By Quinten, Owner, Q&A Fencing
Aluminum and vinyl are the two materials most Pittsburgh homeowners compare, and the comparison usually starts with price. The honest answer is that on a typical yard the two overlap more than people expect. What separates them is what each one does for you. Here are our 2026 installed prices, materials and labor together, with worked numbers so you can see the totals and not only the per-foot rates.
The per-foot prices
- Aluminum, 4 feet: $50 to $60 per linear foot installed.
- Aluminum, 5 and 6 feet: $70 to $80 per linear foot.
- White vinyl: $50 to $60 per linear foot, the same range at every height.
- Wood-tone vinyl: $55 to $65 per linear foot.
A typical yard takes 120 to 200 feet of fence. The examples below use 150 feet, the middle of that range.
150 feet, worked out
- 6 foot white vinyl: $7,500 to $9,000.
- 6 foot wood-tone vinyl: $8,300 to $9,800.
- 4 foot aluminum: $7,500 to $9,000.
- 5 or 6 foot aluminum: $10,500 to $12,000.
Notice that 4 foot aluminum and 6 foot white vinyl cost the same. Height is what moves aluminum's price, while vinyl's rate holds across heights. So the real question is rarely which material is cheaper. It is what you need the fence to do.
Those totals cover the fence run only, installed, with materials and labor together. They are ranges because yards differ. The low end is a straight, flat, easy-access run, and the high end is a yard where posts are dug by hand and material is carried a long way from the truck. Treat the range as the honest answer before a site visit, and expect a firm number after one.
What gets added on top
Gates are priced separately at $500 to $800 each, whatever the material. If an old fence has to come out, removal and haul-away runs $3 to $8 per foot, which is $450 to $1,200 on 150 feet. And a sloped or rocky yard adds to the fence run: 15 percent for a moderate slope and 30 percent for steep or rocky ground. Our estimate breakdown walks through each line.
When aluminum fits
Aluminum fencing is open, so it marks a boundary without closing in the yard. It is the usual choice for a pool, because vertical pickets meet the spacing rules and keep a sight line to the water, as we explain in our pool fence guide. It also meets the open-fence rules some towns apply to front yards. It does not give privacy.
When vinyl fits
Vinyl fencing is the privacy choice. White is the lowest-cost option, and wood-tone adds $5 per foot for a look closer to a stained fence. Check your municipality first, because some limit solid fences to the rear yard or prohibit them. Our township permit summary shows where.
Mixed material and chain link, for comparison
Two other options sit on either side of this comparison. Mixed material, an aluminum frame with vinyl boards, runs $70 to $90 per foot, so 150 feet lands at $10,500 to $13,500. It is the choice when you want the structure of aluminum and the privacy of vinyl in one fence. Chain link is the budget option at $30 to $40 per foot, or $4,500 to $6,000 on 150 feet. It contains a dog or marks a line, and it does little else. Some towns restrict it in front yards, so check before you plan around it.
How slope changes the totals
The per-foot rates assume a workable yard. A moderate slope adds 15 percent to the fence run, which is roughly $1,125 to $1,350 on the 150-foot white vinyl example. Steep or rocky ground adds 30 percent, roughly $2,250 to $2,700. The adjustment applies to the fence run and not to the gates. Because it applies to both materials, it does not change which one is cheaper. It changes the total you should budget. Our guide to fencing a sloped yard explains why graded lots cost more.
Comparing two quotes
When you hold two estimates side by side, check the same three things on each. Is the fence run priced per foot, so you can compare rates? Are gates listed separately, and is the count the one you asked for? Is removal of an old fence included, or left out? A bid can look cheaper by quoting one gate where you wanted two, or by leaving out the haul-away. We publish our prices so you can check any quote, ours included, against a fixed set of numbers.
Pick by the job, then price it
If the fence is for a pool or a boundary, aluminum. If it is for privacy, vinyl. If you want both, ask about mixed material. Then run your own footage through the fence cost calculator, or see how it applies in Upper St. Clair and your other town. Allow 4 to 6 weeks of lead time for permitting and scheduling.
Frequently asked questions
At 6 feet, white vinyl at $50 to $60 per foot is below 6 foot aluminum at $70 to $80. A 4 foot aluminum fence costs the same as white vinyl, $50 to $60 per foot.
Yes. A walk gate is $500 to $800 each for every fence type, priced separately from the fence run.
Removal and haul-away is $3 to $8 per linear foot. On a typical yard of 120 to 200 feet, that is $360 to $1,600.