What is the cheapest privacy fence to build?

The most affordable fence you can build is a treated pin fence. A slightly more expensive option but still the most affordable is to use pressure-treated pine. The slight increase in cost makes it well worth the increase in durability.

What can I use instead of a fence for privacy?

Instead of building a fence, you can plant bushes or have super-sized planters lined up. You could plant trees in a line. You could hang curtains around your patio or the specific area where you want privacy.

Is it rude to put up a privacy fence?

No, it isn’t rude to build a privacy fence on your property. There are many reasons people choose to build a fence, so privacy may not be the only reason. It is also your property; as long as you follow local ordinances and laws, you are allowed to build a fence on your property if you want one and can afford it.

10 Privacy Fence Ideas for Your Yard

“Don’t ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up.” – Gilbert K. Chesterton

You want to enjoy your backyard and take part in the outdoor living lifestyle. There’s just one problem. Your backyard lacks privacy, so any time you head out there, your neighbors’ spying eyes are curiously peering into your yard.

What you need is a privacy fence. It’s a not-so-subtle way of blocking the view onto your property so that you can enjoy your backyard in peace. You don’t have to build a standard wood fence, though.

Check out these privacy fence ideas and start enjoying your backyard in peace.

1. Gabion Wall Privacy

The hallmark of modern construction is gabion walls. You see them as a part of the landscaping design for new neighborhood entrances.

Gabion fence with a yellow sign at the center; houses with stairs and plants in the background — Source: @heavywaithe via Instagram

Gabion privacy fence, pathway through a gate leading to a modern house, with stone steps, gravel, and greenery — Source: @kuitlandscapes via Instagram

Narrow street with gabion wall on the left, lined with plants; houses with red roofs and solar panels in the background

Potted plants and flowers on a stone patio near a wire mesh and stone wall, with lush greenery in the background

A modern house with a green roof is seen behind a stone-filled, metal mesh fence, surrounded by lush greenery and trees

A stone-filled gabion wall with green plants growing between metal cages, in front of a white house and a parked car

Gabion walls also happen to make great backyard privacy walls. However, this isn’t the type of wall that you’ll want to tackle as a DIY fence. While you can, it will be a lot of backbreaking work that just isn’t worth the minimal savings you’ll get from taking the DIY approach.

Instead, hire a professional to install your gabion wall. Your finished wall will have a wire exterior frame that either uses a mesh or chicken wire style of weave. Stones are then tightly stacked to fill the wireframe.

2. Green Natural Fence

Instead of building a fence, you could grow one. Add a green fence to your property by planting large trees. Trim them once or twice a year, and you have a fence that adds to the natural appeal of your home.

A lush vertical garden with diverse plants lines a red-tiled pathway near a brick and neutral-toned building — Source: @wildseedsgarden via Instagram

House with a trellis and hanging flower baskets, behind a manicured hedge. Blue sky and clouds in the background

Suburban street with a green lawn, a hedge, flower bushes, and houses under a clear blue sky

White picket fence alongside a manicured lawn and tall green hedges under a clear blue sky

Tall evergreen hedge along a stone wall in front of a house with a sloped roof, clear sky and paved sidewalk beside the lawn

A row of tall, neatly trimmed hedges lines a driveway beside a house on a sunny day

White picket fence in front of a lush green hedge, bordering a neatly trimmed lawn with a tree in a residential area

Green hedge and gray wooden fence line a modern house with white walls and large windows under a clear blue sky

Instead of trees, you can plant evergreen shrubs. Keep the shrubs neatly trimmed, and they will give your home an elegant feel. A greenery fence is a growable DIY privacy fence that can last for years to come. As long as you keep the plants alive, you have a solid fence.

3. Decorative Lattice Style

A lattice backyard fence doesn’t create a solid wall as the nature of the fence has holes throughout. This style of fencing is ideal for your outdoor space if you want to maintain airflow.

If you’re concerned about people being able to see through the lattice, you could encourage a vine plant to grow onto the fence. It will weave its way through the lattice to fill in the holes but not create a solid wall.

