Fence installation is usually priced per linear foot, with gates, corners and removal priced as separate lines, or by the hour plus materials for repairs. Whichever way you quote, check it against the real cost of the job.
How to price a fence job: three ways to quote
Most fence companies quote in one of three ways. Each one fits a different kind of work, and many owners use more than one.
- Per linear foot. A linear foot is one foot of fence line, measured along the ground. This is a common way to quote a new fence. It is easy for the customer to understand and easy to compare.
- Per foot plus line items. The run is priced per foot, and the parts that do not grow with length are priced on their own lines: gates, corners, end posts, tear-out of the old fence, and haul-away.
- By the hour plus materials. This fits repairs, a few leaning posts, storm damage, or any job where you cannot see what is under the ground until you dig.
Whichever way you quote, you work out what the job costs, set the price from that, and only then divide by the footage to see your rate. If you are torn between a fixed price and an hourly one, our guide to flat rate vs hourly pricing walks through when each one protects you.
Measure the run, then count every piece
A fence estimate starts with a tape or a measuring wheel, not a guess from the truck. Walk the full line with the customer and mark where it starts, ends, turns and opens.
- Measure each straight run on its own. Write down every corner and every end.
- Count sections. Divide each run by your post spacing and round up. A straight run needs one more post than it has sections.
- Add posts for corners, ends and gates. Each gate needs a post on both sides, and gate posts carry more weight, so they are often heavier.
- Count rails and boards. Taller fences need more rails per section. Work out pickets (the upright boards) from the length of the run and the width of each board plus any gap.
- Work out concrete per post from your hole size and the yield printed on the bag, then multiply by the post count.
- Add hardware and a waste allowance. Screws, nails, brackets, hinges and latches add up. Some boards will be split or warped. Track how much you really throw away on your own jobs and use that number.
Write the count down as a material list. It does two jobs: it prices the materials, and it stops the crew showing up three posts short, which costs you a second trip you never charged for.
Price gates, corners and tear-out as their own lines
A per-foot rate assumes a plain straight run. The parts below take far more time than their length suggests, so price each one on its own line.
- Gates. A gate means two heavier posts, the gate frame, hinges, a latch, and time to hang it so it swings and closes right. A double drive gate is a much bigger job than a walk gate.
- Corners and ends. Each one adds a post, extra bracing and extra layout time.
- Old fence removal. Pulling panels is quick. Breaking out old posts set in concrete is slow, heavy work. Then the waste has to be loaded, hauled and paid for at the dump.
- Dirt from the holes. Spoil (the dirt dug out of post holes) has to go somewhere. Spreading it on site is cheap. Hauling it away is not.
- Stain or sealer. If you offer it, price it as a separate option, not a free extra.
- Permits and surveys. If a permit or a property line survey is needed, say who arranges it and who pays.
Line items also help the sale. The customer can see that the gate costs what it costs, and that the per-foot price is fair.
What pushes a fence price up or down
Two fences of the same length can take very different hours. Look for these on the site visit and price them in.
- Digging. Rock, tree roots, hard clay or old buried concrete can turn a quick hole into a slow one. If you cannot know until you dig, say in the quote how you will charge for it.
- Slope. On a slope, the fence is either stepped (each section sits level, a bit higher or lower than the last) or racked (the rails follow the ground). Both take more cutting and fitting than flat ground.
- Access. If there is no wide gate into the backyard, every post, bag of concrete and bundle of boards gets carried by hand. Long carries add real hours.
- Height and style. Taller fences need more rails and more boards. A good-neighbour fence (finished on both sides) takes more time than a plain one.
- Utilities and the property line. Have underground pipes and wires marked before you dig, and count the time that takes. If the line between neighbours is unclear, sort it out before you start.
- Number of days. A fence that needs concrete to set before the boards go on is often a two-day job. Two days means two round trips, and both are paid time.
Turn each of these into hours. Our guide on how to estimate labor hours for a job shows how to build an hours estimate you can trust and check later.
Materials, margin and the deposit
Fence jobs are heavy on materials. On a wood fence, the lumber, posts and concrete can be a large share of the job costs. That changes how you think about margin.
Margin is the share of the price you keep after job costs. Markup is the amount added on top of cost. They are not the same number: adding 50% to a cost gives a margin of about 33%, not 50%. Our guide to profit margin vs markup explains it with simple numbers.
Some owners take a thinner margin on materials to stay competitive on big jobs. That can work, but only if the whole job still ends up at the margin you need. Check the total, not each line. Your office, ads, software and your own pay all come out of that margin.
- Take a deposit before you order materials, so you are not carrying the cost of lumber for a customer who may cancel.
- Put an expiry date on the quote. Lumber and steel prices move. A quote that is good forever is a quote you may lose money on later.
- Order from your material list, not from memory, so the materials on the job match the materials in the price.
Minimums and repair work
Small fence jobs cost more per foot than big ones. Loading the truck, the drive, the locate, mixing concrete and cleaning up take about the same time for one post as for ten.
Set a job minimum: the lowest price you will take for any visit. Work it out the same way as any job. Count the fixed hours for one visit, multiply by the crew size and your full cost per person-hour, add the truck and the basic materials, then divide by one minus your margin. A trip charge is another way to cover the drive on small or far-away repairs.
