How to quote for fencing and decking

Fencing and decking look like a simple count: so many panels, so many boards, a day or two of work. Then you hit a sloping garden, ground full of rubble, concrete you didn't expect, or a customer who wants the deck level over uneven ground. The cost in these jobs lives in the groundwork and the posts, not the panels you can see. Here is how to survey the site, what really drives the price, and how to build a quote that holds up.

Survey the ground, not just the run

You can't price fencing or decking off a length over the phone. Go and walk the site, because what's under and around the run is what decides the labour. A flat, clear garden with soft ground is a quick job. A slope, hard or rubble-filled ground, existing concrete to break out, or awkward access for materials and waste are all slower, and the customer rarely sees that coming.

• Measure the run or the deck area, and check the levels: a slope changes posts, panels and groundwork.
• Probe the ground. Soft soil digs easily; rubble, clay, tree roots or buried concrete do not.
• Check what's coming out first: removing an old fence or deck and disposing of it is real work.
• Note access: a garden you can only reach through the house is far slower to load in and clear out.
• Look for services, boundaries and anything you need to dig clear of, and confirm the line with the customer.

The posts and groundwork are the real job

With fencing and decking, the part the customer sees is the cheap, quick part. The cost sits in setting it right underneath. Be clear, on the quote, about the groundwork, because that's what separates a fence that lasts from one that leans in a year.

• Digging post holes to a proper depth, which is far harder in hard or stony ground.
• Setting posts in concrete and letting them go off before the rest goes up.
• Levelling and, for decking, building a sound, level frame and footings over uneven ground.
• Breaking out and removing any old concrete, fence bases or the existing structure.

Pin down the materials and spec

Fencing and decking come in a wide range of specs, and the price follows the spec. Agree exactly what the customer wants before you price, because a basic panel fence and a high-quality close-board run, or a softwood deck and a composite one, are very different jobs and very different materials.

• Fence type: panels, close-board, posts in timber, concrete or metal, gravel boards, caps and trims.
• Decking type: softwood, hardwood or composite, plus the frame timber, fixings and any sub-frame.
• Finishes: staining, treating or sealing, and whether that's included now or left to the customer.
• Extras: gates, steps, balustrades, post caps and any screening, which all add labour and materials.

Price your own labour and materials

Work your labour from the realistic days the digging, setting and building actually take, not just the panels going up, and remember posts need their concrete to set before you carry on. Price your materials from your suppliers: posts, panels or boards, concrete, fixings, gravel boards and any treatment. Price your own materials and labour for the site in front of you, because a flat garden with soft ground and a sloping plot full of rubble are completely different amounts of work for the same length of fence.

Be clear about scope, finish and exclusions

State plainly what's included: the run or deck area, the spec, whether old structures are being removed, and whether treatment or staining is in the price. Spell out exclusions just as clearly. If you're not disposing of the old fence, breaking out unexpected concrete, or treating the timber after, say so. If the ground turns out to be full of buried concrete you couldn't see, that's exactly where a fixed price can hurt you, so allow for it or flag it as a possible extra agreed in writing before you carry on.

For the standard sections every quote should carry, see what every professional quote should include. And because the ground can hide surprises until you start digging, our guide on quote vs estimate explains when to give a fixed price and when to estimate.