Some quotes show up as one line: a style, a footage number, and a total. That might be an honest price. It might also leave out the gate hardware, the tear out, the permit, and the cleanup, and you find out about each one with the crew standing in your yard. A good quote reads like a plan another crew could build from.
We won't give you a price per foot. Prices swing with your soil, your town, material costs, and how many gates you want. What we can tell you is what belongs on the page.
The basics at the top
Company name, address, phone, and who wrote the quote. Your name and the job address. The date, and how long the price is good for, since material prices move. If your state or city licenses fence or home improvement contractors, the license number belongs on there too.
Layout, footage, and the drawing
You want a sketch of the fence on your lot. A hand drawing on a plat or an aerial photo is fine. It should show where the fence starts and stops, every corner, every gate, and the total linear feet. Walk the line with the estimator and make sure the drawing matches what you agreed to. A lot of arguments start with "I thought it was going to run to the shed." Walking the line with a measuring wheel beats a guess off a map.
Posts: line, corner, end, and gate
Posts are the fence. Panels and pickets just hang on them. The quote should name the post material and size, and it shouldn't treat every post the same. Corner, end, and gate posts carry more load than line posts, and plenty of good builders upsize those or set them deeper. If the quote lists one size for everything, ask why.
- Post depth. How deep the holes go. The right depth depends on fence height, wind, soil, and your local frost line, so we won't give you one number. Your contractor should, and it belongs on the quote.
- Setting method. Concrete, tamped gravel, driven posts, or a mechanical anchor. Each has its place. The quote should say which one, and the contractor should be able to tell you why it fits your ground.
- Post spacing. The distance between line posts. Stretch it too far and rails sag.
Concrete and footings
If posts get set in concrete, the quote should say so, and whether it's mixed wet or set dry. The top of each footing should be crowned so water runs away from the post instead of sitting against it. That small detail has a lot to do with whether wood posts rot early.
Ask what happens if they hit rock, roots, or buried junk. A fair quote has a written rock clause that says how that gets handled and priced.
Panels, pickets, rails, and fasteners
Material type, grade, style, height, and color. For wood, the species and whether it's pressure treated. For vinyl or aluminum, the maker and product line. Then the small stuff that decides how long it lasts: how many rails, which side faces out, and what fasteners hold it together. Coated or stainless fasteners hold up outdoors. Cheap plain steel rusts and streaks. Not sure what fits your yard? See our materials guide and styles guide.
Gates and gate hardware
Gates take more abuse than any other part of a fence, and they're where a low quote cuts corners. Each gate gets its own line: width, single or double, swing direction, and hardware by name.
- Hinge type, and how many per gate.
- Latch type, and whether it takes a padlock.
- A drop rod or cane bolt on double gates.
- Something to fight sag on wide wood gates, like a steel frame or an anti sag kit.
- Self closing and self latching hardware where a pool or local code calls for it.
Pool barrier rules are life safety rules and vary by location. Check with your permit office.
Slope and grade
If your yard isn't flat, the quote should say whether the fence will be stepped or racked to follow the ground, and what the bottom gap will look like. Dogs find gaps. Grading work or crossing a drainage swale goes in writing too.
Removing the old fence and hauling it off
Tearing out an old fence is real work, and old posts usually come out with a chunk of concrete on each one. The quote should say whether removal is included, whether old footings get pulled or cut off below grade, and whether the debris gets hauled away or left by the curb. Disposal is often its own line. That's fine as long as it's written down.
Permits and HOA approval
Many towns require a permit for a new fence, and many HOAs require approval before the first hole gets dug. Height limits, setbacks, and which side faces out vary by town and HOA, so check with your local permit office and your HOA.
The quote should say who pulls the permit, whether the fee is included, and that work won't start until the permit and HOA approval are in hand. HOA paperwork usually falls on the homeowner, but a good contractor hands you the drawing and product sheets to submit.
811 utility locates
Before anybody digs, underground utilities need to be marked. In the US that starts with a call or an online ticket to 811. The quote should say who places the ticket. In many places it's the one doing the digging, but rules vary by state, so ask. Get the ticket number.
Here's the part people miss: 811 marks utility owned lines. It usually doesn't mark private lines you own, like sprinkler pipe, invisible dog fence wire, landscape lighting, power to a detached garage, or a septic field. Tell the contractor where those are, or hire a private locator. Contractors can find the office side of this in the 811 locate checklist on AI Fence Pros.
Property line and survey
A fence contractor is not a surveyor. Most quotes put knowing where your line is on you, and that's normal. What you want in writing is how the line will be found (survey pins, a recent survey, or a line you point to) and how far inside it the fence will sit. If a neighbor is sharing the fence or the cost, get that in writing too. If you're not sure where the line is, a survey is cheaper than moving a fence.
Warranty: workmanship vs manufacturer
There are usually two warranties, and they cover different things. The manufacturer warranty covers the material, like vinyl that cracks or a gate frame that fails, under the maker's terms. The workmanship warranty is the contractor's promise about the install: posts that lean, gates that sag, panels that work loose. The quote should list both, how long each lasts, what voids them, and who you call for a claim. A warranty that only lives in the sales pitch isn't a warranty.
Deposit and payment terms
Get the money side in plain words: the deposit, when each payment is due, what triggers it, and how you can pay. Final payment should line up with a finished job and a walkthrough, not a date on the calendar. Some states limit how big a deposit a home improvement contractor can take, so check with your state's consumer protection or contractor licensing office.
Any change after you sign, like an extra gate or a moved run, should be a written change order with a price before the work happens. When you pay the final bill, ask for a paid in full receipt, and in some states a lien release.
Timeline
A real quote gives a start window, roughly how many days the crew will be on site, what happens with weather or material delays, and whether you need to be home. Ask how they'll let you know the day before.
Cleanup
Post holes make dirt. The quote should say whether the spoil gets spread or hauled off, and that the crew picks up scraps, cutoffs, and loose fasteners. With kids or pets, ask about a magnet sweep. If equipment will cross your lawn, ask who fixes ruts.
What is not included
Every honest quote has an exclusions line: things like unexpected rock, sprinkler repair, tree work, landscaping, or staining a wood fence. Exclusions aren't a red flag. Hidden ones are.
How to compare two quotes
Set them side by side and go down this list. The cheaper quote is often missing lines, not cheaper on the same work. Ask each contractor to fill in what's missing in writing, then compare again. Our cost guide covers what pushes price up or down, and our questions to ask a fence contractor help fill the gaps.