For repairs, quote by the hour plus materials, or set a fixed price per post replaced. A fixed price is easier to sell, but only if you know how long one post really takes you, including breaking out the old concrete.
How to present a fence quote
A clear quote prevents arguments later. If a customer lines your quote up next to others, yours should be the easiest one to read.
- Show the footage and the per-foot price, then each line item: gates, removal, haul-away, stain.
- Name the materials: the wood or metal, the post size, the height, and how posts are set.
- Say what is not included, such as permits, surveys, moving plants, or rock that needs breaking.
- Add a change rule. If the customer adds footage or you hit something you could not see, say in writing how that will be priced.
- Offer two or three options when it helps, such as a standard fence and a taller or better-finished one. Let the customer choose. Do not cut your price to win the job.
- State the deposit and how long the quote is good for.
Then follow up. A fence is a big purchase, and some customers take time to decide. Our guide on how to quote a job professionally covers the wording, and CrewBrain sends automatic follow-ups on quotes that go quiet.
Mistakes that cost fence companies money, and jobs to turn down
Common pricing mistakes
- Copying a per-foot rate you saw somewhere else. Someone else's rate fits their costs, not yours.
- Pricing from the wage. One person-hour costs much more than the wage once payroll taxes, insurance and workers' compensation are added. The labor burden calculator works out your real number.
- Forgetting the second day. A two-day install has two drives, two setups and two cleanups.
- Missing gate posts and corners in the material count.
- Treating removal as easy. Old posts in concrete can take longer than setting new ones.
- Never checking the result. Compare the hours you quoted with the hours your crew really worked. CrewBrain tracks crew hours by job, so you can see which fences paid and which ones ran over.
When to walk away or raise the price
- The property line is in dispute and the neighbours do not agree.
- The customer will not wait for a utility locate, or wants you to dig before one is done.
- The ground is solid rock or full of old concrete, and the customer will not pay for the extra time.
- The customer wants a price below your cost and will not change the scope.
When a job carries more risk, raise the price to cover it. A lower price does not make the risk smaller. It just means you take it on for less.
A worked example: a 100-foot, 6-foot cedar privacy fence with one walk gate on flat ground, installed over two days
| Item | How it is worked out | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Labor | 2 people × 16 hours (including drive time) × $36 per hour | $1,152 |
| Materials | Supplies used on the job | $2,200 |
| Vehicle and fuel | Truck time and fuel for this job | $110 |
| Job costs | $3,462 | |
| Price at a 45% margin | $3,462 ÷ 0.55 | $6,295 |
| Left after job costs | $6,295 − $3,462 | $2,833 |
Where the price goes in this example
Every dollar of the price, split into the costs it covers and what is left over.
- Labor $1,152 (18%)
- Materials $2,200 (35%)
- Vehicle and fuel $110 (2%)
- Left after job costs $2,833 (45%)
The whole bar is the price the customer pays: $6,295. Illustrative numbers, built from the table above.
The hourly cost is the full cost of one installer for one hour: wage plus payroll taxes, insurance and workers' compensation. Drive time covers both days' round trips and the stop at the lumber yard, and it is paid time for both people. These numbers are an illustrative example of the method. They are not a price list, and not a promise of what your jobs will earn.
Try it with your own numbers
Job costs means crew time (with drive time), materials, vehicle and fuel. Hourly cost per person is the full cost of an hour, including payroll taxes and insurance, not just the wage. This is a simple calculator, not a quote.
Keep going
- CrewBrain for fencing companies: how the software handles quoting, scheduling and crew time for this trade.
- How to price handyman jobs so every visit pays
- How to bid a painting job so the price covers the real work
- How much to charge per acre to mow, from half an acre to five acres
- How to price a service job: the five-step method behind every page in this series.
- Job price calculator: the same calculator as above, on its own page.
- What is a good profit margin for a service business?
- How to estimate labor hours for a job
- All pricing guides by trade
Questions owners ask
How much should I charge per foot to install a fence?
Work backwards from the job. Add up crew hours, materials and vehicle costs, divide by one minus your margin, then divide by the footage. That is your per-foot rate for that job, and short runs will need a higher rate than long ones.
How do you estimate a fence job?
Measure each run, count sections, posts, corners and gates, and turn that into a material list. Then estimate crew hours for removal, digging, setting posts and building, add the drive for every day, and price it all from your real costs.
Should I charge extra to remove an old fence?
Yes. Price removal and haul-away as their own line. Old posts set in concrete are slow to break out, and dump fees and the extra trip are real costs.
How much should a fence company charge for a gate?
Price a gate from its own hours and parts: two heavier posts, the frame, hinges, a latch and the time to hang it right. A double drive gate takes far more time than a walk gate, so price it separately.
What profit margin should a fence company make?
There is no single right number for every company. Your margin has to pay your overhead, like the office, ads, software and your own pay, and still leave a profit. Work it out from your yearly overhead and your yearly sales.
How do I charge for rocky ground or a slope?
Look for rock, roots and slope on the site visit and add the extra hours to the quote. If you cannot know what is underground, write in the quote how extra digging time will be charged.