Cost per foot of fence

[Bright Raven]

Cost share in my county would be half of the actual material up to what ever you were given, and zero would be paid for labor. Say you got $2500 for fencing, then you'd spend $2500 for a total of $5000 in fencing. You could choose to have it strung, but that would be out of my pocket. Seems like I have about 80 cents a foot in 5 strand fence, with pressure treated corners. I'd choose to fence it myself, and get well over a mile of fence for my $2500 investment. I don't blame you for going woven, and I don't blame you for hiring it done.

Every county is different. Our county has now gone to an across the board 75% of the cost (also pays toward labor) up to and not exceeding $3500. There are a couple exceptions. In my case, If I spend $7000 total, I will get my entire $3500 contribution.

 

[fence_it]

Around here fixed knot woven wont get built for less than 4.50/ft.

Can't expect a guy to work for free. He's got to make it worthwhile and profitable for him.

 

[True Grit Farms]

Cost share in my county would be half of the actual material up to what ever you were given, and zero would be paid for labor. Say you got $2500 for fencing, then you'd spend $2500 for a total of $5000 in fencing. You could choose to have it strung, but that would be out of my pocket. Seems like I have about 80 cents a foot in 5 strand fence, with pressure treated corners. I'd choose to fence it myself, and get well over a mile of fence for my $2500 investment. I don't blame you for going woven, and I don't blame you for hiring it done.

Every county is different. Our county has now gone to an across the board 75% of the cost (also pays toward labor) up to and not exceeding $3500. There are a couple exceptions. In my case, If I spend $7000 total, I will get my entire $3500 contribution.

I have another guess. Your making improvements using free money and will try and sell the place in a few years to horse people that have more money than brains? Or secondly, city folk that want to live the farm life and show cattle, with plenty of money? I did those same things myself a few times, besides I used my own money.

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

Around here fixed knot woven wont get built for less than 4.50/ft.

Can't expect a guy to work for free. He's got to make it worthwhile and profitable for him.

Agreed, but there's a big swing between 842-12 on 25' post centers with a hot wire, and 1348-6 on 10' post centers with a barb under and two barbs over. It's a broad spectrum, and that's where I feel like we shine around home. If 6 strands of slick wire on fiberglass "posts" is $3/ft, but I can build 949-12 fixed knot with a barb on top with all galvanized pipe posts 25' on center for $4/ft, it's always an easy choice.

 

[Bright Raven]

Cost share in my county would be half of the actual material up to what ever you were given, and zero would be paid for labor. Say you got $2500 for fencing, then you'd spend $2500 for a total of $5000 in fencing. You could choose to have it strung, but that would be out of my pocket. Seems like I have about 80 cents a foot in 5 strand fence, with pressure treated corners. I'd choose to fence it myself, and get well over a mile of fence for my $2500 investment. I don't blame you for going woven, and I don't blame you for hiring it done.

Every county is different. Our county has now gone to an across the board 75% of the cost (also pays toward labor) up to and not exceeding $3500. There are a couple exceptions. In my case, If I spend $7000 total, I will get my entire $3500 contribution.

I have another guess. Your making improvements using free money and will try and sell the place in a few years to horse people that have more money than brains? Or secondly, city folk that want to live the farm life and show cattle, with plenty of money? I did those same things myself a few times, besides I used my own money.

Horse farms are non-existent in this county with a couple exceptions. My land is steep by horse farm standards.

Of course, I will sell in a few years. I am 67. Fortunate, to be healthy but no one hides from father time. I need an exit strategy. My farm would appeal to the weekend city wannabe farmer. My son does not need it - he and his wife are pulling down a bundle as both have PhDs in fields that drug companies love.

 

[True Grit Farms]

Around here fixed knot woven wont get built for less than 4.50/ft.

Can't expect a guy to work for free. He's got to make it worthwhile and profitable for him.

Using fixed knot HT 9-49-12 will cost right at a $1.00 a foot for materials. So you should be able to make it on $4.00 a foot.

