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Is my fence quote complete?

Check that your fence quote names the fence line, height, material, post setting, every gate, old-fence removal and disposal, permit responsibility and payment schedule, along with the work, materials, completion date and price that the FTC says a written estimate should include.

Source: FTC home improvement estimate guidance, read 14 October 2026.

Researched by the InstaBids editorial team. Last checked: 14 October 2026

New aluminum fence panels and posts stacked beside a staked-out fence line.

Key facts

What should a written fence quote list?

Ask for a written fence quote that ties the fence line to a survey, sketch or marked stakes, states the height and material of each run, and lists post spacing, the post setting method, gate widths and hardware, old-fence removal, disposal, cleanup and a finish date.

The FTC's home improvement guidance says: "A written estimate should include a description of the work to be done, materials, completion date, and the price." Use those four headings as the frame for your fence quote, then add the fence details below so every bidder answers the same questions.

Source: FTC home improvement estimate guidance, read 14 October 2026.

  1. Fence line: Which survey, sketch or set of stakes fixes where each run starts and stops, and does the quote state the length it covers?
  2. Height and style: What height, panel style and material does each run use, and how does the fence follow a slope, by stepping or by racking?
  3. Posts: What post material, spacing and setting method are proposed, and are corner, end and gate posts heavier than line posts?
  4. Gates: How many gates, what opening width, which hinges and latch, and which direction does each gate swing?
  5. Old fence: Is removal of the existing panels, posts and concrete footings included, and who hauls that debris away?
  6. Finish: Is stain, paint or sealer part of this job, and when would it go on relative to installation?

Treat the property line as a question for the documents you already hold. Ask each bidder which survey, plat or boundary marker it relied on, and whether the quote places the fence inside your line by a stated distance or on the line itself. If a homeowners' association or neighbour agreement affects the design, keep that letter attached to the same written scope you send to every bidder.

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Which items are often left out?

Check your fence quote for possible gaps such as old-fence disposal, utility locating before digging, gate latches, slope transitions, and repairs to sprinkler lines, sod or pavers along the line. Use it as a checklist of possible gaps, and ask each bidder to answer every line in writing.

Ask who arranges utility locating before the first post hole is dug, and what happens if a hole meets a buried line, tree root, slab or rock. Request that the quote say whether such an obstruction can move a post or change the schedule, and that any change order is written down for your decision before the crew continues.

Ask about post-hole spoil as well. Digging produces loose soil, and setting posts in concrete can leave excess mix. Ask whether the crew spreads, removes or leaves that material, and how a truck or wheelbarrow reaches the back of your lot without damaging a driveway, gate or lawn.

If the fence will enclose a pool, ask the bidder to name in writing the gate hardware it proposes and the requirement it is designing to. Put the question of which rules apply at your address to the building department as well, rather than relying on the bidder's answer alone.

For a powered gate, gate light or intercom, ask whether the wiring is inside this quote or left to a separate contractor. Keep that boundary in writing so the fence quote does not quietly assume someone else will run power to the gate post.

What should the payment terms say?

Check that your payment schedule ties each fence payment to a visible stage, such as materials delivered, posts set, panels and gates hung, and a final walk-through. Ask what the initial payment covers and how a change order raised while digging is approved in writing before more work happens.

Florida Statutes section 489.126(1), read 14 October 2026, states: "For purposes of this section, the term “contractor” includes all definitions as set forth in s. 489.105(3), and any person performing or contracting or promising to perform work described therein, without regard to the licensure of the person."

Source: Florida Statutes s. 489.126, Moneys received by contractors, read 14 October 2026.

Section 489.126(2)(a), read the same day, states: "A contractor who receives, as initial payment, money totaling more than 10 percent of the contract price for repair, restoration, improvement, or construction to residential real property must: 1. Apply for permits necessary to do work within 30 days after the date payment is made, except where the work does not require a permit under the applicable codes and ordinances, and 2. Start the work within 90 days after the date all necessary permits for work, if any, are issued, unless the contractor has just cause for failing to apply for the necessary permits, starting the work, or refunding the payment, or unless the person who made the payment agreed, in writing, to a longer period to apply for the necessary permits or start the work or to longer periods for both."

Source: Florida Statutes s. 489.126, Moneys received by contractors, read 14 October 2026.

Read both quoted sentences in full before you agree to an initial payment, and ask the fence bidder how its schedule relates to them. Keep material ordering, post setting and gate hanging as separate lines, so a delay in one stage is easy to see against what you have already paid.

Does the quote say who pulls the permit?

Ask who applies for any fence permit at your address, who books the inspections and who hands you the closeout record. Check that the quote names the contracting business that would appear on the permit, or states in writing why the bidder believes the job needs no permit.

Palm Beach County's Contractor Regulations page, read 14 October 2026, lists among its hiring tips: "Make sure a permit is pulled (if applicable - click here)." The same list says: "Do not make the final payment until the permit is closed out." Ask how your fence payment schedule lines up with those two items.

Source: Palm Beach County Contractor Regulations, read 14 October 2026.

Florida's owner-builder disclosure statement in s. 489.103(7) includes the line: "I understand that, as an owner-builder, I am the responsible party of record on a permit." If a fence bidder suggests that you apply for the permit in your own name, ask why, and whose name the inspection record will carry.

Source: Florida Statutes s. 489.103, Exemptions, read 14 October 2026.

Florida Statutes s. 489.117(4)(a)3, read 14 October 2026, states: "A local government may continue to offer a license for veneer, including aluminum or vinyl gutters, siding, soffit, or fascia; rooftop painting, coating, and cleaning above three stories in height; or fence installation and erection if the local government imposed such a licensing requirement before January 1, 2021." Ask the building department for your address whether that sentence affects fence work there; any public-record lookup you make is optional.

Source: Florida Statutes s. 489.117, read 14 October 2026.

What should my request include?

Describe the fence line, height, material, gates and old-fence removal in one written scope, and add a photograph of each corner, gate opening, slope and obstacle along the line. Mark where the fence starts and stops, and note any pool, shared boundary or sprinkler zone it crosses.

Contact details stay hidden until the homeowner picks a contractor and they confirm the connection.

Source: How InstaBids works, read 14 October 2026.

How can I compare it with other written quotes?

Compare fence quotes run by run, starting with the fence line, height, material and gate count, then the post setting method, old-fence disposal and the finish date. Ask any bidder whose written scope differs from yours to explain the difference before you choose between the responses.

  1. Posts: Does each quote state the same post spacing and setting method, or does one assume a lighter post?
  2. Gates: Does each quote count the same gates at the same widths, with a named latch and hinge?
  3. Removal: Does each quote include taking out the old footings, or only the panels above ground?
  4. Restoration: Does each quote say who repairs sprinkler heads, sod or pavers disturbed by digging?
  5. Schedule: Does each quote give a start date and a finish date, and what happens if rain delays post setting?

Keep a different height, material or gate design as a separate option rather than letting it replace your original line. If a bidder's question changes your plan, update the written scope first and send the revised version to every bidder, so each response still describes the same fence.

After recording the fence line, post and gate answers, use the same written scope when requesting competing written responses.

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Source: How InstaBids works, read 14 October 2026.
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Sources for the facts on this page

Sources checked: 14 October 2026.

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