ArcaMax

The board and batten fence in our townhouse community conceals a large dumpster used by the homeowners, while creating an attractive screen in the landscape. Surrounding a home, this type of fence also creates privacy from neighbors along a property line or as a patio barrier in close quarters.

All in all, a board and batten fence can be a useful solution in many settings, even to deaden sound from a traffic-heavy street. Fence sections are sold in 4-foot-by-8-foot panels or sections of vinyl, treated lumber or rough-sawn cedar at lumber and home centers. Whether the panels are left natural with a protective water sealer or stained, they are an appealing fence material.

To build a 6-foot-high, 100-foot-long treated board and batten fence, a fencing contractor charges $1,991, which includes labor and material. A handy homeowner can buy the materials for $1,200, build the fence and save 40%. But fence building is not for the faint of heart. It is a consuming project that requires careful planning and layout, and the hard work of digging holes for the poles and installing the panels on them.

Long before the work begins, contact your local building department and ask if there are building code requirements and permits needed to build a fence — there usually are. Then refer to a copy of your property survey to make sure you know exactly where your property begins and ends to avoid building a fence on your neighbor’s property. The materials include the fence sections, end posts, cement and galvanized nails. For tools you’ll need a shovel, a wheelbarrow and basic carpentry tools. To make the job easier, rent or borrow a post hole digger.

Pro Cost: $1,991 — DIY Cost: $1,200 — Pro time: 26.6
DIY Time: 25.0 — DIY Savings; $791 — Percent Saved: 40%

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To find more DIY project costs and to post comments and questions, visit www.diyornot.com and m.diyornot.com on smartphones.

©2026 Gene and Katie Hamilton. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.