Need an estimate on fencing

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Anyone have a clue what I can expect to pay for fencing in a 150 acre orange grove. Fairly sandy soil. It's a run down grove and shouldn't cost anything on the grove lease. It would be to keep the green belt tax break on the property. Five strands of barbed wire. Not sure if wood posts or t-posts would be more economical. Any thoughts? I may hire someone to do it. I'm in central Florida.
 
A fence like that would almost be cheaper to have a contractor to do. The time saved would be substantial.
 
MtnCows93":2oz66y84 said:
dang maybe i need to get into the fencing business, at $2 a foot a quarter mile would cost a guy over $2600

I'll buy you in. Be here at 5 in the morning. :lol:
 
Post size and spacing, as well as the spec of barbed wire will all play a factor in the cost. Do you happen to know the requirements?
 
Building the fence is the easy part, the clearing of the right of way is the work. I'd even build 5 strand fence on clean ground for $2 a foot using t - post, and pipe corners. It shouldn't cost more than $0.60 a foot in material for 5 strand barbed wire.
 
MtnCows93":3vvd7sdq said:
dang maybe i need to get into the fencing business, at $2 a foot a quarter mile would cost a guy over $2600
Here, with clearing 5 strand barbed run 650 a quarter mile
 
True Grit Farms":1xc4nxh9 said:
Building the fence is the easy part, the clearing of the right of way is the work. I'd even build 5 strand fence on clean ground for $2 a foot using t - post, and pipe corners. It shouldn't cost more than $0.60 a foot in material for 5 strand barbed wire.

Your pretty much spot on material cost.. you always need to add about 10percent to any construction project. So at 2.75 we get 2.00 for labor. We change .50 light clearing 1.00 for heavy clearing.
We cover everything with our money.
We require no deposit no money up front and I recommend nobody use a contractor that does. Our price never increases during a job guaranteed. No additional charge for rock. 3 year unconditional Warranty. A wire gets loose or breaks we fix it.

The hardest part is dealing with employees, customers, the IRS and the Texas workforce commission. Along with city governments and utility companies..... building the fences is easy
 
Let's not forget about health insurance, liability insurance, workmans comp, tires, tracks, oil, hoses, trucks, trailers, welders, the always friendly commercial vehicle enforcement folks, azz hats that leave on Friday with a paycheck and $200 worth of your tools in their pockets...never to answer the phone or return to work again, customers that don't pay/slow pay, suppliers that sent the wrong materials because numb nutz that left with your tools 3 weeks ago runs the forklift on their yard now, the hundreds of hours a year spent bidding jobs that were a waste of time and you knew it before you bid them but didn't want to come of as a jerk, the employee that drives the truck back to the shop with the park brake on at least once a year, customers that want to do their own clearing and never get it done, etc, etc, etc. Yep. It's like free money.
 
Farm Fence Solutions":r2ou7bgi said:
Let's not forget about health insurance, liability insurance, workmans comp, tires, tracks, oil, hoses, trucks, trailers, welders, the always friendly commercial vehicle enforcement folks, azz hats that leave on Friday with a paycheck and $200 worth of your tools in their pockets...never to answer the phone or return to work again, customers that don't pay/slow pay, suppliers that sent the wrong materials because numb nutz that left with your tools 3 weeks ago runs the forklift on their yard now, the hundreds of hours a year spent bidding jobs that were a waste of time and you knew it before you bid them but didn't want to come of as a jerk, the employee that drives the truck back to the shop with the park brake on at least once a year, customers that want to do their own clearing and never get it done, etc, etc, etc. Yep. It's like free money.

You know it's bothered me to give a estimate and drive by in a couple weeks to see my competition working. Just means I got beat.

What bothers me is to give a free estimate and come back by and it's half azz done or not done at all. In these cases you have been used for a insurance claim or to figure out how much to pay nephew etc. I don't mind getting beat. It just means I'm not the cheapest guy around. But I at least expect to be in the game.

We now give free verbal estimates. If you want it in writing it's 50.00 . I refund the 50.00 if we get the job.
 
callmefence":3guq7ex5 said:
Farm Fence Solutions":3guq7ex5 said:
Let's not forget about health insurance, liability insurance, workmans comp, tires, tracks, oil, hoses, trucks, trailers, welders, the always friendly commercial vehicle enforcement folks, azz hats that leave on Friday with a paycheck and $200 worth of your tools in their pockets...never to answer the phone or return to work again, customers that don't pay/slow pay, suppliers that sent the wrong materials because numb nutz that left with your tools 3 weeks ago runs the forklift on their yard now, the hundreds of hours a year spent bidding jobs that were a waste of time and you knew it before you bid them but didn't want to come of as a jerk, the employee that drives the truck back to the shop with the park brake on at least once a year, customers that want to do their own clearing and never get it done, etc, etc, etc. Yep. It's like free money.

