Free fencing invoice template priced by the linear foot
A fence invoice is priced by the linear foot at a stated height and style, with posts, gates, and tear-out counted on their own. It should also carry two things that protect you after the crew leaves: the 811 locate ticket number and a statement of who identified the property line. The sample below bills 164 feet of 6 foot cedar privacy fence with two gates and old chain link removal for $8,917.00, and the blank PDF and CSV download free.
What goes on a fencing invoice
| Field | What goes there |
|---|---|
| Contractor and license class | Your company and the license class your state requires for fence work, if any. Some states license fencing as its own specialty, as California does with its C-13 Fencing Contractor class, so use the number that matches the work. |
| Property and fence line | The address and which lines were fenced, described so a stranger could find them: rear line, east side from the house corner to the rear, with a sketch reference if you drew one. |
| Linear feet by height and style | Feet of fence for each height and style, such as 164 feet of 6 foot dog-ear cedar privacy. State whether gate openings are inside that footage or subtracted. |
| Post count, spacing, and depth | The number of posts, the on-center spacing, the hole depth, and how they were set. A common rule buries about a third of the post, deeper where the ground freezes, and 8 feet is the usual maximum between wood posts. |
| Gates | Each gate with its width, single or double leaf, swing direction, frame, hinges, and latch. Gates are priced each, never by the foot. |
| Materials and grade | Picket species and grade, rail count, post size and treatment, and fastener type. At the supply house a cedar picket runs about $3.90 and a treated 4x4 post about $12.75, so a third rail or a heavier post is a visible choice. |
| Tear-out and haul-off | Feet of old fence removed, whether the concrete footings came out or were cut below grade, and the dump fee. |
| Utility locate reference | Your one-call ticket number with the day the marks went down. If a marked line crossed the fence path, note how you dug near it. |
| Property line statement | One sentence saying who located the line, for example fence set 4 inches inside the line identified by the owner at the survey pins. A fence installer is not a surveyor, and the invoice should say so. |
| Permit, HOA, and height | Any permit number and fee, and a note that HOA approval was the owner's to obtain. Height limits and permit rules are local, so record the installed height. |
| Site conditions | Rock, roots, slopes, and hand digging, each at the per hole or per foot price agreed before work began. Say whether the fence steps down the slope or follows the grade. |
The line-item table
| Description | Qty | Unit | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remove and haul off old 4 ft chain link, footings included | 150 | lin ft | $4.50 | $675.00 |
| 6 ft cedar privacy fence, dog-ear pickets, 3 rails, posts 8 ft on center | 164 | lin ft | $38.00 | $6,232.00 |
| Walk gate, 4 ft wide, cedar on steel frame, self-closing hinges | 1 | ea | $425.00 | $425.00 |
| Double drive gate, 10 ft opening, steel frame, drop rod | 1 | ea | $1,150.00 | $1,150.00 |
| 6x6 gate post upgrade at drive gate | 2 | ea | $95.00 | $190.00 |
| Hand-dug post holes beside marked gas line | 4 | ea | $45.00 | $180.00 |
| City fence permit, fee at cost | 1 | ea | $65.00 | $65.00 |
How to use this template
- Bill fence and gates as separate counts. Measure the fence line, take out the gate openings, and bill what is left by the foot. In the sample, 164 feet of fence and 14 feet of gate openings make up a 178 foot line, and the gates are priced each.
- Write the post schedule. Divide each straight run by the spacing, round up, and add one. At 8 feet on center, 164 feet is 21 bays and 22 posts before corner and gate posts, and that count is what the concrete and the labor follow.
- Put the locate ticket on the page. Call 811 before any post hole and wait out your state's notice period, which is two business days in Texas and Washington and three in Tennessee. The ticket number on the invoice shows the call was made and when.
- Have the owner confirm the line. Before the first hole, walk the line with the owner and write down what they pointed to: pins, an old fence, a string between stakes. Carry that sentence onto the invoice, because a neighbor's complaint usually arrives after you are paid.
- Price rock by the hole in advance. Put a per hole price for rock, roots, and hand digging on the contract. When four holes beside a gas line have to be dug by hand, the invoice shows four times an agreed number.
Get paid faster
Spend your words on the gates
Gates sag, drag, and generate most fence callbacks. Describe the frame, hinge type, latch, and post size on the invoice, and state how long you will come back to adjust one.
Say which side faces out
Many cities and HOAs want the finished side of a fence facing the neighbor or the street, so check the local ordinance. Note the orientation you built so a later complaint is about the rule, not about what was agreed.
Treat pool fences as their own scope
Model pool codes call for a barrier at least 48 inches high with gates that open away from the pool and close and latch on their own. Local rules can be stricter, so list the pool gate hardware on its own line and name the code your inspector uses.
Split a shared fence into two invoices
When neighbors share the cost, write one invoice per payer with that owner's share of the footage and gates. One invoice with two names leaves you chasing whichever half did not pay.
The blank PDF and CSV use Qty and Unit columns so linear feet of fence, gates by the each, and post holes line up in a single table.
Frequently asked questions
Do fence contractors bill by the foot or by the panel?
Site-built wood and chain link are billed by the linear foot at a given height. Vinyl and ornamental aluminum come in factory panels, commonly 6 or 8 feet wide, so some installers bill by the panel and convert to feet for the client. Gates, tear-out, and permit fees sit on their own lines either way.
Is an 811 locate required before installing a fence?
Yes. Post holes are excavation, and state one-call laws require notice before digging. The notice period is set by state, usually two or three business days. Once lines are marked, a tolerance zone on each side of the marks, 18 inches in some states and 24 in others, has to be dug by hand or vacuum. Private lines such as sprinkler pipe are not marked.
Does a fence need a building permit?
It depends on the city. The International Residential Code's list of work exempt from a building permit includes fences not over 7 feet high, but local governments amend that list and many require a zoning or fence permit at any height. Front yard and corner lot height limits are common too. Check before you quote, and bill the fee at cost.
Who is responsible for finding the property line?
The owner, or a licensed surveyor the owner hires. A fence contractor builds where the owner directs and should say so in writing. If the pins cannot be found or the neighbors disagree, the safe answer is a survey before any posts are set, since moving a finished fence costs more than the survey would have.
How does Staxen help a fence company get paid?
Through Ivy the Invoicer, the billing employee among Staxen's three AI employees. Ivy sends the invoice, splits it into a material deposit and a completion payment with milestone billing, accepts card and ACH through Stripe, follows up with escalating reminders, and syncs QuickBooks Online both ways. It is priced at $59 per month per AI employee, or $149 per month to hire all three, and the app is free for the first 7 days.