What it's for
This fence estimate template is for the fence contractor or estimator who has walked a property, measured the runs and needs a price to send.
As in our guide on how to build a construction estimate, cost stays apart from price: overhead and margin go on after the job cost. For other work, see our construction estimate template or the concrete estimate template.
What's inside
Five sheets, each protected with no password and each printing on one page. Pale yellow cells are yours to fill in, and all other cells are locked.
Runs. A project block, then 10 FENCE RUNS lines: each run's LENGTH (FT) and POST SPACING (FT) give its SECTIONS (length ÷ spacing, rounded up) and POSTS (sections + 1). TOTALS gives the Fence length (ft), Sections and Posts. Subtract the Posts shared where runs meet you type and you have the Posts needed.
Materials. Posts, Rails, Pickets or boards, Gate posts, Concrete for posts and Hardware and fasteners, each with a QUANTITY, a PER figure where one applies, a UNIT COST and an AMOUNT. Hardware and fasteners is a lump sum you type in AMOUNT. A GATES table of three lines prices each gate. Your Waste allowance goes on rails and pickets only.
Labor and job. Installation is the fence length × your rate per foot, measured, without the waste allowance. Gate installation, tear-out and additional labor at an hourly rate add to it in the Labor total. Equipment rental and disposal join the Materials total and Labor total in the Direct cost. Sales tax on materials, permits, bonds and contingency bring it to the Job cost, overhead to the Total cost, and the Bid price is "Total cost ÷ (1 − margin)".
Quote. The page your client sees, on your letterhead: FENCE QUOTE, QUOTE NO., DATE and VALID UNTIL, then CLIENT, PROJECT and ADDRESS, six SCOPE OF WORK lines, the Price and signature lines for you and the client.
About this template. Three steps, a note on the example figures, the version (v2, 2026-09-24), the license and links.
How to fill it in
- On Runs, type over or clear the three example runs. A line counts once its name or any figure is filled in.
- Measure each run without its gate openings. Each run is straight, with a post at each end, so a corner where two runs meet is counted twice. Type one Posts shared where runs meet per shared corner, as a whole number.
- Enter POST SPACING (FT) as a number from 0 to 16: type 8 for 8 ft. A run with a blank or 0 spacing has no sections or posts.
- On Materials, enter the rails per section, pickets per foot and bags of concrete per post in the PER column. A blank or 0 there orders none. Type the Waste allowance with the percent sign. Type any Gate posts you add, and give each gate its name, quantity and unit cost.
- On Labor and job, enter the rates per foot and per gate. Tear-out length and rate, additional hours and the hourly rate are blank until you use them.
- Enter the tax and contingency rates as percents. A blank line counts as 0. Sales tax applies to the Materials total only, and the file doesn't decide what your state taxes. Replace the example overhead and margin with your own, keeping the margin under 100%.
- On the Quote, type over the yellow letterhead. CLIENT and PROJECT don't copy from Runs, and the Price can't be typed over: change the figures on Labor and job. Send the Quote alone, printed or as a PDF. The workbook holds your costs, overhead and margin.
The worked example
The file opens on an example, and every figure typed into it sits on a line marked "Example:" or carries an "Example:" note. The About tab calls the 12% overhead and 15% margin the bid price calculator's worked example, and the rest illustrative, not recommendations, norms or typical prices. Use your own figures.
| Run | Length (ft) | Spacing (ft) | Sections | Posts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Example: back line | 96 | 8 | 12 | 13 |
| Example: left side | 60 | 8 | 8 | 9 |
| Example: right side | 56 | 8 | 7 | 8 |
| Line | Figure |
|---|---|
| Fence length, sections, posts | 212 ft, 27, 30 |
| Posts needed, after 2 shared | 28 |
| Rails, at 3 per section and 10% waste | 90 |
| Pickets, at 2 per foot and 10% waste | 467 |
| Concrete, at 2 bags per post | 56 bags |
| Materials total, with a $120.00 hardware lump and one $180.00 gate | $3,708.75 |
| Installation, 212 ft at $18.00 | $3,816.00 |
| Gate installation, one gate at $95.00 | $95.00 |
| Labor total | $3,911.00 |
| Direct cost, with $150.00 equipment rental | $7,769.75 |
| Job cost, with a $75.00 permit | $7,844.75 |
| Overhead, 12% of job cost | $941.37 |
| Total cost | $8,786.12 |
| Bid price, 15% margin | $10,336.61 |
| Profit | $1,550.49 |
| Markup on total cost for this margin | 17.65% |
| Price marked up by the margin % instead | $10,104.04 |
| Left on the table by marking up | $232.57 |
The Quote's Price reads $10,336.61. Our guide to markup vs. margin explains the last three lines.
Frequently asked questions
Does the file do the math?
Yes. Every calculated figure is a live formula.
Does it work in Google Sheets or Numbers?
Both open .xlsx files. This one has no macros, and its formulas use only IF, AND, MAX, ROUND, ROUNDUP and SUM.
Can I add more runs?
The Runs table holds 10 lines. To add more, unprotect the sheet (there's no password), insert rows between two run lines so the totals count them, and copy the Sections and Posts cells into each new row.
Can I put my logo on it?
Yes, on the Quote: insert it where the sheet says YOUR LOGO. That row is 36 pt (half an inch) tall, so a logo sized to it fits without dragging the row taller. To remove the YOUR LOGO text, choose Review > Unprotect Sheet (there is no password), then protect the sheet again.
Is the Quote a contract?
No. It's a quote: a scope, a price and an acceptance block with signature lines. It has no contract terms, and the file doesn't decide yours.