A fence estimate should read like the finished job: the footage you walked, the material you picked, the gates you asked for. When two quotes differ by hundreds of dollars, the difference almost always hides in the line items, not in anyone's math. Reading them line by line takes ten minutes and saves weeks. Here is how to read one — ours or anyone's.
What line items should a fence estimate include?
Expect these on any complete quote:
- Linear footage — the measured run, not a guess from a map.
- Material and style — "6-foot wood shadowbox" is a spec; "wood fence" is a hope.
- Gates — count and width, walk gate or double drive.
- Removal and haul-away of the old fence, if there is one.
- Permits — who pulls them and who pays the fees.
- Post specification and hardware — size, depth, and grade of what goes in the ground.
- Schedule — when work starts, and what happens if weather or a county review adds days.
If a line is missing, ask what it means. Silence on removal or permits is where quotes diverge.
Who measures the footage?
This is the first question behind every number. An estimate built from your rough guess of 130 feet prices a different job than one built from a measured 160, and the difference compounds across the whole run. We measure on your property, with a wheel on the ground — slopes take more footage than a flat map admits, and gate swings take room the map never shows. Ask any company you compare how they arrived at their footage. The honest ones measured.
Why do two estimates differ so much?
Usually because they describe different jobs. One includes tear-out and haul-away; the other leaves the old fence in your yard. One assumes a permit through the county; the other prices a fence you will permit yourself. One specs heavier posts and coated hardware; the other specs whatever was on the truck. None of that is trickery. It is scope, and scope is written down or it is not real.
How do you compare apples to apples?
Align the lines first. Same footage, same material and style, same gate count and widths, same treatment of removal and permits. Then the per-foot numbers become comparable and the differences tell you something honest — one contractor plans heavier posts, one plans a faster schedule. A useful exercise: bring both quotes to each company and ask them to price the other's line items, because the exercise reveals what each one assumed. The low number is not always the same fence, and the high number is not automatically more fence. Ask each company what its number includes and what it leaves out. The company that answers in specifics is the one that will build in specifics.
What should you ask before signing?
Five questions cover most of it. Who pulls the permit, and is the fee in the number? Is removal and haul-away included? What post size and hardware grade is in the ground? When can the work be scheduled, and what happens if the county review adds weeks? And how are changes handled — because half of fence jobs meet a surprise, a slope, or a root the crew must resolve. Write the answers into the margin of the quote, so the page you sign carries them. Alireza Ghazinasab's Google review captures the outcome you want from those answers: "Great service provided, very competitive pricing. The fence installed looks great."
What does a Super Fabrications estimate look like?
Written, line by line, and walked with you on your property. The visit is free. We measure the run together, settle the material and gate decisions on site, and leave you a scope you can read out loud. Changes after that get written the same way — no verbal additions, no mystery fees at the end. If you want to see how the numbers come together before the visit, our guide to fence installation cost explains what drives per-foot figures across materials. And if the timing of the project matters more than the timing of the payment, our fence financing page covers the payment options we offer. Call (888) 820-6099 to schedule your free estimate.