We repair a lot of fences that were built five years ago and already lean. The material matters less than people think; the post-setting matters more. Here's what we've learned from building and fixing fences from Millington to Hernando.
Wood privacy fences are the Memphis standard for a reason: they're affordable, private, and easy to repair one board at a time. The enemies are ground contact and moisture. Pressure-treated posts, a gravel base in the hole, and boards kept an inch off the ground add years. Plan on staining or sealing every few years.
Vinyl doesn't rot, doesn't need paint, and shrugs off humidity. It's more expensive up front, and a fallen limb tends to shatter a panel rather than crack a board, so replacement panels are the repair. On a lot with big trees overhead, that's worth thinking about.
Chain-link is the workhorse for large lots, business properties, and anywhere you need a boundary more than privacy. It's the cheapest per foot, the fastest to install, and the easiest to repair after a tree comes down on it, which around here is not a hypothetical.
The detail that matters most is the post. Memphis clay swells when wet and shrinks when dry, and that movement is what walks a shallow post out of plumb. We set posts deep, in concrete, with the top of the concrete crowned so water runs away from the post. A fence built that way stays straight through a lot of seasons.
Whatever you choose, have the trees along the fence line looked at before the fence goes in. Trimming the limbs that hang over the run is cheap; rebuilding a section under a fallen one is not.