Garden entrance with white trellis and gate with lattice design, surrounded by daisies and pink flowers, leading to a brick path with a chair — Source: @davisfences via Instagram

Garden with a stone pathway, wooden lattice fences covered in green ivy, and lush trees in the background — Source: @tony.belcher via Instagram

A wooden lattice fence with a small garden in front, featuring flowers and a stone statue, on a clear day — Source: @wentworth_253 via Instagram

White lattice fence with tall green trees behind and a small tree on the grassy side under a clear blue sky

White lattice fence in front of a brick house, with greenery along the base, under a blue sky

Wooden pergola and lattice fence in a garden with stone steps, raised planter beds, and lush greenery alongside a walkway

A yellow brick house with a red roof, bordered by a white lattice fence. Tall shrubs line the house's exterior

Sunset illuminating a brick house with white lattice fence, surrounded by trees

A yard with a well-maintained lawn and a wooden lattice fence in front of a two-story house with beige siding and large windows

Traditional lattice yard fencing has a slanted design with the cross slats angled at 45 degrees. Modern versions of lattice position the slats vertically and horizontally at 90-degree angles.

4. Metal Fencing Upgrade

If you already have a chain link fence, you may not want to take it out just to install another fence. You can create an increased sense of privacy by adding fabric to the fence or weaving slats through the chain links.

Long white chain-link fence with palm trees in the background under a blue sky — Source: @murphy.fence via Instagram

Outdoor seating area with wooden fence, green bushes, and ornamental grass, set against a brick wall in a cozy garden setting — Source: @thornhamdeli via Instagram

Modern metal and brick fence with green grass in front, featuring sleek horizontal metal panels and columns — Source: @wisniowski_ua via Instagram

Tall green trees line a path in front of a wooden fence, with a yellow brick post and a lamp post beside a house in the background

If you’re building a new fence, then consider solid metal fencing. Corrugated metal will give your fence a rustic or industrial feel. However, a stamped iron fence panel will elevate the look of your fence and give it a modern feel. The metal fence panels get mounted between the wood posts and have a wood top rail for an upscale feel.

5. Modern Sustainable Design

Modern privacy fence designs use environmentally friendly and sustainable fence materials. Bamboo fencing is a popular choice. It’s durable, sustainable, and looks elegant. Accent your bamboo fence with a metal fence gate that coordinates with the metal frame around the bamboo.

Modern house with stone and wood accents, featuring horizontal wooden slats and a manicured lawn under a clear blue sky — Source: @aspen_stone_construction via Instagram

Wooden slat fence with horizontal alignment beside a blue wooden deck, adjacent to a brick house and tall evergreen bush — Source: @flawlesslandscapesltd via Instagram

Outdoor dining area with a modern white table set for eight, ambient lighting, a wooden fence, and a grill on a patio — Source: @formation_landscapes via Instagram

Modern patio with a square fire pit, built-in wooden benches, and a hanging egg chair on artificial grass — Source: @infinity_home2 via Instagram

Wooden slat fence with various cacti and a small palm tree in a gravel garden — Source: @portphilliplandscaping via Instagram

Cozy outdoor patio with wooden walls, leafy vines, a bench with blue cushions, a dining table, chairs, and a hanging lantern — Source: @renatafairhallgardendesigns via Instagram

Modern garden with minimalist design, featuring trees, circular seating, and tall black walls surrounded by lush greenery — Source: @sam.egan.gardens via Instagram

Modern wooden and concrete fence with a white house and tiled roof in the background, set against a clear blue sky

Aluminum fence panels are also popular. You can find translucent panels that allow for light to filter through. You could also use panels that have outdoor fabric stretched over them. You could also use a combination of materials to create a custom design, such as blending lattice inserts with horizontal planks.

6. Rustic Wood Charm

A rustic privacy wall will look like a natural barrier of plants growing around the perimeter of your property. You could do this with a vertical garden. Build a framework that has shelves for pots or rails for hanging pots from. The end result is a living fence.

Long wooden fence along a gravel path with trees in the distance under a clear sky — Source: @custom_fence_and_pergola_llc via Instagram

Wooden fence made of horizontal planks with varied shades, set on gravel ground, greenery in the background — Source: @jessnosneb via Instagram

Cozy backyard with a cat sleeping on a shelf, hanging flower pots on a wooden fence, and a small garden along a path — Source: @thecraftycatsman via Instagram

Tall, pointed wooden fence with uneven tops, surrounded by lush green trees and grass below, under a cloudy sky

A wooden fence lines a lush green lawn in front of a modern house with a grey roof and hedges

Wooden fence along a residential street with green shrubs and a red house in the background under a clear blue sky

A tall wooden fence with vertical planks beside green bushes and trees, against a clear blue sky in a residential area

This approach is more affordable than purchasing large plants to settle in the ground. Garden fence ideas will show you how to turn your fence into a gardening opportunity. You could have decorative blooms, herbs, or anything else that grows best in a small pot.

