Fence Cost Estimator
Fence pricing looks like simple linear feet until you count the gates, the corners and what the ground is made of.
Drop plan sheets or site photos
Up to 6 files — they're read together as one job
Ballpark for planning and bid-checking — not a quote. Confirm against local supplier and subcontractor pricing.
What a complete fence estimate covers
- Line postseach
- Corner and terminal postseach
- Panels / picketsLF
- RailsLF
- Gateseach
- Post hole digging / concreteeach
- Demolition and haul-offLF
- Permit and locatelot
Scope most often left out
These are the lines that turn a won bid into a loss. Price them or exclude them in writing — never assume them.
- Gates — hardware, posts and hanging labour far exceed the same length of fence
- Rock, roots or hard clay that changes how post holes get dug
- Grade changes requiring stepped or racked panels
- Utility locates before digging
- Haul-off and disposal of the old fence
Gates are the profit leak
A gate opening costs several times what the same linear footage of fence costs: heavier posts, hardware, hanging and adjustment. A job with four gates in 200 feet is a different job from one with a single gate, and pricing purely by linear foot hides that entirely.
Price the ground, not just the fence
Post holes are the labour variable. Soft soil and an auger is one number; rock, roots, or hard clay by hand is another. Where the ground is unknown, put the digging on its own line with a stated assumption so a change is priceable rather than absorbed.
FAQ
How do you estimate a fence job?
Measure the run in linear feet for panels and rails, count posts separately (line, corner and terminal), and price every gate as its own item with hardware and hanging labour. Add post-hole digging and concrete, demolition and haul-off, and utility locates. The estimator does this from your uploads or description.
Why price gates separately from fence footage?
A gate needs heavier posts, hardware, hanging and adjustment — several times the cost of an equivalent length of plain fence. Pricing purely per linear foot systematically under-prices any job with multiple gates.
What makes a fence job cost more than expected?
Ground conditions and grade. Rock, roots or hard clay slow post holes dramatically, and sloped runs need stepped or racked panels, which is extra layout and cutting.
Other trade estimators
- Plumbing Cost Estimator
- Deck Cost Estimator
- Concrete Cost Estimator
- Roofing Cost Estimator
- HVAC Cost Estimator
- Flooring Cost Estimator