Free fencing estimate template with a rock clause

By Zeke Galland, Staxen. Updated 2026-09-08.

This free fencing estimate template prices fence the way it gets built: by the linear foot for runs, by the each for posts, concrete, and gates. It carries the three clauses that save fence jobs, the rock clause, the 811 locate, and the property line disclaimer. A downloadable PDF version is included on this page.

Wood fence

Vinyl, aluminum, and chain link

Gates

Deck work, if bid together

Labor

Example scope

Build 180 lf of 6 ft cedar privacy fence on the surveyed rear and side lines: pressure treated 4x4 posts on 8 ft centers in concrete, three 2x4 rails per section, cedar pickets, plus two gates with kits and hardware. Includes 811 locates, demo and haul-off of the existing leaning fence, and the written rock clause for refused holes.

What a fencing estimate must include

Linear footage with the post math shown

Posts set on 8 ft centers, so 180 lf of fence is roughly 24 posts once ends, corners, and gate posts are counted. Show the post count on the estimate with about 2 bags of concrete per post. When the client shortens the run by 20 feet, the post math reprices it in seconds.

Gates as separate priced items

A gate is a small custom build: a kit or frame at about $79, hinges and a latch, a dedicated pair of posts set deeper, and the adjustment visit when it sags next spring. Price each gate individually. A gate hidden inside the per-foot price is the most reliably underbid item in fencing.

A rock clause with a unit price

Nobody knows what is two feet down until the auger finds it. State that holes refused by rock, roots, old footings, or buried concrete convert to time and materials at a written per-hole or hourly rate. This is the clause that separates fence contractors who last from ones who quit.

The 811 locate and private lines

Utilities get located before digging, free and legally required. But 811 does not mark private runs: the line to the shed, the irrigation main, the invisible dog fence. Make the owner disclose those in writing, because the auger does not distinguish public from private.

The property line, on the owner

State that the fence will be built on the line the owner identifies, and that verifying the line, by survey pins or a new survey, is the owner's responsibility. Moving 180 feet of fence three feet inward after a neighbor produces a survey is a job you do not want to fund.

Materials, expiration, and payment

Name the material and grade: cedar pickets, pressure treated posts and rails, or panelized vinyl. Lumber prices swing, so hold the quote 15 to 30 days. A deposit that covers materials plus balance on completion is standard for fence work.

Estimating mistakes that cost fencing contractors money

No rock clause

One run of holes into buried construction debris or ledge rock can double the labor on a fence, and without a written conversion to time and materials, that surprise is yours alone. The clause costs nothing to include and every experienced fence contractor carries it.

Gates inside the per-foot price

A 180 lf fence with two gates is not 180 lf of fence. Each gate is deeper posts, hardware, fitting, and a likely adjustment trip. Priced separately at a real number, gates are profitable. Blended into the foot rate, they are a donation.

Building on a pointed-at line

The owner waves at where the fence goes, the neighbor disagrees after the concrete cures. Put line responsibility on the owner in writing and ask for survey pins. Relocating a fence is the most expensive fence you will ever build.

Skipping the locate to save two days

The 811 call is free and the wait is short. An auger through a gas service or fiber trunk is a shutdown, a fine, and a story you do not want. Note the locate on the estimate so the client understands the start date includes it.

Flat pricing across slopes and access

A backyard you cannot get a machine into means hand-digging every hole, and a slope means stepping or racking every panel. Walk the line before you price it, and carry an access or slope adder instead of averaging the pain into every flat easy job you bid.

Frequently asked questions

How many posts does a fence need?

Posts set on 8 ft centers, so divide the run by 8 and add for ends, corners, and each side of every gate. A 180 lf fence with two gates lands around 24 to 26 posts. Each post takes roughly 2 bags of concrete, which is why post count drives fence cost more than picket count.

What is a rock clause?

A line in the estimate saying that post holes refused by rock, roots, or buried concrete convert to time and materials at a stated rate. Subsurface conditions are unknowable from the surface, and the clause fairly assigns that risk instead of hiding it inside a padded, or worse an unpadded, price.

Should gates be priced separately from the fence?

Always. A gate carries a kit or frame at about $79 in material, hardware, two beefier posts set deeper, and fitting labor, plus the sag adjustment visit down the road. Per-gate pricing also lets the client add or drop a gate without renegotiating the whole fence.

Do I need a survey before building a fence?

The contractor should not be the one guessing. The estimate should state the fence is built to the line the owner identifies and that line verification is the owner's responsibility. Existing survey pins are often findable, and a new survey is cheap compared to relocating a finished fence.

How do I fill this out fast?

Walk the line and talk: 180 feet of 6 foot cedar, two gates, tear out the old one. Eddie, Staxen's estimator, drafts this structure with post math and prices, ready to text for e-signature. Staxen is $59 per month per AI employee, or $149 for all three, first job free with no card.

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