How to Price Fence Installation per Linear Foot (Without Losing Money on Gates and Extras)

Most fence companies quote by the linear foot, and most customers compare quotes the same way. That makes it tempting to pick a per-foot number from a competitor and move on. The problem is that two 180-foot fences can have very different costs: one is flat and open, the other has rock, a slope, two gates and an old chain link fence to remove. This guide shows how to build a per-foot price from the bottom up, price the extras separately, and check your result against the market.

Step 1: Do a real material takeoff

A 5.5-inch picket with no gap needs about 2.2 pickets per foot, so 180 feet needs roughly 395 pickets, plus waste.

Step 2: Know your daily crew cost

Track feet installed per crew-day by fence type. A two-person crew might install 60 to 100 feet of wood privacy per day on an easy site and far less on rocky, sloped or tight sites. Your own numbers are what matter.

Step 3: Use the margin formula

Price = Direct costs ÷ (1 − target gross margin)

If direct costs are $6,000 and you want a 38 percent margin, the price is $9,677. Adding 38 percent to cost gives $8,280, which is only about a 27.5 percent margin. Many fence companies stay busy and broke because of that difference.

Worked example: 180 ft of 6 ft wood privacy

That's about $53 per foot including gates, removal and the permit. As of 2026, 6 ft pine privacy commonly falls in a broad $25 to $55 per foot range before gates and extras, so this job's fence-only portion sits comfortably in the market.

Step 4: Price gates separately

Gates need heavier posts, framing, bracing and hardware, and they cause most callbacks. Price them as their own line items:

Step 5: Price the extras

• Old fence removal (often $3 to $10 per foot)
• Rocky soil, roots or old concrete footings (per hole or hourly)
• Slopes that require stepping or racking
• Hand-digging where machines can't reach
• Brush clearing along the line
• Stain or sealer for new wood
• Dig guards for pet owners
• HOA paperwork and survey coordination

Tip: Write "Rock, roots or buried concrete encountered below grade will be priced per hole and approved before work continues" in every proposal. You'll still win the job, and you won't eat the cost of a rock auger.

Minimums and repairs

Short runs and repairs cost almost as much to mobilize as a full job. Set a minimum for new installs and a flat-rate repair menu: post replacement, picket replacement, gate rebuild and chain link section repair. Bundle repairs by neighborhood into route days to cut drive time.

Watch lumber prices

Wood fence margins can disappear when lumber prices jump between quote and installation. Limit proposal validity to 15 to 30 days, collect a deposit that locks pricing, and buy materials when the deposit clears.

Pricing checklist

• ☐ Takeoff template for each fence type
• ☐ Daily crew cost with burden
• ☐ Feet per crew-day tracked by fence type
• ☐ Target margin and divide-by figure in your estimate sheet
• ☐ Gate prices listed separately
• ☐ Extras and removal prices set
• ☐ Rock and hidden-condition clause in proposals
• ☐ Minimum charge and repair menu
• ☐ Proposal expiration date

How to present the quote

Show one total price, with gates and removal listed clearly, plus two or three material options (for example pine, cedar and vinyl). Include a simple drawing of the runs and gate locations, the property line responsibility statement, the HOA and permit plan, the 811 step and your warranty. Send it the same day as the estimate whenever possible; in fencing, speed often decides who wins the job.

Questions customers ask about price

• "Why is cedar so much more than pine?" "Cedar costs more per board, resists rot and insects better and weathers more evenly. Over the fence's life, many customers find the difference worth it."
• "Why is the gate priced separately?" "Gates need heavier posts, framing and hardware, and they take more labor to hang correctly. Pricing them separately lets you see exactly what you're paying for."
• "Can you match a lower quote?" "Let's compare line by line: post depth, post size at gates, rail count, picket thickness, removal and warranty. If the scopes are the same and I can do it profitably, I'll tell you. If they're not, I'll show you where they differ."

Track estimate versus actual

After every job, compare estimated and actual crew-days, materials and extras. Over a season, you'll learn your real productivity by fence type and site condition, which makes your bids both faster and more accurate.

Pricing by fence type: what changes

Each fence type shifts the balance between materials and labor:

• Wood privacy: materials are moderate but volatile with lumber markets; labor is significant because pickets are installed one by one. Watch picket counts and fastener costs.
• Vinyl: materials are a larger share of the price, and panels must match post spacing exactly, so layout errors are expensive. Labor per foot can be lower on flat, open sites.
• Aluminum ornamental: materials are costly, especially rackable panels and pool-code gates; labor depends heavily on slope.
• Chain link: materials are cheaper per foot, but stretching and terminal posts take skill. Long, straight runs are efficient; many corners and gates are not.

Run separate takeoff and productivity numbers for each type rather than using one per-foot labor figure for everything.

Warning: Never discount by cutting post depth, using lighter gate posts or skipping concrete. Leaning fences and sagging gates are the most common callbacks in the trade, and each one costs a crew trip and a review.

Your next step

Rebuild your last three fence bids using the takeoff, crew-day and margin method, and compare the results with what you charged. The gap usually shows exactly where the profit went.

The full guide, Starting a Fence Installation Business, covers licensing, permits, property lines, HOA rules, pool codes, equipment, pricing, proposals, installation standards, crews, marketing and a 90-day launch plan, for $0.99.