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

Every county is different. Our county has now gone to an across the board 75% of the cost (also pays toward labor) up to and not exceeding $3500. There are a couple exceptions. In my case, If I spend $7000 total, I will get my entire $3500 contribution.

I have another guess. Your making improvements using free money and will try and sell the place in a few years to horse people that have more money than brains? Or secondly, city folk that want to live the farm life and show cattle, with plenty of money? I did those same things myself a few times, besides I used my own money.

Horse farms are non-existent in this county with a couple exceptions. My land is steep by horse farm standards.

Of course, I will sell in a few years. I am 67. Fortunate, to be healthy but no one hides from father time. I need an exit strategy. My farm would appeal to the weekend city wannabe farmer. My son does not need it - he and his wife are pulling down a bundle as both have PhDs in fields that drug companies love.

Uncle Ron? Is that you? :lol2:

 

[fence_it]

Alot of hidden factors most people dont realize to. When we show up at a job we have 100k worth of equipment and two employees getting paid by the hour. We likely had to drive at least an hour to get there (at $3/gal diesel aint cheap) and if its far enough away we have to stay in a motel every night. We probably had to spend half a day getting materials ready, picking them up, sorting them out, loading them on the trailer and strapping them down.

I could go on and on, but alot of stuff happens behind the scene for a fence job to happen. Lot more to factor in than just materials and labor to build the fence. I cant remember the last Saturday I had off, or the last day I worked less than 12 hours.

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

Around here fixed knot woven wont get built for less than 4.50/ft.

Can't expect a guy to work for free. He's got to make it worthwhile and profitable for him.

Using fixed knot HT 9-49-12 will cost right at a $1.00 a foot for materials. So you should be able to make it on $4.00 a foot.

I'm not really sure where you are getting your numbers, but I feel like I've got a good handle on what things cost. Your numbers are off by a fairly large margin for the way we do it. We are not making $3/ft on labor.

 

[Bright Raven]

I have another guess. Your making improvements using free money and will try and sell the place in a few years to horse people that have more money than brains? Or secondly, city folk that want to live the farm life and show cattle, with plenty of money? I did those same things myself a few times, besides I used my own money.

Horse farms are non-existent in this county with a couple exceptions. My land is steep by horse farm standards.

Of course, I will sell in a few years. I am 67. Fortunate, to be healthy but no one hides from father time. I need an exit strategy. My farm would appeal to the weekend city wannabe farmer. My son does not need it - he and his wife are pulling down a bundle as both have PhDs in fields that drug companies love.

Uncle Ron? Is that you? :lol2:

Fire Sweep's kids call me that. Sorry, they come first. Lol

 

[Bright Raven]

I used my Application on my phone and arrived at 1,837 linear feet of fence.

Luke or Andy. What is the per foot cost you guys charge for woven wire fence? Treated Wooden, driven posts, 7 feet long. 12 foot span between posts. 4 slight changes of direction. Otherwise, straight pull. One strand barb on top.

With Tornado Fixed Knot, a wood post every 12' is a waste of firewood. Imagine assisting a breech delivery of a past term small mouth bass.....coming fins first, and you've got to glove up and go in. That's how tight the wire should be.

Hey. Just got off the phone with Kevin. He said you are correct but you cannot make farmers believe it. Most want 12 foot spacing. He will be here in about 2 hours. I told him I was using your wire.

 

[True Grit Farms]

Alot of hidden factors most people dont realize to. When we show up at a job we have 100k worth of equipment and two employees getting paid by the hour. We likely had to drive at least an hour to get there (at $3/gal diesel aint cheap) and if its far enough away we have to stay in a motel every night. We probably had to spend half a day getting materials ready, picking them up, sorting them out, loading them on the trailer and strapping them down.

I could go on and on, but alot of stuff happens behind the scene for a fence job to happen. Lot more to factor in than just materials and labor to build the fence. I cant remember the last Saturday I had off, or the last day I worked less than 12 hours.

