Fence estimating software that prices fence runs per linear foot and sends the quote
LandscapeEstimating is fence estimating software for landscape and outdoor living contractors who add fence runs to patios, lawns and planting jobs. Draw the fence line on satellite imagery of the property, then price the run per linear foot with material, labor, gates, overhead and target margin from your own cost library. Every account has a Fence line layer, and a fence goes on the same estimate as the beds, sod and pavers around it. Plans start at $129/mo per company.
The problem
Linear feet are easy to count. Gates, posts and grade are where fence bids lose money.
Why a fence estimate comes in low
Most fence jobs that lose money were measured about right. The loss comes from what the price left out.
A fence estimate that holds up starts with a measured run and a written scope, then prices each piece of work against your own crew. That is the job this software does.
- The run was paced off or read from a plat, and corners, returns and the gap at the house were never counted.
- Gates were priced as a few extra feet of fence, not as hardware, posts and a labor line of their own.
- Post holes through roots, rock or clay were priced at the same rate as open soil.
- Slopes and steps in grade turned a flat panel price into cut boards and extra posts.
- Removal and disposal of an old fence were left out of a flat price per foot.
- Overhead was skipped, or margin was figured as a markup, so the job looked profitable on paper.
How it works
From a US address to a signed fence quote.
How fence estimating software builds the quote
- Search the customer's US address and draw the fence line on the Fence line layer. Linear feet update as you click along the run. You draw the line yourself; the estimator does not auto-detect fences or property lines.
- Draw the lawn, beds or patio on their own layers if the job includes them, so one quote covers the whole yard. See landscape takeoff software for how layers work together.
- Price the Fence line layer from your cost library. The starting values are an installed cost of $14 per ft and a production rate of 12 ft per man-hour. They are setup numbers to replace with your supplier and crew figures.
- Add job charges for what is not linear feet: gates and hardware, old fence removal, disposal, equipment rental. Each charge is priced once per job.
- Overhead goes on material plus labor, then the price is set from your target margin. You see cost, margin and price per line before anything goes to the customer.
- Send a branded proposal with the traced map. The client signs online and you download the signed PDF.
You can save a measured site once and reprice it when lumber or panel costs move.
Pricing fence per linear foot
Cost first, then margin, then the per-foot number.
How to price a fence job per linear foot
Price a fence from your own costs on that property: material for the run, labor from your production rate, gates, removal and disposal, overhead and your target margin. Divide the job price by the measured feet only at the end, as a sanity check. Do not start from a market rate.
| Cost driver | How the estimate prices it |
|---|---|
| Fence material | Measured linear feet times your installed material cost per ft |
| Posts and concrete | Inside the per-foot cost, or a separate line when post spacing changes |
| Labor | Measured feet divided by your production rate, times loaded labor cost |
| Gates | Job charge per gate for the gate, hardware and extra posts |
| Old fence removal | A job charge, or a lower production rate on the run |
| Disposal | Dump fee or haul-off as a job charge |
| Difficult ground | A lower production rate or a separate line for rock, roots and slopes |
| Overhead and margin | Overhead on material plus labor, then price = cost / (1 - target margin) |
Margin here is on price. Adding 25% to cost is a markup and gives a lower number than a 25% margin, which is a common reason fence bids look profitable and are not.
Worked example
A 180 ft backyard privacy fence priced from the traced run to the margin.
A fence estimate for a 180 ft privacy fence with one gate
This example uses entered values, not defaults: an installed material cost of $17.50 per ft, a $58 loaded labor cost per man-hour, 12 ft per man-hour, 12% overhead and a 25% target margin. The gate and a hauled-off section of old fence are job charges.
| Line | Quantity or calculation | Example amount |
|---|---|---|
| Traced fence run | 180 ft | |
| Fence material | 180 x $17.50 | $3,150.00 |
| Labor | 180 / 12 ft per man-hour = 15 man-hours at $58 | $870.00 |
| Gate and hardware | Job charge | $210.00 |
| Disposal of old fence | Job charge | $85.00 |
| Subtotal | Material, labor and charges | $4,315.00 |
| Overhead | 12% | $517.80 |
| Cost | Subtotal plus overhead | $4,832.80 |
| Price at 25% target margin | $4,832.80 / (1 - 0.25) | $6,443.73 |
| Margin | Price less cost | $1,610.93 |
That comes to about $35.80 per linear foot including the gate. If part of the run crosses a slope, add the extra posts and cut time as its own line instead of slowing the whole run, so the customer can see what they are paying for. Use your own landscape production rates once you have job records.
