Reading a fence price
A fence bid is a bundle of decisions. When the numbers for one yard come back wide apart, the cause is often that each company bundled a different set of items: one counted the tear-out and concrete footings, another left them for later. This guide explains what each part of a fence job adds, so that you can see why bids differ and ask for the ones you get to be built the same way.
The run of the fence
The total length is the base of every fence price, but the shape of the run matters too. Every corner needs a sturdier post and extra labor. A run that follows a curved bed or steps around a tree takes longer to lay out than a straight line. Sketch the layout on a copy of your survey, mark each corner and gate, and give the same sketch to every company.
Height and style
A taller fence uses longer boards, heavier posts and more fasteners. Solid privacy styles use more material than spaced pickets, and styles finished on both sides, such as shadowbox or board-on-board, use more again. Decorative tops, lattice and post caps add to the material and the labor.
Material choices and what they cost later
Price the fence over its life, not only on the day it goes in:
- Wood can cost less up front, and needs staining or sealing and occasional board replacement.
- Vinyl can be priced higher than wood at the start, and needs washing rather than painting.
- Aluminum and steel give an open look; ask about the coating and how scratches are touched up.
- Chain link is a plain way to contain pets; ask whether a coated finish is included.
Ask each company which material it is pricing and what the manufacturer's warranty covers.
Posts and footings
Posts are a place where bids can differ quietly. Ask each bidder for post material and size, spacing, hole depth and setting method. Deeper holes and concrete footings take more time and material. Larger corner, end and gate posts add cost but carry the most load.
What's in the ground
Digging conditions change the hours on the job. Roots, rock, old concrete and buried debris can slow or stop an auger and force hand digging. Ask how the company prices a hole that hits an obstruction, and whether it will call you before adding cost.
Gates and hardware
Each gate adds heavier posts, hinges, a latch and labor. A wide drive gate or a double gate can be priced well above a single walk gate, since it needs stouter posts and more bracing. Self-closing hinges, lockable latches and drop rods add more. Ask what hardware comes with each gate and what it is made of.
Tear-out and haul-away
Removing an old fence, pulling or cutting old posts and hauling the debris can be a separate line, or left out. Ask whether old concrete footings come out or are left in the ground, and who fills the holes.
Permits and approvals
Ask the city whether your fence needs a permit, and ask each bidder whether its price includes applying for it and any HOA approval. Then ask: "What state license or registration, if any, covers this work, and what is the number?" Note the answer on each bid.
Local figures from QuickFacts
U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts lists 21,726 households in Columbus for 2020-2024, with 2.34 persons per household.
For the same 2020-2024 period, QuickFacts gives the median value of owner-occupied housing units as $244,200 and the owner-occupied housing unit rate as 60.8%.
Finishing and cleanup
A new wood fence may need stain or sealer once the wood is ready to take it; ask whether finishing is part of the bid and who decides the timing. Ask too about spoil from the post holes, damaged turf along the line and leftover material.
Schedule and payment
Ask when the crew can start, how many working days the install is expected to take, and what happens to the schedule if rain or frozen ground stops digging. Ask whether the price holds if the start date moves, and whether material costs are locked at signing. A written start window is easier to plan around than a promise made by phone.
Ask how much is due at signing, what is due on completion, and whether material is ordered before or after a deposit. A clear schedule in the contract can help avoid disputes once the posts are in.
Comparing two bids
Lay the bids next to each other and go item by item: length and layout, height and style, material, posts and footings, gates and hardware, tear-out, permits, finishing, cleanup, warranty and payment terms. Where one bid leaves an item out, ask that company to price it. The totals mean something only after each bid covers the full list.
Keep the paperwork
Keep the survey, the layout sketch, the permit, the contract, warranty papers and photos of the finished fence together. They help if a post shifts, a gate sags or a neighbor asks where the line runs.