Chain Link Installation Estimate

[brians]

Just wondering if someone could provide me with some ballpark numbers on what they charge per foot, posts, gates, etc... in chain link. I live in Cincinnati, OH and realize that prices vary from region to region. Hopefully someone on here lives somewhere near the midwest and can help.

Also, what about tear out of existing chain link?

[lefty]

Call 3 or 4 local fencing contractors and get estimates from them. There are simply too many variables for anybody in here to give you a number that is going to mean anything.

[brians]

Lefty -- I have tried that but could only get one to give me some sort of price over the phone. All the others want to go look at the property. I guess I'll just base it off that one. It just seemed pretty steep to me so I was surprised they qoted that much.

[lefty]

Well of course they want to look at the property!! You can't give or get an accurate estimate without that happening. That's part of the reason you won't anything but a guess from anybody in here. You already have that. And of course it's going to be high. The person giving the guess is going to allow for a lot of things being 'worse case'.

[brians]

I gave them the exact spans between all corner posts. It is just a plain rectangle and needs 1 walk gate. It is a FLAT yard. No hills or anything.

I told them everything they would need to come up with a material list. I also told them that I wouldn't hold them to their estimate if after seeing it they thought I told them something wrong.

If they were given all of the necessary info then why is it so hard for them to give me an estimate based exactly on what I told them. Especially after telling them that if after seeing it they thought it needed something extra that I left out then that is my fault and they could add it in.

The one place that did give me an idea did it in a way that make sense so it still covers their a**. They told me a price per foot installed on flat ground, price per line post and price per corner, end, and gate posts. That leaves the calculation up to me. Why can't others do the same?

[bradleyfitz]

When pricing my chain link fence, I had a couple of companies tell me they wouldn't price it without a visible look at the property. It's just their practice, as too many times the home owner assumed they knew what they were talking about, but didn't ... trees down the property line, a concrete slab here, a garden there, rocky ground, etc. If all you want is a material price, you should be able to get that over the phone ... if you want a labour price as well, a lot of companies insist on coming out to evaluate exactly what the job entails. It prevents surprises and customers saying "but you said it would only cost X!!!".

[lefty]

brians,

The ONLY way I will give a customer an estimate is to go take a look-see for myself. A fence on what the customer calls "flat" ground -- fine. I'm looking at the SOIL!! Rocks?? Are there trees in the way?? Is a portion of the fence line on fill? If you're on a septic system, where's the leach field? Water lines? Sewer lines? Electric or gas lines? I'm digging holes, therefore the fence line is GOING to get USA'd!! You seem to have a problem with a contractor looking at the project. What's gonna happen when the folks from the water dept. electric utility, telephone co., TV cable service, sewer dept., gas service all have to come out and mark their lines, or sign off that they have no lines present??

[brians]

I don't have a problem with other contractors looking at the project. The reason I was hoping they would not require that is because this fence is for someone I know and they are going to have me do it regardless. I just want to give them a fair price. Not rip them off and allow me to make a few bucks. I really hate to tie up other people's time and effort if they have no chance of getting the job. I would not want someone doing that to me.

I guess I'm just being too considerate.

[lefty]

Brians,

The ONLY way you are going to get a "real" number from a contractor is if he actually comes and looks at the project. Don't worry about tying up his time, even though you know you've got the job and he won't get it. That's just the nature of the beast with free extimates. I burn hundreds of hours and hundreds of gallons of diesel on them every year, and no, I DON'T get every job I go look at. I KNOW I won't get every job I go look at, and I KNOW I'm gonna simply tell some of the customers "NO" after looking at their project.

Don't worry about it. I ENCOURAGE customers to get 2 or 3 other estimates, even though I KNOW I will lose some of those jobs to the other guys.

[brians]

A couple of other contractors are going to be taking a look at this job also.

Just so I know what the recommended posts sizes and fence fabric are could you please answer these questions I have? I want to make sure the contractor is pricing things based off of what is really needed.

I am in the midwest with average wind buy nothing out of the ordinary. Soil is mostly clay.

This 6' high fence will have privacy slats.

1. Should the posts and top rail all be SS40 or could they SS20?
2. What diameter should the line posts be?
3. What diameter for terminal posts?
4. How deep in the ground should each post be?
5. What diameter for top rail?
6. How big hole should be dug in diameter?
7. Should the fence be 11 gauge or 9 guage?

Thanks for all your help.

[lefty]

With privacy slats, SS40.

What to use for the corner posts and line posts is determined by the length of the run. Line posts can be 1-5/8" or 1-7/8". The corner posts need to be one size larger (either 1-7/8" or 2-3/8") Using the privacy slats is going to make your post size increase sooner. Get some bids from fencing contractors and see what they recommend.

Top rail is usually 1-3/8", or just a cable.

Rule of thumb for depth is bury 1/3 of the exposed height. 6' high fence -- bury 2'.

Chain link, I use a 8" diameter hole.

[brians]

Thanks Lefty