Fence estimate template for a new fence
Lay a fence estimate out so the homeowner can see how the fence line was measured, what goes in the ground, what goes between the posts, and which costs depend on what you hit when you dig. The figures further down are examples of that layout.
Practical notes for a US fence contractor writing an estimate. Not legal or tax advice.
This page is about the lines on a fence estimate. The contractor estimate template is the document around them: your business, the homeowner, the dates, sales tax, and signatures. Fill it in online, or use the Word or Excel file. This page does not have its own file. Type the sections below into those lines.
How the fence line was measured
Say how and when you measured: walked with a wheel or tape, from a survey or plot plan, or from the homeowner's sketch. Give the date. Then write the run as figures the homeowner can check on the ground:
- Total linear feet along the fence line
- How much of that is fence and how much is gate openings
- The number of corners and ends, since each one needs its own post
- Where the ground slopes, how long that section is, and whether you step or rake the panels
- The height and the style, such as 6 ft privacy or 4 ft picket
If the homeowner changes the line after the estimate, the linear feet change. Writing the measured run on the estimate makes that easy to see.
Posts and footings
Give posts their own lines, separate from the panels. Write the post size and material, the spacing you used, and how they are set, for example in concrete or driven. Gate posts carry more weight, so if you use a heavier post or a deeper footing at the gates, put those on a separate line with their own count.
A post count lets the homeowner compare your estimate with another contractor's. Two estimates for the same run with very different post counts usually mean different spacing.
Panels or pickets by material
Price the fence itself by the linear foot, and name the material in the line. The details that change the price differ by material:
- Wood: the species or pressure-treated, picket size, rails per section, and any stain or sealer
- Vinyl: the panel style and color, and post caps
- Chain-link: the height, the wire gauge, top rail, and any coating or privacy slats
- Aluminum or steel: the panel style, the height, and the finish
If the homeowner has not picked the style or color yet, say which one you priced and that a different choice changes the fence line.
Gates and hardware
Put each gate on its own line with its width: a walk gate, a double drive gate, a rolling gate. Name the hardware in the line: hinges, the latch, a drop rod on double gates, and a self-closing latch if the gate needs one. A gate is usually the line a homeowner asks about first, so spell it out.
Removing the old fence
If an old fence comes out, give it its own line in linear feet, and say whether that includes pulling the old posts and their concrete, and hauling everything away. If the homeowner is keeping the old material, or removing it themselves, write that instead.
Permits, property lines and utility locates
Say who handles each of these, so nothing is left to assumption on the day you dig.
- Permit: say whether you pull the fence permit and pass the fee through, or the homeowner does.
- HOA approval: if the property is in a homeowners association, say who gets the approval and that work starts after it.
- Property line: say who confirms where the line is, for example from the homeowner's survey or pins, and that you build where the homeowner marks it.
- Utility locate: say who submits the 811 locate request. The national 811 site says to contact 811 a few days before any digging, and points contractors hired for fence installation on someone else's property to submit a locate request.
Rock, roots and other ground conditions
You cannot see what is under a post hole until you dig it. Price rock, large roots, or old concrete as a named allowance: a number of holes included and a price per extra hole. Write the same per-hole price for any holes beyond that number, so the homeowner knows the cost before you hit them.
Work this estimate does not include
Write exclusions as jobs, so nothing is left to assumption.
- Surveying or marking the property line
- Clearing brush, trees or stumps along the fence line, unless a line above prices it
- Moving sprinkler lines or private buried lines that the 811 locate does not mark
- Grading, retaining walls, or concrete work beyond the post footings
- Staining or sealing, unless a line above prices it
A worked example: cedar privacy fence
Example figures for layout only. The job is a backyard fence measured at 164 linear feet: 150 feet of 6 ft cedar privacy fence and 14 feet of gate openings, with 140 feet of old chain-link coming out and a 40 foot sloped section along the back line. Each example line total is the quantity times the example unit price: 22 posts at $55 is $1,210, and 150 linear feet at $28 is $4,200. On a real estimate, do the same check with your own prices.
| Section | Line | Qty | Unit | Example unit price | Example line total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Removal | Remove existing 4 ft chain-link fence, posts and footings, and haul away | 140 | linear ft | $4 | $560 |
| Posts | 4x4 pressure-treated line, corner and end posts, set in concrete | 22 | each | $55 | $1,210 |
| Posts | 6x6 pressure-treated gate posts, set in concrete | 4 | each | $95 | $380 |
| Fence | 6 ft cedar privacy fence, rails and pickets installed | 150 | linear ft | $28 | $4,200 |
| Slope | Step the panels on the sloped section along the back line | 40 | linear ft | $6 | $240 |
| Gates | 4 ft walk gate, framed to match, with hinges and a self-closing latch | 1 | each | $450 | $450 |
| Gates | 10 ft double drive gate with hinges, latch and drop rod | 1 | each | $1,100 | $1,100 |
| Allowance | Allowance: rock or roots, extra digging per post hole, 3 holes included | 3 | hole | $75 | $225 |
| Permit | Allowance: fence permit fee, at cost | 1 | allowance | $150 | $150 |
| Example net total, layout only | $8,515 | ||||
Example total, layout only: $8,515. This table does not add sales tax. The rock and permit lines are allowances, so the number of extra holes and the actual permit fee can change those two lines. The other lines stay as measured.
Exclusions in this example: the survey, clearing the brush along the side line, and staining the new fence.
Checklist before you send a fence estimate
- How and when the line was measured, with total linear feet, gate openings, corners and slope
- Post size, spacing and setting, with gate posts on their own line
- The fence material, height and style, in linear feet
- Each gate with its width and hardware
- Removal and haul-away of the old fence, or who does it
- Who pulls the permit, gets HOA approval, confirms the property line, and submits the 811 request
- Rock and roots as an allowance, with the price per extra hole
- Exclusions written as work you are not doing
Write the estimate in Quotebefore
In Quotebefore, the US PDF says Estimate. The currency follows the shop country, so a US shop is in USD. A US document prints the note "Prices exclude applicable sales tax" and does not calculate a rate. The estimate is valid for 30 days by default, and that date can be edited. Speech recognition runs on the device. No account is needed. The first 3 estimates are free, with no watermark. The app reminds you on working days 3, 7 and 12 after the quote is sent, then stops.
The lines on this page fit the contractor estimate template. For choosing an app to produce the estimate, use the best quoting app for tradespeople guide.