15 Cheap Fence Ideas and Designs for Privacy and Utility

Whether you’re setting up a smallholding or need to revamp your garden, low-cost fencing options are a lifesaver. Quotes from fencing companies can be shockingly expensive, so you might start looking at other cheap fence ideas and low-cost fence designs.

One thing that all homesteaders have in common is ingenuity and creative thinking, so we’d like to share some great ideas for cheap fence designs to inspire you!

Cheap Wood Fence Ideas

Sadly we’ve seen a massive increase in the cost of wood over recent years, and this once-affordable building material can now feel like a luxury. However, there’s no need to stress. We’re about to share several ideas to help you create surprisingly low-cost fence designs. Cheap fence ideas that won’t break the bank!

For cheap wood, you need to forget about smooth planks of treated wood – the real value for money in wood lies in upcycling the pieces, often regarded as rubbish!

1. Rustic Log Pile Wood Fence

diy woven fence from sticks — Tall Cover Farm assembled a breathtaking cheap fence idea that captured our imagination. It’s an interlocking stick fence made from sticks and branches that fell from the sky! It’s one of our favorite cheap fence ideas. It’s perfect for homesteads. And rural farms!

This fabulous idea uses all those offcuts of wood you end up with, stacking them together to create a sturdy and long-lasting fence. While this fence seems to stretch for miles, you could also use this method to fill in small, tricky gaps in your boundary.

2. Woven Branch Wood Fence

organic vine woven wicker fence — Here’s another decorative and cheap fence idea that won’t break the bank. It’s a wattle fence of woven willow tree branches. It looks elegant! If you want to build something similar, check out the wattle fence tutorial by Hunker.com and Jenny Harrington.

Another method to make use of waste wood is this woven branch fence. We did a similar project at a friend’s place to provide a shady boundary to their chicken run, using coppiced mimosa and olive branches to weave the fence. Simple, efficient, and surprisingly beautiful!

3. Wiggly Branch Wood Fence

easy diy handmade wicker fence — We love the idea of using branches, sticks, and logs to help construct a cheap fence. Here’s an excellent wiggly-branch wicker fence sample. It would look perfect in front of any ranch, farm, or front yard. Now – all you need is some lovely climbing flowers for your fence!

Here is an excellent example of making the most of the materials you have available! Trees don’t always grow in straight lines, but the wiggly parts that may typically get chucked to one side can get used for creating an intricately meshed branch fence.

We’re currently making a wiggly wood fence along our kitchen garden boundary, which will support a clambering wisteria. So far, all we’ve needed to buy is some screws and wire, as all the rest has come from our annual fruit tree pruning!

Cheap Privacy Fence Ideas

When it comes to fencing your front yard, appearances are vital. While many of us have last-minute backyard fencing, it is nice to have an aesthetically pleasing surrounding for your front yard.

In some neighborhoods, the fencing you use in your front yard can get restricted. Fence restrictions may mean you are not permitted to erect a tall fence. Or that you need to leave the front boundary open to the sidewalk.

And although you want your residential fence to be pretty, it doesn’t need to be expensive! Here are some great ways to beautify your front yard without spending a fortune.

4. Recycled Metal Privacy Fence

diy fence from scrap metal — Here’s a cheap fence idea from the Fine Craft Guild blog. It’s a DIY recycled metal fence! We love the rural backcountry feel. It also adds an instant rustic appeal to any ranch, farm, or homestead. Plus – it’s better than throwing the metal in the trash.

How beautiful is this upcycled privacy fence?! I certainly wouldn’t mind laying on my sun deck next to this, even if it got made from waste materials.

A rummage around your local junkyard should reward you with different metal panels for surprisingly little cost, and you can decorate them with leftover paints from other projects. How you lay out the paneling depends on the available materials – the square design here requires tons of joins and fiddly bits, or you could use long vertical panels instead.

5. DIY Wood Panel Privacy Fence

Even though most homesteaders we know are friendly and welcoming – they also love solitude! So we sought the best cheap fence idea that adds lavish privacy to your homestead. Without spending too much on fence materials and labor! We found one we like from Ian Ingram. He shows how he and his wife built a lovely wooden privacy fence. It looks perfect!

Premade wood fencing panels are convenient. But certainly not cheap! However, as this video shows, you can save money if you make them yourself. You will need basic DIY skills to put this fence together, but the results are undeniably pleasing.

