Any other fencers on here??

Hi All,
Just wondered if there were any other fencers on here??

I carry out fencing and landscaping works mainly on new houses although will take on most jobs.

One of my customers has asked me to quote for 1000m of post and rail with 3 rails, I don't normally get such long runs so I dig the posts in.
Considering getting a post driver to fit on a tractor for this job, need to get the price right though.

Just wondered what other people are charging per metre for a job like this??

Many thanks

Greengrass

I saw the title a thought it was this type



I work for a civil engineering contractor and we get miles of post and rail installed, I'll ask one of commercial guys in the morning what we pay our subby per meter. Might give you an idea to start from

Thanks Mark, that would be great.

Landscaper here, done plenty fencing in my time but like you haven't been asked to quote for a job like that before.
Presumably its 3.6 lengths with 1.8 spacings?
Job will be a piece of the proverbial if access is good and as you say you use a machine.
Does that mean you already have a tractor with a pto?
Otherwise, what about hiring a compact with a post driver - you'll likely get a deal on that.
Or, do you know someone you trust with a machine who could do you some sub work - you just make sure you keep the profit, role reversal kindof thing?
Perhaps have a word with someone who does park ranger/golf course groundsman type stuff - they will have an idea whats what?
Am sure you've got one already but a decent first fix gun is the way forward.
You may need to think of some bearer posts every so often for strength - we did 300 - odd m of stock fencing for a customer once - had a strengthened bearer at intervals.

None of the above is meant to encourage teaching grannies to suck eggs - just provoke thought.
Got a cheap John Deere Gator here if you need a cheap support vehicle to sell on afterwards (or an L200 with AT's on hahaha).

All the best



John

Hi John,
We've spoken before about landscaping matters I think.

I've got access to a tractor, I've also seen the post driver I would like. Protech p30 sideshift if you fancy being nosey.

Got a pair of De-walt nail guns as we spend a lot of time putting up closed board everywhere, got fed up with paslode guns gas nozzles always freezing in the winter and needing constant maintenance.
5x3 posts at 1.8 centres and 3.6 rails as you say, do a fair bit of this too but its always domestic and no more than 60-80 metre runs normally.

Got the LC 90 and Hi-lux for getting about.
What do you want for the gator? Been looking for something like that for some conservation work I need to do, where I need low ground pressure, low height and manoeuvrability. The Hi-lux is too heavy and bulky to get round the trees.

If the job involved an unusually large outlay i would be inclined to quote for 250m done paid and if everyone's happy then same again .

It protects both the customer and yourself .

Hi Shayne,
Its a regular customer so no problems with the money.

He is a developer who keeps me busy, this is for his other half.

I need to keep it competitive as I know she is contacting a local Ag contractor about it too, although all his kit is all huge and will make a right mess. As its pretty wet down there , he'll just end up leaving ruts everywhere. Where a Kubota on grass tyres will just push the grass over and very little more.

Put new telecom through a posh equestrian place once 2.5ft deep and we used a tracked kubota on ply sheets . Took the grass top off with a ditching bucket and laid it to one side then with a 2 tooth trench bucket put the dugout on another sheet of ply , laid the cable backfilled and popped the grass carpet back in place . Mid winter but it was such a clean job it was a pleasure . Slow to start with but once we got into the rhythm 3 of us tramped through it at a rate that surprised us .

Part of the job is running pipes to water troughs, hoping to use a subsoiler /mole with pipe laying gear on it rather than trench it with my digger.

Should make it a fairly quick operation hopefully.

Yes done that to , no two jobs are the same though i just wondered if you had considered laying ply , i was shocked every day to look back on the job and wonder if we had actually been in the field i was looking at . The equestrian people didn't believe us when we told them we were finished .

Pay £3-4/metre labour where there is good access round here. I'm sure you know, but it would be criminal to do all that work with anything other than UC4 treated timber. Personally I don't bother using anything other than pressure impregnated with creosote. Too much heartbreak watching fences I put up 5 years ago rotting in the ground. And you can get a tractor next to about 5% of mine.
Also sure you know, but I'll mention you'll want a post twister for post and rail so you can square up the edges as you drive them in.

Its not so wet that we will need ply to run on, been across it in the Hi-lux ok. Large ,heavy tractors / telehandlers would make a mess though.

Always use ply when we are tree planting with the digger.

Hi Rob,
I've been looking at 15yr larch posts with pine rails. I was thinking square bottom posts rather than pointed , when ever I do timber edging pointed stakes travel along when they hit a stone.

Was hoping for more than £4 a metre labour though

I made a post twister for a job a while back

We currently have a rate of £16 per meter for Post and 4 Rail Fencing to Highways Standard.

greengrass said:

Hi Rob,
I've been looking at 15yr larch posts with pine rails. I was thinking square bottom posts rather than pointed , when ever I do timber edging pointed stakes travel along when they hit a stone.

Was hoping for more than £4 a metre labour though

I made a post twister for a job a while back

Click to expand...

I'm in mid-Wales. Plenty of small farmers doing contract work. You're in Buckinghamshire. I'd expect you to get more than 3-4
I don't find cheap half-round rails last any longer than cheap posts. Rot starts where the nail goes in, but even if it doesn't they snap when a sheep leans on them after 5 or 6 years. The square rails do seem better.

Be interested to see if the mills putting out the 15 year stuff are still about in 15 years. I bought a batch of cheap strainers a couple of years ago because the treatment place had gone bust; I don't think because of claims against them! Other than Jackcure I don't recall seeing these 15 year posts until 3-4 years ago when all the non-arsenic treated posts started falling over.

greengrass said:

Hi John,
We've spoken before about landscaping matters I think.

I've got access to a tractor, I've also seen the post driver I would like. Protech p30 sideshift if you fancy being nosey.

Got a pair of De-walt nail guns as we spend a lot of time putting up closed board everywhere, got fed up with paslode guns gas nozzles always freezing in the winter and needing constant maintenance.
5x3 posts at 1.8 centres and 3.6 rails as you say, do a fair bit of this too but its always domestic and no more than 60-80 metre runs normally.

Got the LC 90 and Hi-lux for getting about.
What do you want for the gator? Been looking for something like that for some conservation work I need to do, where I need low ground pressure, low height and manoeuvrability. The Hi-lux is too heavy and bulky to get round the trees.

Click to expand...

I believe we have yes.
I just had my paslode overhauled by them after 7 years usage, cost me £100 all in, it had never let me down before.
The gator owes me a fortune and is available unexpectedly along with some roller mowers and lawn tractors. I need £2250 for it minimum. 4 wheeler petrol, had a full floorpan renewal, bespoke cage for the back. Gearbox good, oil done, new belt etc Plastic wings not pretty but i never cared!! I love them, theyre a blast.

Thanks for that Mark, sounds about right.

Those posts are kiln dried and then treated Rob, not the normal posts that are treated whilst still full of water. It was going to use square rails, not a fan of the half rounds every rail is a different diameter to the previous one.
All of the v-notch posts I use for closed board have a 15yr life too, always a good selling point with the customers.

I'll give it some thought about the Gator John