Insane fencing costs?

[Baymule]

If you have no shelter for them, you can throw up a hoop shelter. I have a hoop coop for my chickens, took me a few days to build it. You could build a frame work for the bottom, put a back on it and cover with a tarp. You could probably get one up in a day.

 

[greybeard]

I threw this question on to another board that some professional fencers are on and one of the things that was pointed out is the number of corners involved and the number of individual 'pulls' or 'stretches' involved. Instead of just 4 corners if it were one 4 ac parcel being fenced, it will have at least 24 corners, and obviously some gateways will have to be included.
Still, the consensus is that the job is overpriced, barring any unknowns regarding terrain, local labor costs, or limitations we don't know about.

 

[Mini Horses]

So, it's 15 hrs drive. Go for a few days a little before move. Take (or have lined up to buy) T-posts, cattle panels, clips, T-post pounder, gates and throw up a secure area to handle your animals while you either up the full fence area or watch a contractor do it. You can feed/water in this area while you get the place like you want it. Post and panels can always be moved and TRUST US -- you never want to be without a few extra posts and panels on a farm with livestock!!

 

[greybeard]

I think this is more representative of what the project entails. The gate placements might be different and it doesn't include any gates to allow entrance into the 4 ac parcel but you get an idea of the number of braced corners, braced gate openings needed, and the number of individual pulls on the wire. All have to be taken into consideration by you and/or the contractor when trying to figure costs.

 

[maritown]

Here's the drawing that the contractor based the estimate on. Even if I counted each corner WITHIN the pastures, it's 16 corners? Or am I missing something?

 

[secuono]

Where are you moving to? There's got to be other fence companies...
Mine was a small farm & residential company.

You can have the company install all corners, braces and inline posts, then you install the wire and gates. That will save you a good amount, but it's hard to get the wire tight without heavy machinery.
I used heavy crank straps to tighten the fence, no where the same as what the contractor did, but it'll work.

 

[maritown]

Where are you moving to? There's got to be other fence companies...
Mine was a small farm & residential company.

You can have the company install all corners, braces and inline posts, then you install the wire and gates. That will save you a good amount, but it's hard to get the wire tight without heavy machinery.
I used heavy crank straps to tighten the fence, no where the same as what the contractor did, but it'll work.

That's what we did on our current property. The owners had up wooden posts and 2 strands very old electric that did not work. We installed woven wire ourselves using baling twine and a stick, LOL. It was very hard work but it has held up the 2 years we've been here. Unfortunately we just don't have that kind of time now.

I got another quote from a residential contractor today...$18 per linear foot! Just to reiterate, the second contractor quoted $50,000 FOR FOUR ACRES!!! I said "no thanks" and they said they want to make it work, so I wonder if they truly are just throwing out numbers and expecting me to say OK!?

We will see if they can give me a quote for just the posts. This is upstate NY, very cheap farmland. But honestly, even if those WERE reasonable quotes for the area, they are not reasonable to me lol. I feel like I am in the twilight zone. I KNOW that materials are not that much. This is flat, easy land! It's looking like we will throw up some panels as holding pens and just do it ourselves.

 

[greybeard]

Here's the drawing that the contractor based the estimate on. Even if I counted each corner WITHIN the pastures, it's 16 corners? Or am I missing something?

For a contractor, gate openings are the same as a 90deg corner as far as the labor and material costs go. The gates have to have 2 posts on each side of them, with a horizontal brace between. They count as corners even they are each an 'H' and in a straight line. You can't just plant a single post on each side of a gate and not brace off against the wire strain and the weight of the gate on the other end. The posts would be leaning outward away from each other in no time and you'll have trouble latching the gates, which will also no longer be hanging level.

I have over 25 drive thru gates on my place, not including the ones in the cattle handling pen and each one has an H brace on each side of it..a lesson I learned the hard way.

 

[maritown]

For a contractor, gate openings are the same as a 90deg corner as far as the labor and material costs go. The gates have to have 2 posts on each side of them, with a horizontal brace between. They count as corners even they are each an 'H' and in a straight line. You can't just plant a single post on each side of a gate and not brace off against the wire strain and the weight of the gate on the other end. The posts would be leaning outward away from each other in no time and you'll have trouble latching the gates, which will also no longer be hanging level.

I have over 25 drive thru gates on my place, not including the ones in the cattle handling pen and each one has an H brace on each side of it..a lesson I learned the hard way.

Oh interesting! I knew they needed braces but did not know about how they are considered, interesting to hear things from a contractor POV.

 

[greybeard]

Just to be clear, I am NOT a fence contractor. Have enough to do on my own place and too old to do anyone else's anyway.