A fence estimate wins or loses the job before you set a single post. Homeowners usually collect two or three bids, and the one that is easiest to understand often gets signed first. This guide walks through measuring, counting posts and sections, pricing materials and labor, and writing the terms that keep a fence job from turning into an argument. The free template below does the counting for you.

1. Walk the line and measure every run

Measure each straight run separately: back line, left side, right side, front. Write down the length in feet, the height, and where every gate goes. Note corners, slopes, trees, and anything in the way, such as an old fence, a retaining wall, a shed or a tight side yard. Take photos from each corner. Those photos settle most questions later.

Ask the homeowner to confirm where the property line is. If they are not sure, recommend a survey before you dig, and write down who marked the line. Your estimate should say you build on the line the customer marks unless a survey is provided.

2. Count posts and sections

Most wood and vinyl privacy fences use 8 ft sections; some vinyl and ornamental systems use 6 ft. For each run:

Sections = run length / post spacing, rounded up.
Posts = sections + 1 for a single straight run.
Corners are shared between two runs, so subtract one post per corner when you add runs together.
Gates usually need heavier posts on both sides. Count them as their own line.

Example: a 120 ft back line at 8 ft spacing is 15 sections and 16 posts. The template's measurement table lays this out math for each run and totals it.

3. Price materials as line items

Break materials into lines the customer can follow:

Posts (material, size and length)
Concrete or gravel for post holes, usually counted in bags per post
Rails, panels or pickets by linear foot
Gates with width and hardware listed
Caps, hardware and fasteners
Stain or sealer if you include it

Add a waste allowance for pickets and rails; 5 to 10 percent is common, and the template has a waste column you set yourself. Prices in the template are blank on purpose, because lumber and vinyl prices move and only your supplier invoice is accurate.

4. Price labor and the extras that get missed

Labor is usually priced per post set and per linear foot hung, or by the day. Do not forget:

Removing and hauling away the old fence
Calling 811 for utility locates before you dig
Rock, roots or concrete in post holes (price it as an extra, or exclude it)
Permits or HOA review where required
Cleanup and disposal

5. Give options on one page

Many homeowners are deciding between materials, not between contractors. Put wood privacy, vinyl privacy and chain link side by side as Option A, B and C, each with its own price. The customer tells you which one, and you send that version to sign. That turns a "let me think about it" into a decision.

6. Write down what is not included

A short exclusions list prevents most fence disputes:

Property surveys or line disputes
Digging through rock or old concrete beyond normal conditions
Sprinkler or low-voltage line repair (private lines are not covered by 811)
Landscaping restoration
HOA application fees

7. Terms worth including

Deposit amount and when the balance is due
The customer confirms the fence line
Utility locates are requested before digging
Any change to length, height, style or gates is priced in writing first
How long the estimate is valid

Have your terms reviewed for your state. This template is a starting point, not legal advice.

8. Get it signed before you order material

Do not order panels on a verbal yes. Send the estimate, get a signature and the deposit, then order. Keep the signed copy with the job photos.

Common fence estimate mistakes

Forgetting gate posts and hardware
Counting posts per run and then double-counting corners
No line for old fence removal
No exclusion for rock in the post holes
Pricing one material when the customer is really comparing two

Download PDF

How to use this template

Print the PDF or fill it in on your device. Add your company block, the customer, and the measurements or tasks, then work out the quantities with the formulas on this page. Enter your own rates and tax rate, then edit the options, exclusions and terms to fit how you work.

Doing this from your phone

QuoteMaven is an Android quote and invoice app built by contractors, for contractors. Type a line item with its dimensions and the quantity fills in with the math shown; you check it before you send. Text your customer a link they sign in their browser, with no app needed. A signed quote moves to Invoices automatically. The free Bronze plan includes 10 quotes a month. The template works fine without the app.

General information, not legal or engineering advice. Follow local code and have your terms reviewed for your state.

Free Fence Estimate Template