Two columns on every bid
A fence proposal often arrives as one total at the bottom of a page. That number is easier to understand, and to question, when it is broken into two columns: what the job costs in materials and what it costs in labor. Asking each Alexandria company to fill in both columns turns a single figure into a list you can read item by item, and shows where two bids for the same fence part ways.
What the board's pages say
In its FAQ, the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors states that total project value means the cost of labor and materials combined, no matter who supplies the materials, and that a local occupational license is not a contractor's license — it only gives authority to operate a business in that city or parish.
The Board's Types of Licenses page states that a Commercial license is required for commercial projects with a value of $50,000 or more (including labor and materials), and a Residential license is required for residential construction exceeding $50,000.
Ask each company, and write its answer on its bid:
"At this job's total project value, labor and materials combined, does the work call for an LSLBC license or home improvement registration, and if so, what is the number?"
The materials column
Ask for each of these as its own line, with a quantity beside it:
- posts, by material and size, with the count for line posts, corner posts, end posts and gate posts kept separate;
- rails or framing;
- boards, pickets, panels or wire fabric, by the foot or by the panel;
- whatever fills the post holes, such as concrete or gravel;
- hinges, latches, drop rods and any other gate hardware;
- fasteners, post caps and trim;
- stain, sealer or paint, if any finish is part of the job.
A materials line that names the product, the grade and the quantity lets you see whether two companies are pricing the same thing or something quite different.
The labor column
Labor can be shown as one figure, yet it covers several kinds of work. Ask each company to describe what its labor line includes: laying out the route and setting string lines, digging the holes, setting and bracing the posts, hanging the rails and the face, building and hanging each gate, cutting to follow a slope, and cleaning up when the crew leaves. Ask how many people the company expects to send and roughly how many days the job will take.
Items that sit in both
A few parts of a fence job carry material and labor together, and a bid can be clearer when each is pulled out on its own line:
- Gates: the frame, hardware and the time to hang one so it closes square.
- Tear-out: taking down an old fence, pulling or cutting off its posts, and hauling it away.
- Hard digging: what happens, and how it is charged, if a hole meets roots, rubble or old concrete.
- Clearing: brush, vines or a hedge along the route.
- Spoil: the soil that comes out of the holes, spread on site or hauled off.
Materials you buy yourself
If you plan to supply anything, such as panels, posts or a set of gate hardware, tell each company which items, and ask how it shows them on the bid and whether its workmanship warranty reaches work done with parts it did not furnish.
Local permits
Ask which local permits the job needs, if any, and who pulls them, and write the answer on the bid.
Alexandria in the Census count
The U.S. Census Bureau counted 45,275 people in Alexandria city at the April 1, 2020 census.
Changes after signing
Plans can shift once the crew is in the yard: a gate moved a few feet, a run made taller, an extra stretch added along the side. Agree in writing that any change is described, priced in both columns, and signed by you before the crew does the work.
When payments fall
Ask what is due at signing, whether a payment falls due when materials are delivered or when posts are set, and what is held back until the end. Ask whether the last payment can wait for a walk-through with the crew lead, gate by gate. Pay by a method that leaves a record.
Two warranties
Ask for the material warranty and the workmanship warranty as separate documents. For each, ask what it covers, how long it runs, what would void it and whether it carries over to a later owner of the house.
Proof of coverage
Ask each company for proof of liability coverage and workers' compensation, and keep it with that company's bid.
Reading two-column bids side by side
Lay the bids next to each other and compare the materials columns first, line by line, then the labor columns. A gap in one column is a question for that company. A line that appears on one bid and not another, such as tear-out or hard digging, is worth asking about before you weigh the totals. Once each bid shows the same fence in both columns, along with each company's written answer to your one question, the difference between the totals has something behind it you can see.