The scope checklist
Write down what the crew will finish, and what it will not.
What to include in a fence installation quote
A fence quote should name the material, the measured run and the work that happens before the first post goes in.
Writing these into the proposal does two things. The crew knows the scope, and the customer can compare your quote with a lower one that left half of it out.
- Fence type, height, material and finish, such as wood privacy, picket, vinyl, chain link or ornamental.
- Measured length in feet, and where the run starts and stops.
- Number, width and type of gates, with hardware.
- Post size, spacing and footing depth.
- Removal and disposal of any existing fence.
- Utility marking, permits and any survey the customer must provide.
- Grade changes, rock or roots that change the price.
- Staining or sealing, and who does it.
- Your minimum charge, so a short run still covers mobilization.
Who it's for
Contractors who sell fence as part of the yard.
Contractors who need a repeatable fence price
- Landscape and outdoor living companies that add fence, gates and privacy screens to patio, lawn and planting work. Price the fence from the same library as the rest of the job, on one estimate.
- Hardscape contractors who build walls and patios and are asked for the fence along the property line. See retaining wall estimating software and paver estimating software for the other layers.
- Small fence installers who measure on site with a tape and quote later. Measure from the office, price from your costs and send the quote the same day.
- Contractors bidding larger site work who need fence as one line of a bigger bid. Landscape bidding software covers the bid to signature workflow.
Compare
A fence calculator gives feet and boards. An estimate gives a price you can sign.
Fence calculator, spreadsheet or estimating software
A fence calculator tells you how many posts, panels or boards to order. It does not know your labor cost, your overhead or the margin you need, and it does not produce a quote.
| Tool | Measuring | Labor, overhead and margin | Quote and signature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fence calculator app or web page | Type in lengths you measured | No | No |
| Spreadsheet | Type in a length you measured elsewhere | Yes, if someone keeps the formulas and costs current | Separate document and signing |
| LandscapeEstimating | Draw the fence line on satellite imagery of any US address | Your cost library, production rates, overhead and target margin | Branded proposal with the map, online signature, signed PDF |
LandscapeEstimating prices the run and the job. It is not a materials takeoff that lists posts and boards. Crew is $129/mo per company, or $64/mo billed yearly. Company is $299/mo, or $149/mo billed yearly, and adds assemblies, waste factors and good, better and best options. Operations is $649/mo, or $324/mo billed yearly. Enterprise is $1,298/mo. Compare what each plan includes on the pricing page.
FAQ
- How do you estimate a fence installation?
Measure the run in linear feet, then price material per foot at your installed cost. Add labor from your production rate, gates, removal and disposal, apply overhead and set the price from target margin. Drawing the line on satellite imagery gives you the length before you drive out, and a site visit confirms grade, access and soil.
- How much should I charge per linear foot for a fence?
Charge from your costs on the property, then divide the final price by the feet as a check. In the worked example above, a 180 ft privacy fence with one gate prices at $6,443.73, about $35.80 per foot. Short runs and runs with many gates cost more per foot, so set a minimum charge.
- How many feet of fence can a crew install in a day?
It depends on fence type, soil and crew size, so use your own job records. The Fence line layer starts at 12 ft per man-hour, which is about 190 ft for a two-person crew in an eight hour day on open ground. Rock, roots and slopes lower that number.
- How do you price a fence gate?
Price a gate as its own job charge: the gate, hinges and latch, the extra posts and the labor to hang it. Do not fold it into a few extra feet of fence, because gates cost far more per foot than a straight run.
- Can I measure a fence line from satellite imagery?
Yes. Search a US address and draw the fence line on the map. Linear feet update as you draw. You draw the line yourself, and a site visit should still confirm corners, grade and obstructions before you send a final price.
- Is there software for fence estimates?
Yes. LandscapeEstimating draws the fence line on satellite imagery and prices it from your cost library, production rates, overhead and target margin. You send a branded proposal with the traced map, the client signs online and you download the signed PDF. Plans start at $129/mo.
Get started
Price your next fence job from a measured run
Draw a real US address in the estimator on the home page, then set up your library with your material price and crew rates. The next time a homeowner asks for a fence quote, you send a number you have already checked for margin.