Finding the right price for a fencing job is more challenging than one might think. There are several factors that professionals need to consider while creating a bid for a fence job, which makes it even more difficult.
The average cost for fencing a property is up to $22.50 per linear foot. Most new customers choose the fencing job’s lowest price for their project. However, a lower price doesn’t always suffice for the job. Professionals should bid on the fence job in the best way possible.
Let’s walk through the steps to accurately estimating a fencing job.
Bid a Fence Job: How to Do It Correctly
Some professionals prefer using fence software for tasks like:
- Equipping your team with necessary fencing tools
- Purchasing raw materials
- Creating customer proposals
Using software is a smart and efficient way to bid on a fence job, but there’s more to the task that you should keep in mind. We have outlined the top techniques to bid on a fence job correctly.
1. Understand the Job in Detail
Working on a fencing project requires focusing on the task the client wants you to complete. You need to find the full scope of the job and determine the right estimate for it. However, bidding on a fence job depends on factors like location, project size, and timeline.
Location of the Job
Check if the fencing job is close to your location. This factor will impact your transportation costs during the fencing project.
Fencing Project Size
As a fencing contractor, using the right amount of fencing is vital to getting the job done quickly. Accurately figuring out the project’s scope will cut costs for you and your customers.
When determining the amount of fencing, you can use a fence estimate template to find the approximate costs of a fence job.
Time Frame
The time to fence determines how many people you’ll need on the job. The longer the time available, the smaller the workforce required.
2. Determine the Fencing Area
Material costs are a major consideration when you bid on a fence job. You need to measure the fencing area to determine material costs. Here’s what you can do to make it easier.
Determine the Property Lines
You should remove and reinstall the fence if something goes wrong during the project. City surveyors can help you find the most accurate property lines to avoid fencing mistakes.
Identify Obstructions
While working on fencing projects, don’t forget to consider common obstructions like trees, underground utilities, and cables. Identifying these obstructions can help you avoid property damage that would add to the total cost of the fence job.
Use Stakes to Mark Property Corners
Avoiding slack and connecting the corners of the property with tape is a smart and effective method to streamline a fence job. It will provide the information you need to offer a reasonable service charge.
3. Determine the Material Costs
Material costs determine the baseline costs of the fencing project. Setting a markup price for the project is the best way—it provides you with boundary costs to leverage if something goes wrong when you bid on a fence job.
You can pick an ideal price manually by finding the perimeter and dividing it by the fencing panels. This ratio will help you determine the average material costs you will pay when you complete the fence.
Fence professionals should remember to add details to the project because they can cost companies hundreds of dollars. The following are some of the most common fence details that you might leave out otherwise:
- Nails
- Pickets
- Posts
- Rails
- Screws
There can be other finishing touches the client may demand separately. It’s best to add them individually to your total estimate when you bid on a fence job.
4. Determine Labor Costs
According to Home Depot, fence installation prices can vary between $1,000 and $10,000, and nearly 30% of these costs go to the labor force. Thus, in many cases, fencing companies must limit the number of employees and contractors on-site.
If you are unsure about labor costs, you can use your experience as a reference. Think of how much you would charge if you were doing a task. You can set an estimated range for each task and sum those up to get a total amount.
If you are still unsure, you can use the following method to calculate labor costs:
- Start by finding the total number of hours required and multiply by the number of employees. This will provide the employee hours when you bid on a fence job.
- It would help if you created an hourly labor cost for the process. A 20% markup is a safe range for this calculation.
- Multiply the labor costs by the labor hours to get the final value for the fence bid.
It is understandable if all these calculations feel too complicated; you can keep it simple and use a fence estimate template to calculate the right amount. You can also add other values to the template to find the right estimate when you bid on a fence job.
The Bottom Line
Estimating the correct value when you bid on a fence job is crucial because it determines your profit margin, overall standing as a company, and more. We recommend you take the time to bid on a fence job correctly manually or simplify the process by using fence software.
JobNimbus provides an estimate generator for contractors to add their numbers and create professional, accurate estimates. Fencing professionals can estimate on the go using the mobile app and save it as a template for future bids.
We’d Love to Hear from You
Tell us what you think about our tips to bid on a fence job and if they work for you. Let us know by leaving a quick comment below.
