Fence Estimating Software for Fence Contractors

Why fence jobs are hard to price

• Post count drives the work. Every post needs a hole, concrete and setting time.
• Gates cost more than fence. Gate posts, hardware and framing add up.
• Digging conditions. Rock, roots and slopes slow the job down.
• Tear-out and haul-away. Removing an old fence is its own job.

How Trades HQ helps fence contractors

• Price book with fencing items. Keep your post, panel, picket and hardware prices and reuse them on every bid.
• Measure from plans. Measure fence runs right off a site plan or blueprint PDF.
• Labor-rate guidance by state. See typical fence erector wages in your state, then set your own rate.
• Material price requests. Send one price request to your suppliers and turn the best quote into a purchase order.
• Proposals homeowners approve online, with a deposit up front, then one click to invoice.
• Change orders when the customer adds a gate or extends the run.

A fence estimate, step by step

1. Measure the total fence length.
2. Divide by the post spacing to get the number of sections, and round up.
3. Posts = sections + 1 for each straight run; add extra for corners and gates.
4. Add panels or pickets and rails, concrete, and gate hardware.
5. Add tear-out and haul-away if there's an old fence.
6. Estimate labor, then apply your overhead and profit.

Example (illustrative): one straight 100 ft run with posts every 8 ft.

Pricing tip: Price gates separately from the fence runs; they take more posts, hardware and time. And remember that markup and margin aren't the same number: a 20% margin needs a 25% markup. The Estimating Basics guide walks through the math, and the free markup and margin calculator does it for you.