Fence Estimate Template for Fence Contractors

What makes a fence estimate different

A fence is priced by the foot, but the foot is not where the risk is. The risk is in the ground and on the property line: rock and roots under the posts, a slope that turns straight panels into steps, a sprinkler line nobody marked, and a neighbor who says the fence is on their side. A fence estimate has to price the linear footage clearly and then put every one of those risks into a line or a term before you dig the first hole.

Structure line items by run and material

Split the job into runs of the same material and height, and price gates separately:

Description	Qty	Unit	Unit price
6 ft cedar privacy fence, installed	150	lin ft	$38
4 ft black vinyl-coated chain link	90	lin ft	$26
4 ft walk gate, cedar, with hardware	1	ea	$450
10 ft double drive gate with drop rod	1	ea	$1,100
Remove and haul away existing fence	150	lin ft	$3

Typical 2026 installed ranges per linear foot:

• Chain link, 4 ft: $18 to $30
• Wood privacy, 6 ft: $30 to $55
• Vinyl privacy, 6 ft: $40 to $70
• Aluminum ornamental, 4 to 5 ft: $35 to $65
• Tear-out and haul-away of old fence: $3 to $6

Posts are normally set in concrete every 6 to 8 feet, and that is included in the per-foot price. What is not included is anything that makes a post hole harder than normal: rock, roots, caliche, or a post that lands on a buried footing. Price those per post so the customer only pays for what you hit.

Slopes need their own line too. Racking chain link follows the grade with little extra work, but wood and vinyl privacy panels on a slope are usually stepped, which takes more posts and cutting.

Worked example: replacing chain link with cedar privacy

A backyard with 150 feet of old chain link, a gentle slope along one side, and rocky soil at the back corner:

Description	Qty	Unit	Unit price	Amount
Remove and haul away old chain link	150	lin ft	$3	$450
6 ft cedar privacy fence, posts in concrete	150	lin ft	$38	$5,700
4 ft walk gate, cedar, with hardware	1	ea	$450	$450
10 ft double drive gate with drop rod	1	ea	$1,100	$1,100
Rock or hard-dig surcharge	4	post	$60	$240
Slope surcharge, stepped panels	40	lin ft	$5	$200
Fence permit	1	ea	$150	$150

Subtotal: $8,290. The rock surcharge is priced on four posts because that is what the walkthrough showed. If you hit more, the terms say how it is billed.

Terms that fit fence work

• Validity: 30 days. Lumber prices move, cedar especially.
• Deposit: enough to order materials, with the balance on completion. Check your state's rules; California caps home improvement down payments at 10% or $1,000, whichever is less.
• Utility locate: "Contractor will request an 811 locate before digging. 811 does not mark private lines. Customer to mark sprinklers, invisible dog fences, private electrical and gas lines; damage to unmarked private lines is not covered."
• Approvals: "Customer is responsible for HOA approval. Permit included where listed."
• Hidden conditions: "Additional rock or hard-dig posts billed at $60 per post."
• Exclusions: surveying, grading, tree and stump removal, and staining or sealing new wood.

The common dispute: the property line

The fence goes up, the neighbor comes over, and the fence is a foot onto their lot. The homeowner points at you. You set the posts where you were told, but without anything in writing, that is your word against theirs.

Put the responsibility on the estimate:

"Fence location is set by the customer. Contractor does not determine property lines. If the exact line matters, customer will provide a survey or locate the property pins before installation. Fence is placed on the line the client marks or the survey shows."

Then have the customer initial a marked-up site sketch or spray-paint the line together during the walkthrough. A paint line in the grass and a signed sentence stop most of these arguments before they start.