Having a fence installed: what you need for a quote

A price per metre says little until the installer knows the spot. These points make the difference:

• Length: the number of running metres, and the number of corners and end points. Every corner and every end needs an extra post.
• Height: a taller fence needs more material and catches more wind, so it needs heavier posts or a deeper foundation.
• Material and design: composite, twin wire mesh (dubbelstaafmat) or chain-link (gaas), and within each material the colour, board thickness or wire thickness, such as 6/5/6 or 8/6/8.
• Posts: the number, the type (aluminium slotted post, concrete post or steel post) and how they are fixed: in the ground, in concrete or on a betonpoer, a precast concrete footing.
• Gravel boards (onderplaten): concrete boards between the posts, below the fence boards. Where the ground level changes, they also hold back soil.
• Gates: single or double, the width and the gate hardware (poortbeslag), meaning hinges, lock or lock case (slotkast), handle, drop bolt and gate stop.
• Ground: sand, clay, rubble, old foundations or tree roots. Hard or mixed-up ground takes more time.
• The old fence: taking it down, digging out old posts and concrete footings, and taking it away.
• Access: can the materials reach the back through a gate or side path, or must everything go through the house? Is there room for a van?
• Change in level: a sloping garden needs a stepped fence or extra gravel boards, and so more measuring and cutting.

With good photos, an experienced installer can judge a lot. Take them in daylight, in landscape format, and walk the line in this order:

1. 1The whole line: stand at one end and photograph along the line where the fence will go. Do the same from the other end.
2. 2Both end points: where does the fence start and end? Against a façade, a wall, an existing post, or free-standing in the garden?
3. 3The ground along the line: grass, paving, gravel, a border or plants. Photograph at an angle along the line, so that any slope is visible.
4. 4The old fence, if there is one: an overview and a photo of a post at its base, so we can see how it is fixed.
5. 5The neighbours' side, if the fence goes on the boundary or if we need to work from their side.
6. 6The route from the street to the spot, with the gate or passage the materials must go through.

Add a short sketch with the measurements and the position of any gate. A photo of a drawing on paper is enough.

1. 1Take a tape measure of at least 10 metres. It is easier with two people.
2. 2Measure each straight section separately, from corner to corner, and write the sections down in order.
3. 3Measure the opening for a gate separately and note whether it will be a single or double gate.
4. 4If the ground slopes, also estimate the difference in height between the start and the end, for example with a spirit level on a straight batten.
5. 5Add up the sections and round up to the nearest half metre.
6. 6No tape measure to hand? Count your steps. An adult's step is about three quarters of a metre. Note that it is an estimate.

A rough measurement is enough for a first quote. When we do the work, we set out the line ourselves with a string line and a laser.

• Company details: trade name, address, KvK number (Chamber of Commerce registration) and btw number (VAT number).
• Your name, the address of the work, the date and how long the quote is valid.
• Length and height, and the material with colour and design.
• The number and type of posts, gravel boards and caps.
• Gates with size, opening direction and hardware.
• What happens to the old fence: taking it down, taking it away and disposing of it, and whether that is in the price.
• Materials and labour, and what is not included, such as extra groundwork or moving plants.
• The total price including btw.

About btw (the Dutch VAT): anyone who sells to consumers states the price in euros and including btw. The government's business portal Ondernemersplein says so. The ACM, the Dutch consumer and market regulator, applies the same rule to every offer to consumers, including services. It also expects extra costs to be included in the price. Amounts excluding btw are meant for business customers.

ZuidHek is a fence installer from Geleen with more than 6 years of experience. We work only in the Netherlands, mainly in South Limburg and further across Dutch Limburg. The quote is free and without obligation.

1. 1You send photos, a rough length and your wishes by WhatsApp or email.
2. 2We ask questions where needed and make the quote, with the price including btw.
3. 3If you accept, we plan the day and agree what you arrange beforehand, such as the agreement with your neighbours.
4. 4On the day, we set out the line with a tensioned string line and a laser. The string sets the direction; the laser sets posts and gravel boards at the same height, even in a sloping garden.
5. 5Posts go about one third of their length into the ground, or onto a foundation if the ground or the height calls for it.
6. 6We tidy up and take away the old fence if that was agreed.

On our van it says: “Geen werk op het oog — altijd touw en laser.” In English: nothing done by eye, always a string line and a laser.

The easiest way to start: send the photos and the rough length by WhatsApp to 06 13 87 10 16 (from a foreign number: +31 6 13 87 10 16). Say which material you want, the height, whether you need a gate and in which town the fence will go. You can also email [email protected].