A fence installation quote should specify more than just linear footage and material — the details below are where cost and quality actually diverge.
What to look for
- Post depth and spacing — shallow or widely-spaced posts are a common shortcut that shows up as leaning fences within a few years.
- Property line survey — confirm whether the installer is working from an actual survey or an assumption, since a misplaced fence can become a neighbor dispute.
- Material grade — "cedar fence" can mean very different quality levels depending on the grade of lumber used.
- Gate hardware included and specified, since cheap gate hardware is a common early failure point.