Fence Estimate Template for Installation and Repair Jobs

A fence estimate is a written, priced proposal for a fence job that hasn't started. It tells the client what you plan to build or fix, how much fence that is, what it will cost and what the price leaves out, so they can compare it with other bids and decide whether to go ahead.

An estimate isn't a bill. Nothing is owed on it, and on its own it isn't a signed contract either. If the client accepts, you agree the final terms with them. Once the work is done, you send an invoice for it. The fence installer invoice template covers that step, and if you work in Billed's estimating software you can convert an approved estimate into an invoice instead of retyping it.

Contractors use "estimate" and "quote" loosely. Some use "quote" for a fixed price and "estimate" for a figure that may move once the ground is opened up. Whichever word you use, write down what the price assumes and what would change it.

Walk the line with the client and measure each straight run separately. Record each run's length and where it starts and stops, then add them up for the total linear feet. Measure gate openings separately and list each gate with its width, so the estimate shows fence footage and gates as different items.

To count posts, divide each run's length by the post spacing and round up. That gives the number of sections, and the run needs one more post than it has sections. For example, a 96-foot run with posts every 8 feet is 12 sections and 13 posts. Where two runs meet at a corner, they share the corner post, so don't count it twice. Each gate needs a post on both sides. Many installers set a heavier or deeper post where a gate hangs; follow the fence or gate manufacturer's specification.

Post spacing usually follows the panel or section width of the product you're installing, so take it from the manufacturer's installation instructions rather than assuming one figure for every job. The same goes for post depth and concrete: work out how much concrete each post needs from the hole size you'll dig and the yield printed on the bag.

Note anything that changes the work: slopes (and whether the fence will step down the slope or follow it), trees and roots on the line, rock or hard ground, tight access for materials and equipment, and an old fence that has to come out first. If the old fence has posts set in concrete, say so, because pulling and disposing of footings is more work than removing posts set in soil.

Fence jobs often stall over things the estimate didn't mention. State who is responsible for each of these and whether it is in the price. The installation template has "Not included" and "Before work starts" notes for this:

• Property line. Say how the line was set out: a survey, existing boundary markers or the owner pointing it out. If no one is sure where the line is, recommend a survey before work starts, and list the survey as excluded unless you're including it.
• Utility locate. Digging post holes means contacting your state's one-call center first. In the US, 811 is the free national before-you-dig service, and it asks you to contact it a few business days before you dig. Record on the estimate who will request the locate, and add the ticket number once you have it. Ask the client about anything buried that they put in themselves, such as irrigation lines or low-voltage lighting.
• Permits. Whether a fence needs a permit, and the height and setback limits that apply, are set locally. Check your local rules, and state on the estimate whether the permit and its fee are included or are the client's responsibility.
• HOA approval. If the property is in a homeowners association, the client may need approval for the fence's style, height or color before work starts. Note that approval is the client's responsibility unless you've agreed otherwise.
• Ground conditions. Say what happens if you hit rock, roots or buried debris: an allowance in the price, an extra charge per post, or pricing the extra work with the client before you do it.
• Clearing, restoration and finishing. Say whether clearing brush along the line, repairing lawn or landscaping afterward, and staining or sealing the new fence are included.

1. Add your business details (and license number, if you have one), the estimate number, the date and the "Valid until" date.
2. Enter the client and the site address. On the installation estimate, fill in how the property line was established and the utility locate. On the repair estimate, add the fence type, the inspection date and the damage you found.
3. On the installation estimate, record the fence specification: material, height, length in linear feet, post spacing and gates.
4. Price the lines from your measurements: quantity, unit and unit price. In the Excel file, each line amount, the section subtotals, the subtotal and the estimated total are calculated by formulas. In Word or on the PDF, multiply quantity by unit price for each line and add them up yourself.
5. Set the tax and deposit. In the Excel file, the percentage sits in the cell next to each line: the sales tax rate starts at 0% and the proposed deposit at 10% of the estimated total, so change both to suit the job. In Word or on the PDF, enter the amounts.
6. Edit the notes (included, not included, before work starts, or repair notes), then send the estimate to the client and keep a copy.

The PDF is a blank form for printing and filling in by hand on site. The Word and Excel files have the same layout with sample values already filled in, so you can overwrite them and save a copy for each job.