How to bid a fence job?
Short answerMeasure the fence line in linear feet, count the corners, gates and end posts, note slope, soil and utilities, then price materials, labor, haul-off and margin separately. Walk the line before bidding, because a single buried obstacle or a long gate run can erase the profit on an otherwise tidy job.
The explanation
Start on site. Walk the full line with the customer and mark where the fence will go. Measure each run, count the corners and gates, and note where the ground slopes, where there are trees or roots, and whether a property survey exists. Photos of each section help later.
Price in layers: posts and concrete, rails and panels or pickets, gates and hardware, labor by the run, removal of any old fence, and delivery or disposal. Add a line for the utility locate and for permits if your town requires them. Then add overhead and a profit margin you chose on purpose.
Write the scope down: height, material, style, gate sizes, who owns the line and what is not included. Spell out what happens when rock or an obstacle is found. Set an expiry date, since material prices move, and ask for a deposit so you can order. A bid with clear exclusions causes fewer disputes.
Steps
- Walk the full line and take photos of each run.
- Measure the linear feet and count corners and gates.
- Check for utilities, slope, rock and old fence to remove.
- Price materials, labor, haul-off and permits as separate lines.
- Add overhead and margin, then write exclusions and an expiry date.
What to watch for
- Forgetting the utility locate and permit lines.
- A flat price that ignores slope and rock.
In fence contractor
Fence work is seasonal and project-based, with spring and fall rushes. Material cost swings and utility locates mean the bid needs an expiry date and a clear start window to keep margin. All fence contractor scheduling questions.
How Apex does it
In progress
Part of this is built. The rest is not. Status as of 2026-10-07; the badge shows the least-built feature involved.
Apex is designed to build estimates with measurement takeoffs, a deposit on approval and quote expiry dates. These are demo or partly built screens and are not yet saving live data.
- ES01Estimates / quotes builder(Rolling out)
- ES11Measurement takeoffs (sqft, linear ft)(Rolling out)
- ES08Deposit on quote approval(In progress)
- ES10Quote expiry dates(Rolling out)
Apex Flow Scheduler is in early access. See how we label status.
Where this question comes from: owners type it, or a close variant, into search boxes. It was returned by public search suggestions (Google, Bing or DuckDuckGo) when we collected them on 2026-10-06. We do not have search volumes.