I'm fully aware of the cost to do business, the more work you have the more money you make. We struggled in the custom aluminum fabrication business, and then one good job came along. We were to busy to handle anymore work so we bid jobs high just to get the opportunity to bid at a later date. Problem was we started getting a lot of the high bids, which was a good thing.

 

[greybeard]

Alot of hidden factors most people dont realize to. When we show up at a job we have 100k worth of equipment and two employees getting paid by the hour. We likely had to drive at least an hour to get there (at $3/gal diesel aint cheap) and if its far enough away we have to stay in a motel every night. We probably had to spend half a day getting materials ready, picking them up, sorting them out, loading them on the trailer and strapping them down.

I could go on and on, but alot of stuff happens behind the scene for a fence job to happen. Lot more to factor in than just materials and labor to build the fence. I cant remember the last Saturday I had off, or the last day I worked less than 12 hours.

No doubt, and I agree, that a lot happens behind the scenes for fencing (and all other endeavors) to be successful.
However, the consumer isn't aware of all that and only sees and only expects to pay for a finished product.
He probably already knows how much he can buy a load of posts and all the wire for and have it delivered and offloaded at his place, and he's going by that to get an idea of approx material cost, and he's probably figuring his (and his kids) being free labor) . No insurance, no motel, no fuel and no cost of equipment payment---he already has a tractor and a posthole digger he's paying/paid for whether he builds a new fence or not.. That's why so many have 'sticker shock' when you quote a price.

TG, when I worked for a Kubota dealership, we had way more work during spring and summer than we could handle, and the owner decided to raise the labor rate he charged to keep from having people drop off their machines and us having a big backlog of jobs stretching into fall. It didn't work. People paid the higher rate anyway. Owner said "If I'd known people would pay that high of a labor rate I'd have raised it 5 years ago".
(no, he didn't raise our (mechanics) own pay a commensurate amount)

 

[greybeard]

Hey. Just got off the phone with Kevin. He said you are correct but you cannot make farmers believe it. Most want 12 foot spacing. He will be here in about 2 hours. I told him I was using your wire.

People around here are stuck on 10' spacing and I can't get them to understand it isn't necessary either.
I'm at 12' but mostly 15-16' spacing and the only place I always use 12' spacing is where water routinely flows across it during annual flood stage. If the flow is the same direction the fence runs, 16' works fine. Why not 20-25' spacing? Too many of my neighbor's trees falling.

If I had known back then, what I know now, all my fences would be 6 strands of HT non barb with a single strand barb on top. (maybe a strand of barb in the middle). :bang: :bang: :bang:

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

Hey. Just got off the phone with Kevin. He said you are correct but you cannot make farmers believe it. Most want 12 foot spacing. He will be here in about 2 hours. I told him I was using your wire.

People around here are stuck on 10' spacing and I can't get them to understand it isn't necessary either.
I'm at 12' but mostly 15-16' spacing and the only place I always use 12' spacing is where water routinely flows across it during annual flood stage. If the flow is the same direction the fence runs, 16' works fine. Why not 20-25' spacing? Too many of my neighbor's trees falling.

If I had known back then, what I know now, all my fences would be 6 strands of HT non barb with a single strand barb on top. (maybe a strand of barb in the middle). :bang: :bang: :bang:

Through the woods is an ideal place for increased post spacing. A fence takes a tree much better if the posts are further apart.

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

Long term cost of ownership, and return on investment are considerably more important numbers to look at than what the fence costs today.

 

[Brute 23]

I don't have a problem with the labor costs. What gets me is the net wire and all wood posts. That adds a lot if costs.

We have always been really good about keeping money on hand if neighbors call to replace boundary fences but lately people are calling and wanting to build all net wire, galvanized tposts, or solid wood posts... basically all the bells and whistles.

We pay 1/2 what a 4&1 barbed wire fence with green posts costs and thats it. I hate being like that but it's a significant difference. Most understand and have no problem with that.

