How Many Privacy Trees Do I Need, and What Will It Cost?
Spacing, tree counts per 100 feet, and real costs for a living privacy wall of Thuja Green Giant, Leyland Cypress or American Pillar, from starter saplings to large nursery trees.
The short answer
Divide the length of your privacy line by the spacing for your tree, then add one.
- Thuja Green Giant at 5 ft apart: 21 trees per 100 ft
- Leyland Cypress at 8 ft apart: 13 trees per 100 ft
- American Pillar at 2.5 ft apart: 41 trees per 100 ft (narrow spaces)
A 100-ft Thuja Green Giant wall costs about $150–$175 in starter saplings with shipping, about $380 in 1-gallon trees, about $900 in 3-gallon trees, and roughly $3,800 or more in 5–6 ft nursery trees before planting labor.
The privacy tree spacing formula
Spacing is measured center to center, from trunk to trunk. The "+ 1" is the tree at the far end of the line. For a staggered double row (two offset rows in a zigzag), double the count. A staggered row fills in faster and hides gaps sooner, but needs a deeper planting strip.
Choose spacing from the tree's mature width, not its size on delivery day. Plant too far apart and you wait years for the gaps to close. Plant too close and the trees compete for light and water, lose airflow, and invite disease, especially Leyland Cypress.
| Tree | Spacing for a wall | Mature size in a planted wall | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thuja Green Giant | 5 ft (4–6 ft) | 30–50 ft tall, 8–12 ft wide | Most yards; dense, forgiving, deer-tolerant |
| Leyland Cypress | 8 ft (8–12 ft) | 40–60 ft tall, 10–15+ ft wide | Large, open lots; fastest height |
| American Pillar (2027) | 2.5 ft (2.5–3 ft) | 20–25 ft tall, 2–3 ft wide | Narrow side yards and tight strips |
| Length of line | Thuja Green Giant (5 ft) | Leyland Cypress (8 ft) | American Pillar (2.5 ft) | Staggered double row |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 ft | 6 | 4 | 11 | Double the single-row count |
| 50 ft | 11 | 7 | 21 | |
| 75 ft | 16 | 10 | 31 | |
| 100 ft | 21 | 13 | 41 | |
| 150 ft | 31 | 19 | 61 | |
| 200 ft | 41 | 26 | 81 |
Plan to buy about 8% extra (2 trees per 100 ft of Thuja) as spares for first-year losses and gaps. It costs far less than trying to match a gap later.
What a 100-foot privacy wall costs
The biggest cost driver is starting size, not the tree variety. A wall of large nursery trees can cost 20 times as much as the same wall started from saplings, and the large trees are the ones most likely to struggle in year one.
| Starting size | Trees | Est. shipping | Total | Per linear foot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole-Wall Kit starter saplings (bulk) | $112 | $34 | $146 | $1.47 |
| Pedigree starter saplings (2.5″ cells) | $132 | $40 | $172 | $1.72 |
| 1-gallon head-start | $264 | $115 | $379 | $3.79 |
| 3-gallon head-start | $654 | $253 | $907 | $9.07 |
| 5–6 ft nursery trees (typical, 21 trees) | ~$3,045 | ~$800 freight | ~$3,845+ | ~$38 |
| Starting size | Trees | Est. shipping | Total | Per linear foot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pedigree starter saplings | $80 | $26 | $106 | $1.06 |
| Whole-Wall Kit starter saplings | $93 | $22 | $115 | $1.15 |
| 1-gallon head-start | $179 | $75 | $254 | $2.54 |
| 3-gallon head-start | $449 | $165 | $614 | $6.14 |
| 5–6 ft nursery trees (typical, 13 trees) | ~$1,885 | ~$495 freight | ~$2,380+ | ~$24 |
PrivacyTrees.shop prices as of September 2026, using the best pack sizes. Shipping is estimated and confirmed at checkout. The nursery-tree row uses an illustrative $145 per tree plus freight and does not include planting labor, which often adds $20–$50 per tree. 3-gallon trees are currently pre-order.
What else a living privacy wall needs
- Water access. A hose or soaker line that reaches the whole row matters more than any product. Year one is won or lost on watering.
- Mulch. A ring around each tree to hold moisture and keep grass off the roots. Think donut, not volcano.
- Deer protection where deer browse. Our Wildlife Protection Bundle runs $9.95 for 4 guards to $34.95 for 20.
- Soil prep for heavy clay. Loosen a wide area rather than digging one deep, rich hole that holds water like a bathtub.
- Spares. Budget about 8% extra trees so one early loss doesn't leave a permanent gap.
Small starter trees are cheaper to buy and ship. They are also easier to plant, and they establish with less transplant shock than big balled-and-burlapped trees. We learned this the expensive way: we once paid about $5,000 for ten 7-foot Thuja Green Giants, and half of them died in the first year.
In our Georgia plantings, a 3-gallon tree reaches 20 feet at most about half a year sooner than a starter sapling (see How Long Until Privacy Trees Fill In). The sapling spends year one building roots, then catches up: year 1 they sleep, year 2 they creep, year 3 they leap.