked crews show up with material certifications on request. You can verify the treatment grade of every post before it goes in the ground, and the price difference on the front end is negligible compared to digging out rotten posts six years later.
We’ve been building fences across Lee County for over a decade and have watched exactly this play out in neighborhoods from Iona to McGregor. The post-Ian rebuilding environment didn’t change the climate - it just exposed how many corners were being cut. We spec every fence from our Fence Installation in Fort Myers work to handle what the Gulf and the water table actually throw at it.
What Affects Wood Fence Cost Per Foot in Southwest Florida
Nationally, you’ll see wood fence pricing quoted at $14 to $22 per foot. That doesn’t hold in Fort Myers. Our material supply chain runs higher because of freight costs into the region, and the post-Ian demand cycle pushed labor rates up across every trade. Here’s what shapes the pricing:
- Treatment grade - UC4B ground-contact pine for posts, which we require, adds $2 to $4 per foot over standard UC3B framing lumber. It’s non-negotiable in our soil.
- Board style - Dog-ear pickets at $18 to $22/ft installed are the most common. Shadowbox (alternating boards) runs $22 to $26/ft. Board-on-board privacy designs hit $26 to $30/ft.
- Gate count and hardware - Each walk gate adds $400 to $700. A double-drive gate with steel frame and drop-rod assembly runs $900 to $1,400 depending on width.
- Post setting method - Concrete footers are standard here because sand shifts. Some crews shortcut with gravel-only backfill. We set every post in concrete to a minimum 24-inch depth, which adds labor but eliminates callbacks.
- Property line obstacles - If we’re pulling out old concrete footers from a previous fence, or working around irrigation lines and mature root systems, expect an additional $3 to $5 per foot for demo and hand-digging.
Wood Fence Cost Breakdown by Board Style
| Fence Style | Cost Per Foot Installed | Typical Project Range (150 ft) |
|---|---|---|
| Dog-Ear Pressure-Treated Pine | $18 - $22 | $2,700 - $3,300 |
| Shadowbox (Alternating Boards) | $22 - $26 | $3,300 - $3,900 |
| Board-on-Board Privacy | $26 - $30 | $3,900 - $4,500 |
| Cedar Upgrade (Any Style) | $4 - $7 adder | $600 - $1,050 added to base |
These numbers reflect what we actually quote in Fort Myers in 2025. They assume UC4B ground-contact posts, concrete-set, with capped boards and proper 2×4 backing rails. A standard 150-foot project lands in the $3,500 to $9,000 range depending on style, gate count, and site conditions. We don’t bury unmarked lumber and hope for the best - and our 730-Day Done Right Promise covers post alignment, gate hang, and cap attachment for two full years. If something shifts, we correct it without a service-call bill.
We’re also one of the only fence contractors in the area that makes upfront pricing the actual rule, not the sales pitch. The number you see on our estimate is the number you pay. No material surcharges added at invoice. No post-hole rock charges invented on day two. We’ll walk you through exactly what’s going in the ground - right down to the brand stamp on the lumber - and you get that in writing before we move a single shovel of dirt.
What to Look for When Comparing Fort Myers Fence Quotes
If you’re collecting estimates, here’s what separates a reputable local contractor from a crew that might not be here next hurricane season:
- Treatment grade on the estimate. If the proposal says “pressure-treated” without specifying UC4B or higher, ask. If they can’t answer, walk. Standard UC3B above-ground lumber should never touch soil in Lee County.
- Lee County license verification. Post-Ian, this isn’t optional. Check the contractor’s license number against the Florida DBPR database before signing. We carry ours on every truck and every estimate.
- Post depth and footer spec. Twenty-four inches minimum in concrete. If a quote shows 18-inch depth without concrete, that fence will start leaning within two wet seasons.
- Who shows up. Background-checked, uniformed employees or day-labor subs in an unmarked truck? We run our own crews - every technician on your property has passed a background check and wears the Groundwork uniform. You’ll know who’s at your door.
We work with top material brands - including ActiveYards and Belgard for integrated fence and hardscape projects - and have strong relationships with lumber yards across Southwest Florida. That means we’re not scrambling for materials when demand spikes, and we’re not substituting lower-grade stock to keep a job moving.
How the Fort Myers Climate Eats a Fence If You Cut Corners
Most people don’t think about soil when they price a fence. They should. Fort Myers sits on sand that drains fast on the surface but traps moisture a few inches down, especially in low-lying lots near FEMA AE flood zones. Add the salt content in the air anywhere west of U.S. 41 and you’ve essentially created a slow rot chamber around every untreated fence post.
Derek Hollenbeck grew up in the Iona area and has watched this part of Southwest Florida grow from the ground up, literally. He learned the fundamentals at Lorenzo Walker Technical College in Naples and spent the next two decades swinging hammers and running crews across Lee County. He’s seen fence posts that looked solid at year three collapse by year six because the rot started underground where nobody was looking. We spec every post and every board assuming it will sit in damp, salty sand for its entire service life - because it will.
That’s not a sales pitch. It’s just what the soil does here. We don’t just break ground - we build something worth standing on.
FAQs
A wood fence in Fort Myers costs $18 to $30 per foot installed, depending on board style and treatment spec. For context on Aluminum Fence Cost in Fort Myers, FL, see our dedicated guide. A standard 150-foot dog-ear pressure-treated fence lands between $2,700 and $3,300, while a premium board-on-board privacy design tops out around $4,500 for the same footage. These numbers assume UC4B ground-contact posts and concrete footers - non-negotiable in our soil.
Dog-ear pressure-treated pine at $18 to $22 per foot installed is the most cost-effective option that still holds up in Fort Myers - far below Wrought Iron Fence Cost in Fort Myers, FL - provided the posts carry a UC4B ground-contact rating and are set in concrete to at least 24 inches. Anything cheaper typically means untreated or UC3B posts that begin failing in three to five years. The savings evaporate the moment you’re paying for a second fence.
If your fence is over ten years old and more than 30 percent of the posts show rot at the soil line, replacement is usually the smarter spend. Spot-repairing individual posts in sand that already compromised the original footers is a temporary fix, not a long-term solution. Call (844) 638-7249 for an assessment - we’ll give you a straight answer, not an upsell.
A properly spec’d wood fence with UC4B ground-contact posts, concrete footers, and capped boards should deliver 12 to 15 years in Fort Myers before requiring major work. Cedar holds up closer to 15 to 18 years with the right maintenance. Fences built with untreated or under-treated posts typically fail within five to seven years - a difference in upfront cost of roughly $600 on an average lot, against a full tear-out and rebuild years later.
Yes. We offer 0% financing for 18 months on qualifying projects, plus $1,000 off projects over $10,000. Wood fence installations under $10,000 still qualify for a free project estimate and design consult. Call us at (844) 638-7249 or visit our home services page to schedule - we’ll walk you through the payment options before you commit to anything.
Get a Straight-Priced Wood Fence Quote in Fort Myers - Today
You’ll talk to a live person when you call (844) 638-7249 - 24 hours a day, seven days a week. No answering service black holes. No waiting until Monday. We’ll schedule your free on-site estimate, show up background-checked and in uniform, and give you upfront pricing that covers exactly the materials and labor we’ll use. No surprises at invoice. No fine print. Just a fence built to last in the soil we actually live on. Our 730-Day Done Right Promise backs every board, every post, and every gate hinge - if it isn’t done right, we make it right.
Written by Derek Hollenbeck, Owner & General Contractor, Groundwork Construction Co. of Fort Myers, serving Fort Myers, FL.
What Our Customers Say
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