I can add an extra barb wire or two and still be cheaper than net wire.

It's cheaper to build the fence you can afford and sell the cows that don't respect it.

 

[greybeard]

Hey. Just got off the phone with Kevin. He said you are correct but you cannot make farmers believe it. Most want 12 foot spacing. He will be here in about 2 hours. I told him I was using your wire.

People around here are stuck on 10' spacing and I can't get them to understand it isn't necessary either.
I'm at 12' but mostly 15-16' spacing and the only place I always use 12' spacing is where water routinely flows across it during annual flood stage. If the flow is the same direction the fence runs, 16' works fine. Why not 20-25' spacing? Too many of my neighbor's trees falling.

If I had known back then, what I know now, all my fences would be 6 strands of HT non barb with a single strand barb on top. (maybe a strand of barb in the middle). :bang: :bang: :bang:

Through the woods is an ideal place for increased post spacing. A fence takes a tree much better if the posts are further apart.

The overall fence may but my concern and experience here is opposite. Every place is different. I don't care about the fence, (I can fix that easy enough) I care about whether a cow finds the opening before I do. The deep rooted loblolly pines stay put in even the most severe weather, but the shallow rooted white oaks come right up out of the ground in wet windy weather and it's the canopy of the tree, not the limbless part of the trunk that most often falls on the fence. With 12-15' spacing, the rest of the fence stays up, (even tho it may be somewhat less tight) and the canopy blocks cows' access to the break..they just don't find the opening. If I increase that post spacing x2 to 25-30' between the posts, the cows will more likely be able to get around the canopy and over the pushed down fence or thru the broken wires between the line posts.
(And, you've seen pictures of my fences after the frequent floods...the closer the posts, the less likely the whole fence will be laid over once debris builds up from the flowing water) Even with a big wooden post every 150', they still lean considerably. A unique situation I suppose.




(I did have one big oak trunk of my sister's impact directly on top of a Tee post one time, and drove it down about 2' and turned the rest of it into a flattened Z shape)

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

People around here are stuck on 10' spacing and I can't get them to understand it isn't necessary either.
I'm at 12' but mostly 15-16' spacing and the only place I always use 12' spacing is where water routinely flows across it during annual flood stage. If the flow is the same direction the fence runs, 16' works fine. Why not 20-25' spacing? Too many of my neighbor's trees falling.

If I had known back then, what I know now, all my fences would be 6 strands of HT non barb with a single strand barb on top. (maybe a strand of barb in the middle). :bang: :bang: :bang:

Through the woods is an ideal place for increased post spacing. A fence takes a tree much better if the posts are further apart.

The overall fence may but my concern and experience here is opposite. Every place is different. I don't care about the fence, (I can fix that easy enough) I care about whether a cow finds the opening before I do. The deep rooted loblolly pines stay put in even the most severe weather, but the shallow rooted white oaks come right up out of the ground in wet windy weather and it's the canopy of the tree, not the limbless part of the trunk that most often falls on the fence. With 12-15' spacing, the rest of the fence stays up, (even tho it may be somewhat less tight) and the canopy blocks cows' access to the break..they just don't find the opening. If I increase that post spacing x2 to 25-30' between the posts, the cows will more likely be able to get around the canopy and over the pushed down fence or thru the broken wires between the line posts.
(And, you've seen pictures of my fences after the frequent floods...the closer the posts, the less likely the whole fence will be laid over once debris builds up from the flowing water) Even with a big wooden post every 150', they still lean considerably. A unique situation I suppose.




(I did have one big oak trunk of my sister's impact directly on top of a Tee post one time, and drove it down about 2' and turned the rest of it into a flattened Z shape)

I would think that the lean you get after a flood is part of the saving grace of a moderate "failure"? Maybe better than if the posts stayed straight, but all the wire ripped loose and broken?

 

[greybeard]

No wires broken...a very few tee post clips pulled loose. 5 strand Bekeart Gaucho. It did raise the teeposts up a few inches in places but they went back down.