You know it's bothered me to give a estimate and drive by in a couple weeks to see my competition working. Just means I got beat.

What bothers me is to give a free estimate and come back by and it's half azz done or not done at all. In these cases you have been used for a insurance claim or to figure out how much to pay nephew etc. I don't mind getting beat. It just means I'm not the cheapest guy around. But I at least expect to be in the game.

We now give free verbal estimates. If you want it in writing it's 50.00 . I refund the 50.00 if we get the job.

I'm with you on that. I don't mind getting beat, either. I'll give a free, firm bid over the phone using the fence planner app on my website. If I show up and something is not like the "customer" said it would be, I reserve the right to amend, but with no guarantee of keeping the job. If they insist I come to look, I charge for it and take it off the bill if I get the work. One thing I'll disagree with you on is a material deposit. I don't get one from repeat customers, but I do from new customers unless they were referred by a good customer. Probably a dozen jobs on the books right now and only two deposits collected.
"In God we trust. In all others, collect a deposit." A quote from my Dad.
 
callmefence":2ofb2smr said:
Farm Fence Solutions":2ofb2smr said:
Let's not forget about health insurance, liability insurance, workmans comp, tires, tracks, oil, hoses, trucks, trailers, welders, the always friendly commercial vehicle enforcement folks, azz hats that leave on Friday with a paycheck and $200 worth of your tools in their pockets...never to answer the phone or return to work again, customers that don't pay/slow pay, suppliers that sent the wrong materials because numb nutz that left with your tools 3 weeks ago runs the forklift on their yard now, the hundreds of hours a year spent bidding jobs that were a waste of time and you knew it before you bid them but didn't want to come of as a jerk, the employee that drives the truck back to the shop with the park brake on at least once a year, customers that want to do their own clearing and never get it done, etc, etc, etc. Yep. It's like free money.

You know it's bothered me to give a estimate and drive by in a couple weeks to see my competition working. Just means I got beat.

What bothers me is to give a free estimate and come back by and it's half azz done or not done at all. In these cases you have been used for a insurance claim or to figure out how much to pay nephew etc. I don't mind getting beat. It just means I'm not the cheapest guy around. But I at least expect to be in the game.

We now give free verbal estimates. If you want it in writing it's 50.00 . I refund the 50.00 if we get the job.

I don't know about the fencing business, but we never made any money till we could afford to lose some jobes in the welding business.
 
True Grit Farms":2wla8mof said:
callmefence":2wla8mof said:
Farm Fence Solutions":2wla8mof said:
Let's not forget about health insurance, liability insurance, workmans comp, tires, tracks, oil, hoses, trucks, trailers, welders, the always friendly commercial vehicle enforcement folks, azz hats that leave on Friday with a paycheck and $200 worth of your tools in their pockets...never to answer the phone or return to work again, customers that don't pay/slow pay, suppliers that sent the wrong materials because numb nutz that left with your tools 3 weeks ago runs the forklift on their yard now, the hundreds of hours a year spent bidding jobs that were a waste of time and you knew it before you bid them but didn't want to come of as a jerk, the employee that drives the truck back to the shop with the park brake on at least once a year, customers that want to do their own clearing and never get it done, etc, etc, etc. Yep. It's like free money.

You know it's bothered me to give a estimate and drive by in a couple weeks to see my competition working. Just means I got beat.

What bothers me is to give a free estimate and come back by and it's half azz done or not done at all. In these cases you have been used for a insurance claim or to figure out how much to pay nephew etc. I don't mind getting beat. It just means I'm not the cheapest guy around. But I at least expect to be in the game.

We now give free verbal estimates. If you want it in writing it's 50.00 . I refund the 50.00 if we get the job.

I don't know about the fencing business, but we never made any money till we could afford to lose some jobes in the welding business.

I was just going over this with my accountant. Our margins are up 18% in the last 3 years. About 4 years ago, we got too busy to keep up. Took me a year to figure out I needed to raise my prices.
 
Farmfencesolutions, all i was saying is i know how to build fence and i wouldnt mind getting payed $2 a foot to build 5 strand barb, im glad you do what you do and im sure your way better at it than me
 
MtnCows93":37jfab3k said:
Farmfencesolutions, all i was saying is i know how to build fence and i wouldnt mind getting payed $2 a foot to build 5 strand barb, im glad you do what you do and im sure your way better at it than me

My comment was in specific reference to the overhead costs associated with being in the fence business. To stay on the legal side of being in business, $2 a foot for 5 strand barb would net you a loss.
 

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