Read More!

6. Simple Bamboo Privacy Fence

BambooFencer developed a chic and cheap fence idea with ample privacy. It’s a bamboo fence atop a chainlink fence. It’s perfect if you already have a chainlink fence but want much more privacy. No need for an entirely new backyard fence!

Rolls of bamboo screening are a speedy way to create some privacy in your yard. I love how they can transform an area in a matter of minutes. This video is an excellent example of using bamboo to cover up an unsightly chainlink fence, creating a shaded private and secluded area in the garden.

Bamboo screening is not very durable. And it cannot support the weight of climbing plants. You may need to replace it after a few years, but it is a markedly cost-effective short-term solution to your privacy problems.

Cheap Front Yard Fence Ideas

Although you want your residential fence to be pretty, it doesn’t need to be expensive! Here are some great ways to beautify your front yard without spending a fortune.

7. Simple Cheap Pallet Front Yard Fence

diy wooden pallet fence — Brandt Life published an excellent pallet fence you can assemble in a few days. Without professional fence builders! You only need some nails, landscaping timbers, and a few old pallets. The fence is also sturdy and should last for years.

You really can’t beat the humble pallet fence for cheapness! Used pallets might get given away, or you can buy them at an insignificant cost. They can then get stripped down for wood. Or used whole to put up a quick fence with minimal hassle.

If you have the time to pull pallets apart, they can get used for building a low-cost traditional picket fence.

8. Wood and Wire Garden Fence

circular vegetable plot in cheshire england — Here’s an incredibly cheap fence idea for gardeners who want to keep wandering chickens, dogs, and bunnies out of their gardens! It’s of wood and wire mesh. It’s easily one of the most affordable fence options. However, it adds virtually no privacy. And – it’s far less sturdy than other fence options on this list.

This fence looks tremendously appealing. On closer inspection, the infill is just standard wire mesh used for stock fencing. It just goes to show that paying attention to the detail and finish means you can turn the cheapest building materials into something stylish.

9. Durable Vinyl Front Yard Fence

brown and grey paving stone with white fence — Vinyl fencing makes a breathtaking accent for any farm or pastoral scene. We also noticed that vinyl fencing is tremendously popular for horse fences. Vinyl fencing isn’t as affordable as other cheap fence ideas on this list. However, white vinyl fencing should last your homestead for many years.

Okay! So initially, this fence will not be the cheapest option, but a good quality vinyl fence will come with a lifetime guarantee! So, if you can afford the initial financial outlay, this is a very cost-effective choice in the long run.

Cheap Fence Ideas for the Backyard

Backyard fencing does not need to be expensive, but it pays to build something durable and long-lasting. Some of these options may not be the prettiest, but with a smidgen of creative thinking, you can turn them into an attractive yet functional boundary fence.

10. Backyard Chain Link Fence

old rustic chain fence in rural homestead — Check out this homemade DIY chainlink fence that would look immaculate along any ranch, farm, homestead, or backyard. We love the rustic and country design. Notice the custom fence posts supporting the chainlinks.

Chain Link fences do not win any points for beauty, but they are one of the cheapest and most durable fencing materials available. Digging post holes and cementing the fence posts is vital to keep the metal chain link tight and secure. Otherwise, it will sag downwards.

If you’re not a fan of the appearance of chain link fence, then get artistic and decorate it with some hand-painted tin-can planters!

11. Trellis Back Yard Fence

We had to include a trellis fence in our list of cheap fence ideas – and we think we found the best specimen! HouseSmartsTV demonstrates how a trellis fence can help accentuate a lovely vertical garden. The best part is deciding which vines, climbing flowers, and shrubs you want to help decorate your trellis fence!

Securing your backyard with a trellis fence keeps your property private. It also hugely expands your growing space! Many productive plants and vegetables will enjoy growing up a trellis, such as climbing zucchini, squash, kiwis, and grape vines.

12. Simple Paling and Wire Back Yard Fence

WoodlandsTV and Aly May showcase how to launch a sturdy chestnut paling fence using twisted wire. We’ve never seen a paling fencing get constructed before. It looks sturdy, portable, and lightweight.

A paling and wire fence is incredibly simple to build and install and will create a fence around your backyard that blends in with nature.