7. Sturdy Stone Privacy

Building your privacy fencing out of stones will give you a solid wall that will last for decades. You could build it out of stacked stones or pavers for a uniform and contemporary look. Bricks will create a traditional fence style.

A long stone wall with decorative metal gate, bordered by a sidewalk and greenery — Source: @pentablock via Instagram

A modern wooden fence with brick pillars and a stone base under a sunny sky, surrounded by greenery — Source: @szrtimlim via Instagram

A garden with vibrant red and pink flowers in bloom, neatly lined along a brick wall against a clear blue sky

A stone retaining wall bordered by lush green trees and a manicured lawn, with a bright blue sky in the background

Brick and metal fence with small bushes in front, separating a garden from a green lawn

Natural stones stacked together create a wall with a more natural feel that can blend into the surrounding nature. When building your stone privacy wall, think about the size of the stones. Too big, and your wall will look awkward and lumpy. Too small, and it will be too complicated and time-consuming to build.

8. DIY Unique Fences

You can build your fence out of anything that’s stable and strong enough to stay standing. A trending option among DIY enthusiasts is to use shipping pallets. You could stand them up on end and add wood to fill in the holes. Or you can disassemble the pallets and use the wood to build a solid fence.

Colorful mural of flowers, butterflies, and leaves on a wooden fence by a pool — Source: @brigadoonsmart via Instagram

Garden with a stone path, green grass, purple flowers, and a tall decorative wooden fence in the background — Source: @renatafairhallgardendesigns via Instagram

Wooden gate and fence with stone-filled gabions and red flowers, set against a background of green foliage and a modern white building

Modern white house with flat roof, gray wall panels, and shrubs in front, located on a paved street under a clear blue sky

Wooden panels and large rocks in front of tall evergreen shrubs along a paved pathway

A wavy wooden fence with decorative black posts against a backdrop of green trees and a blue sky with white clouds

A long wooden fence with white concrete posts and a brick base, set on green grass, with lush tropical trees in the background

A wooden fence with a green lawn, small tree, and purple flowers under a bright blue sky with clouds

Instead of using wood for your fence posts, you could replace them with metal or concrete posts. This gives your fence a unique design. Another option is to use fence panels made of bamboo shoots for a tropical feel to your backyard.

9. Vinyl Low Maintenance

The contemporary fence material is vinyl. It’s popular among suburban homeowners because it’s durable, low maintenance, and comes in attractive designs.

When building a vinyl privacy fence, it should be solid for the lower portion of the fence. Then add a decorative top that has a lattice design.

White vinyl privacy fence enclosing a yard, with a screen enclosure visible in the background, surrounded by trees and grass

White vinyl fence extending along a grassy area, with trees and a house visible in the blurred background

You could just have plain vinyl fencing that is solid with no decorative elements. Your vinyl fence will be white, as this is the standard color. However, manufacturers are developing innovative designs that mimic the look and texture of real wood.

10. Classic Wood Elegance

The original building material for any kind of fence is wood. Instead of building a split rail or white picket fence, you’ll use a design that creates more privacy. A vertical plank fence or a sleek horizontal fence is a better option.

Stone path leads to reflective water feature surrounded by pebbles and plants, next to a wooden fence in a landscaped garden — Source: @sam.egan.gardens via Instagram

Long, light brown wooden fence alongside a paved path on a sunny day, with trees and houses visible in the background

Row of evergreen trees planted beside a tall wooden fence with lattice, next to a house, on a bright day

A wooden fence runs beside a path with green bushes and tall trees under a blue sky

Modern two-story house with large windows, wooden fence, and surrounding greenery on a sunny day

A backyard with a wooden fence, small trees, shrubs, a rock formation, and green grass

A white picket fence with green bushes and pink flowers in front, under a clear blue sky

Tall wooden privacy fence with a gate, set on a concrete base adjoining urban residential buildings

Wooden fence with metal posts in a grassy area under a clear blue sky

Wooden fence with lattice design on top, set against a cloudy sky with grass in the foreground

Wooden fence with lattice top in a backyard with green grass and a clear blue sky

Vibrant garden patio with green and blue cushions on a sectional sofa, surrounded by lush plants and wooden fencing

Wooden fence with a stepped design against a blue sky, bordered by a grassy lawn and trees

These wood fence ideas create solid fencing that prevents people from peering onto your property. It could have a traditional straight top line, arched, or scalloped design.

Elevate the look of your wooden fence by accenting the wood panels with metal panels that have decorative cutouts. Another option is to use horizontal slats of varying widths for your wood fencing. This gives your fencing a modern feel.