Think of the fence one section at a time
A fence is a row of repeated pieces: two posts, the rails between them and whatever fills the frame. Once you know what one of those sections involves, the rest of a bid can become easier to read. A total can often be read as the sections added up, plus the places where the pattern breaks: corners, ends, gates, slopes, and the jobs that happen before and after the crew builds anything.
Jefferson City households, per Census QuickFacts
For 2020–2024, U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts counts 17,529 households in Jefferson City, with 2.19 persons per household in 2020–2024.
QuickFacts gives the owner-occupied housing unit rate in Jefferson City for 2020–2024 as 59.2%.
What makes up one section
Ask each company to describe a single typical section in writing:
- the post material and size, and for wood, whether it is rated for ground contact;
- how far apart line posts stand;
- how many rails the section carries and what they are made of;
- the infill: board width and spacing, a panel style, pickets or wire fabric;
- how the post is set in the ground and how deep the hole goes.
With that description in hand, two bids that both say "privacy fence" can be compared on what they actually include.
How many sections, and where they turn
Length sets the count of sections, so measure the route and mark each corner and each end on a drawing. Give that drawing to every bidder. A route that bends around a garden bed or jogs past a tree can take more layout time than a straight line of the same length, and each turn adds a post that does more work. If a simpler route would still do the job, ask for a price on both.
Ends, corners and the posts that carry more
Posts at corners, ends and gates hold rails pulling from more than one direction or carry the weight of a swinging gate. Ask whether the bid uses a heavier size or a deeper hole for those posts, and how many of them your route calls for.
Gates priced on their own
A gate breaks the pattern of sections. It brings its own pair of posts, a frame, hinges, a latch and fitting time. A wide opening for a vehicle, or a double gate, can call for sturdier posts and bracing than a walk gate. Ask for each gate on its own line, with its width, which way it swings, its hardware and what that hardware is made of.
Work that happens before the first section
Some costs come before any section stands:
- Layout: who measures the route, stakes the corners and checks them against your boundary, and whether a survey is part of the price.
- Locates: who requests a utility locate before digging, and how much notice it needs.
- Tear-out: whether an old fence is removed, whether old posts are pulled or cut, whether old concrete comes out, and whether hauling is included.
- Paperwork: whether any city permit or application is in the bid, and who files it. Ask the city whether your fence needs one.
Ground the crew cannot see yet
Roots, rock, rubble or a forgotten slab can slow an auger or leave a crew digging by hand. On a sloped yard, sections can step down the grade or rack to follow it, and each approach can change the labor. Ask each company how it prices a hole that strikes something unexpected, and whether it will stop and call you before adding a charge.
Finishing touches
Post caps, trim boards and a lattice band each add material and a little time. Ask for them as separate lines so you can decide one by one. For new wood, ask whether stain or sealer is in the price, and who decides when the wood is ready for it. Ask what leaves the yard at the end: offcuts, packaging and the soil from the holes.
Allowances and changes
If any part of the bid is an allowance, such as a gate style you have not picked yet, ask what amount is set aside and what happens if your choice costs more or less. Ask whether changes made once work starts are written up, priced and signed before the crew does the extra work.
License and coverage questions
Ask each company: "What state license or registration, if any, covers this work, and what is the number?" Ask for proof of liability coverage and workers' compensation. Write each answer on that company's bid, and call your own insurer with any question about your policy during the job.
Payment steps tied to progress
Ask how much is due at signing, what is due when the posts are in, and what is due once the last gate is hung and the yard is cleaned up. Ask whether materials are ordered before or after the deposit, and for a start window in writing. Ask whether the contract lets you hold the final payment until any item from the walk-through is fixed.
A section-by-section comparison
On a sheet of paper, give each bidder a column. Down the side, write: one typical section, number of sections, corners and ends, each gate, layout, locates, tear-out, paperwork, unknown ground, finishing, allowances, warranty and payments. Fill in the squares from each bid. A blank is a question for that company, and the totals mean more once every column describes the same fence.