Backyard Privacy Ideas to Create a Secluded Oasis

Adding privacy to an acre lot is an entirely different animal than creating a private space on your back patio or porch. First, decide what area you’re focusing on. Then consider whether you’re looking for full privacy or if a partial screening will do.

How quickly do you want or need to add privacy to your backyard? A fence will provide near-instantaneous privacy, while landscaping solutions take longer to fill in. A fast-growing privacy hedge, for instance, will provide screening in a matter of months, while backyard privacy trees are typically a longer-term solution.

How much you want to spend makes a difference in which backyard privacy ideas will appeal to you. The good news is you can spend as much — or as little — as you want and still end up with your own private backyard oasis.

Buy several large planters and fill them with tall, decorative grasses or flowers. Arrange the planters in a row along a section of your porch, patio or other areas where you need screening. This is a less expensive version of the classic (but somewhat pricey) use of shrubs to form a privacy fence.

Expect to spend at least $25 for a basic, large planter, with costs increasing to $100 or more depending on the style. You’ll also need potting soil ($4 to $15 per bag) and plants, which vary in price depending on variety and size. Simple ornamental grass, such as red fountain grass or ruby grass, in a gallon-size container may start around $25.

Install the beams vertically — an easy way to do this is to set each beam in a 5-gallon bucket filled with quick-setting concrete — and attach an outdoor curtain rod between them. Drive simple wooden posts into the ground wherever you need extra support for your curtains.

Backyard privacy curtains are an easy project for most DIYers. You’ll spend about $20 to $50 per outdoor curtain panel, $35 to $45 per wood beam if needed, and $15 to $35 for each outdoor curtain rod.

Another option is to purchase pre-built screens made from wicker or wood depending on your preference. A trellis also makes a simple privacy screen, which you can fill in with the climbing vines of your choice. While pre-built screens can cost hundreds of dollars, an upcycled privacy screen costs next to nothing to make, especially if you find your materials around your house or from a flea market or thrift store.

If you have a shed on your property, convert it into a “he” or “she shed” where you can unwind in privacy. This only requires emptying the shed and adding seating, privacy curtains and an outdoor rug to create a cozy nook. If you want to go all-out, you can hire a professional to add electricity, plumbing and insulation, but expect to pay anywhere from $600 to $8,000 or more to make your shed truly livable.

Consider including trailing plants, such as ferns, pothos and ivy, for cover between boxes, or even fruits, vegetables and herbs, such as basil, cilantro or strawberries. For the green thumbs among us, this backyard privacy idea has the added bonus of increasing your gardening space. Living wall costs vary depending on size and your chosen plants, but expect to spend about $22 per flower box, $10 per flower box holder and another $24 per lattice panel, plus the cost of your plants.

Account for the height and width of the trees you’re considering to add privacy to your backyard. While the height of the tree will dictate the vertical coverage you get, you can adjust the width of privacy screening by planting multiple rows of trees or, if it’s too wide, via trimming, according to the Arbor Day Foundation. The best backyard privacy trees to create a living privacy fence, it notes, include:

• American arborvitaes, which grow up to 30 feet high and 12 feet wide
• Emerald arborvitaes, which reach up to 15 feet high and can be trimmed to 2 feet wide to make a privacy hedge

Looking for more options? Check out these 10 trees to create a natural privacy screen.

Use a privacy hedge to border your property or strategically place it to block your neighbor’s view. Surround just your patio with shrubs as well, including boxwood or dwarf lilac, to add additional screening and interest.

Material costs may range from $1,500 to $8,000 or more, while installation can cost about $35 an hour. You may need to get a permit and/or a survey to install fencing in your neighborhood, along with approval from your homeowners association (if applicable).

While some lattice fences are elaborate and interspersed with concrete or stone pillars, you can find lattice panels for about $24, depending on size, and wooden fence posts for as low as $9. If you like the idea of a privacy fence — but not the cost involved — this fencing option is about as inexpensive as it gets.

The exception is if you have an existing fence that you can modify to make it more private. For instance, place privacy slats or climbing vines on a chain link fence to add privacy to your backyard without spending a fortune.

To build a gazebo, costs are similar, ranging from $2,800 to more than $9,000, depending on whether you choose wood, vinyl or another material, and if you have it professionally installed. Pergolas and gazebos can be as private as you make them. It’s easy to add outdoor curtains or climbing plants for additional natural privacy screening.