Install a fence and gate: what to state for accurate prices
Where the estimate starts
A fence is priced first by length and height, but what sits under it affects the total too. The crew must know the fencing material, how the posts are fixed, the type of gate and whether automation is needed. Without that, all the offers will be “approximate”.
The most common options are galvanised or metal sheet, a welded metal grill, chain-link or welded mesh panels, a brick or block compound wall, and timber sections. Gates are swing, sliding or sectional, and sliding and sectional ones are usually given an electric motor.
What to put in your request
- What to install — a fence, a gate, a wicket gate or all of them.
- Length and height — the total, allowing for corners.
- Material — metal sheet, grill, mesh, brick.
- Posts and foundation — set in concrete, on piles or a strip foundation.
- Automation — the model or brand, if you already have it.
- Whose materials — yours or the contractor's.
- Plot conditions — an old fence to remove, a slope, the soil, access for machinery.
- Address, timing, budget.
Example: “Melbourne, a private house. I need a metal sheet fence 6 ft high and 200 ft long, posts set in concrete, and a sliding gate with a motor. The old fence must be removed. Materials by the contractor, to be finished by the end of the month.”
How a request works on BlaBlaPrice
Instead of phoning crews, you write one request on the home page. Installers in your city reply in chat: what exactly they will put up, at what price, on which days they can come. Each can see where his offer stands and can improve the terms, so the price often turns out better.
Reviews of the providers are shown next to the offers, and your contacts stay hidden. More details are on the page How it works.
How to compare offers
Ask what section the pipes of the posts and rails are made of, and how thick the metal or the sheet is. Two offers with the same length can differ not only in price but also in strength. Check whether the price includes:
- marking out and earthwork, concrete;
- painting the posts and primer;
- fitting the gate and the automation, separately or together;
- removal of the old fence and debris;
- a warranty and servicing of the automation.
Common mistakes
A common mistake is to build a fence without confirming the boundary of the plot: neighbours may object, and moving it is expensive. Make sure the boundary is settled and, if needed, call in a surveyor. The second is saving on the depth and concreting of the posts: in soft or clayey soils the fence may lean. The third is choosing a sliding gate with no room for it to slide: you need a clear stretch at the side that is longer than the width of the opening.
If you also need earthwork or concrete work, look at construction services, and for powering the motor electrical installation.
