Quoting a high tensile fence job

[two_bit_score]

If you are using net high tensile wire I think you can go 20’ between T-Posts.

 

[mwemaxxowner]

I don't want to get too hung up on pricing, but at the same time, I want to be fair to both of us. I don't want to price it so cheap I'm almost donating my labor, and not even know it, and at the same time I don't want to throw out a ridiculously high number and not know it. I'm seeing anywhere from $3-$8/ foot when I Google it.

I don't know what they are fencing in or out yet. I'm doing this for a daughter and her husband of a family that lives a few miles from where I grew up. The daughter and husband are close to breaking ground on a new house, and want this done around their property before building begins. The parents have a lot of land around with various different livestock.

I'm trying to work up a list of questions I think I need to ask/things I think I need to know before I leave after meeting with them.

So far I have

How many wires, and what spacing?

Electric?

All wooden posts, metal t posts as line posts, or fiberglass posts?

What post spacing does he like to use?

How does he want his corners constructed and braced for direction changes?

Can I just use a strainer and spring tensioner for joining, or should I crimp, tie, etc (does it matter to them?)



Some things I've gathered I'll need:

Appropriate wire cutters (I already have a healthy pair of bolt cutters and grinders?)

Joint clamps

Strainers

Gripples

Tensioner springs

Staples

Insulator tubes

Unwinder if I don't like what my partner already has

Crimping tool

Possibly a brace and anchor kit?

Obviously when we go over it I will see the state of the land where the fence goes, and whether or not it will require work to be ready to install. I'll see how long the fence is. I will ask for him to let me see some of his existing fence, and I hope he won't mind if I use that as a guide to look at here and there. The new home will be close to the family land with livestock already there.


Edit: Small update. It's sectioning off part of the parents' pasture (cows) to create a section the daughter will have as her own. So not a huge run I bet. Probably the perfect job to bite off as my first.

 

[ponytug]

Sounds promising as a first project!

All the best, Peter

 

[Birdhunter1]

If it were me I would run 5 strands of high tensile to keep the cows out of the yard, space them 9" apart (with the first wire being at 12" up), make them all hot except the top one, and put your wire on the cattle side of the fence. Since this is going around a new house I would recommend a 6" post every 30-40' depending on terrain, full H braces at each corner, end and any other directional changes.
DARE fencing products makes a nice little guide and part catalog for all of their high tensile fence material and they show how to building corners, ends and direction changes as well as they have a guide for how many strands per animal and what kind of wire spacing. The spacing I recommended is what I woudl like to see but I will say the guide is not wrong.

 

[EddieWalker]

I've never done high tensile, but plan on surrounding my place with an 8 foot tall deer fence, which will be high tensile. I've spoken to a few installers, and also owners who have had it done and hope that I have a clue on how to start. Most of them like metal pipe for their corners, and pounding it in is more popular then drilling and setting concrete. I like wood, so my plan is to drill holes, set wooden posts and fill with concrete. I'm told that you have to set your corners, then pull a wire between them and get it super tight before setting your t posts and line posts. I'll use barb wire for this. I've done 4foot 2x4horse fence and found that I really need a good way to carry the fence around, and unwind it. I'm going to make something that I can attach to the front of my loader to do this. I tried hay forks and they really didn't work very well. You also need a way to hold onto the fence so you can pull it tight. High tensile really needs to be pulled tight, but not too tight. www.kencove.com has some nice tools for this that I'm going to spend the money on. I tired using 2x4's with bolts, but it's a pain and not what I want to use for a bigger job.

What to charge is tricky. As a contractor, I already know how long it will take me to do most jobs, so I can give my clients a solid number before I start. When I get into a mess of a job, I tell them that I will only do it on a hourly basis. It's a take it or leave it type of thing. Most will agree because they understand that there are too many unknowns to what I will find. In your case, with so little experience in doing this, I would figure out what you need to make per hour, and offer to do the job that way, or not at all. If you bid it low, and you probably will because you will be learning as you go, you will lose your lunch on it.

 

[TheMan419]

I've never done high tensile, but plan on surrounding my place with an 8 foot tall deer fence, which will be high tensile. I've spoken to a few installers, and also owners who have had it done and hope that I have a clue on how to start. Most of them like metal pipe for their corners, and pounding it in is more popular then drilling and setting concrete. I like wood, so my plan is to drill holes, set wooden posts and fill with concrete. I'm told that you have to set your corners, then pull a wire between them and get it super tight before setting your t posts and line posts. I'll use barb wire for this. I've done 4foot 2x4horse fence and found that I really need a good way to carry the fence around, and unwind it. I'm going to make something that I can attach to the front of my loader to do this. I tried hay forks and they really didn't work very well. You also need a way to hold onto the fence so you can pull it tight. High tensile really needs to be pulled tight, but not too tight. www.kencove.com has some nice tools for this that I'm going to spend the money on. I tired using 2x4's with bolts, but it's a pain and not what I want to use for a bigger job.

What to charge is tricky. As a contractor, I already know how long it will take me to do most jobs, so I can give my clients a solid number before I start. When I get into a mess of a job, I tell them that I will only do it on a hourly basis. It's a take it or leave it type of thing. Most will agree because they understand that there are too many unknowns to what I will find. In your case, with so little experience in doing this, I would figure out what you need to make per hour, and offer to do the job that way, or not at all. If you bid it low, and you probably will because you will be learning as you go, you will lose your lunch on it.

But why should the landowner be paying for his education? Lets say an experienced installer would take 10 hours to do the job but OP will take 20 hrs because of his lack of experience. Why should I as the landowner pay for 20 hrs of labor? Does not seem right.

 

[mwemaxxowner]

I don't plan to do any charging by the hour. I think that's the wrong direction to look entirely.

As a customer I don't like to pay for a job by the hour. It's too easy for someone to take the customer for a ride, and there's no incentive for them to hurry.

I'm not so concerned with what it's worth to me, I've just being searching to figure out what the job should be worth. As in what an experienced and fair contractor who has already been doing it would charge for it. Just so I can get an idea, and y'all have helped me with that. I was guessing more calculate what it would typically cost, and then knock some off of that to account for it inevitably taking me too long and for me asking questions.

I don't expect anyone to pay for my experience. I'm grateful for the opportunity to learn, and for their willingness to be patient with me and help me. Sounds like it'll be a small run, so I don't need to worry too much about "losing my lunch". Even if it takes me twice as long as it should, I shouldn't have THAT much time invested in it.

 

[Jstpssng]

It sounds like he knows what you are doing and has a good idea what it entails and how long that it should take. He also has known you all of your life so hopefully won't try to take advantage of you. By telling him just as stated in your original post you should be able to come up with a price which is fair to both of you, and also gain some experience toward next time.