3 Bonus Fun Fencing Ideas!

We couldn’t resist including these great fencing ideas, all made using upcycled materials!

13. Wine Bottle Fence

glass bottles on diy panel fence — Here’s one of our favorite cheap fence ideas using old recycled wine bottles! It reminds us of this epic article we read from the Indiana University blog about wine bottle edging. Wine bottle edging is all about using wine bottles to create a garden border. Empty wine bottles are perfect for creating garden boundaries. And – cheap fences too!

Laying your hands on some empty wine bottles shouldn’t be a problem, especially if you ask your friends and neighbors to save them for you! The trickiest part is drilling holes through the base of each bottle without breaking them, for which you’ll need a diamond-tipped drill bit.

14. Upcycled Pallet Fence

diy fence from recycled wooden pallets — Check out one of the most elementary cheap fence ideas we could find. It’s a recycled pallet fence! We’re always looking for more ways to repurpose old wooden pallets. And – we already tell our friends to create wooden pallet chicken coops. Why not use your old pallets as fencing as well? We love the idea!

Many old wooden pallets, doors, and windows don’t even make it to the salvage yard! Put out an appeal on your local social media channels. You’ll find plenty of people who are happy to get rid of them!

15. Bicycle Garden Gate

unique vintage recycled bike fence — We saved one of the most creative cheap fence ideas for last. It’s an old recycled bike fence by Neodim from recyclart.com. We’re unsure if we have the fence-mending skills required to get the job done. But – we thought it deserved a share nevertheless!

If you’re handy with a welder, this design wouldn’t be too difficult to make! Fabricating metal is a fun skill to learn. And it empowers you to get creative with metal in your fencing designs.

A Few More Words of Cheap Fencing Wisdom. And Inspiration!

We’ve all done it! We’ve Built a beautiful boundary around our front yard. And then, we left the rear of our property looking like an unkempt mess! However, a good backyard fence is vital not only for our security. But also to keep escaped livestock from roaming free.

(We learned this very quickly when our hens first escaped from their run – with no outer boundary fence to keep them on our land, they went on an adventure to the neighbor’s farm!)

Putting a fence up does not need to be impossible. But you need to pay attention to certain key aspects to ensure it is sturdy and will stand the test of time. Fencing preparations include digging deep holes for the posts and cementing them securely. Also, you must not forget to treat any wood to protect it against rot and termites.

Conclusion

As you can see, the lowest-cost fence designs get made from salvaged or upcycled materials. Yes, they may take more time and effort to construct, but you will get rewarded with a functional and unique fence.

If upcycling isn’t your thing, the next cheapest option is to look for a durable and long-lasting material. While we tend to think of wood as the most common material used for fencing, you may find that metal or PVC will work out more cost-effective in the long term.

So, are you feeling inspired to create some low-cost fence designs around your homestead? We’ve tried to find something to fit every budget and situation, but if you’ve got a clever new fencing idea, we’d love to hear about it!

One Comment

Carol L says:

October 12, 2022 at 7:59 am

This is a nice post, thank you. While I think it is important that we try to re-use as much as possible, I want to add a caution to using pallets and/or trellises: Please use caution when using these materials. They degrade very quickly. And when they do, they drop their nails/staples. If you have animals of any kind, they will pick up those nails/staples and get them on their feet, hooves, etc..
I purchased my homestead over 20 years ago, and the previous owners had used pallet fencing. They would just leave one set and put another in its place…thinking that the wood would just disintegrate, which it did, leaving the nails behind for the animals to get stuck in their hooves.(for them, horses and sheep, for me, cows) There were places that there were three sets of pallets! I had to rent a large mower/magnet and run along the fence line to help me get rid of the nails as I removed the rotten wood and what was left of the fence. 5 acres is a LOT of fence line to do, especially when it is cross fenced as well!
So just be aware that a pallet fence (and probably a trellis, since it is a weaker build will last less time) will only last maybe one or two years (depending on the rainfall and snow and heat of the weather) before it begins to rot in place and you will need to remove it before it drops the nails used in building it.
Thank you for some interesting fences and perhaps even an idea or two!

PS: my cows did the same thing with the poorly built fence: they decided to head for the coast, about 60 miles west of me. Fortunately a road working crew and a few neighbors helped herd them back home before I got back from work.