Sample deliverable
This is what comes back.
One plan sheet, worked all the way through to a bid package. Same format you get on your own job. Read it here or download the workbook and open it in Excel.
This is a sample on a fictional project. It is not a real client, a real bid, or a record of work we have done — we say so on every tab. What it does show is the exact format, depth and discipline you get. Every quantity below is genuinely measured off the sheet shown underneath it. Nothing here is a made-up number, which is the entire point.
- Plan
- Takeoff
- Scope
- Material list
- Exclusions
- Clarifications
- RFQ / bid support
What we get sent
A civil sheet with a fence line on it. 618′ × 428′ commercial parcel, perimeter fence on three sides, two gates, and a specification section that does not entirely agree with the details. Normal Tuesday.
Sheet C-3.0 · 1" = 60′ · sample drawing, fictional project
Quantities, with where each one came from
Every line carries the sheet it was measured off and whether it was measured, counted or calculated. That is what lets you check the work in ten minutes instead of trusting it. Anything the documents do not settle is flagged VERIFY and gets a matching question — it never gets filled in with a guess.
| Item | Description | Qty | Unit | Confidence | Source | Assumption |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | 6′ galvanized chain link fabric, 9 ga., 2" mesh | 1,636 | LF | Measured | C-3.0 | 618 + 200 + 224 + 300 + 294 — gate openings deducted |
| 003 | Line posts, 2-3/8" O.D. SS40, at 10′-0" o.c. | 160 | EA | Derived | C-3.0 / spec 32 31 13 | Per run, ceil(length ÷ 10) − 1: 61 + 19 + 22 + 29 + 29 |
| 004 | Terminal, corner, end and gate posts, 3" O.D. | 8 | EA | Counted | C-3.0 | 2 end + 2 corner + 4 gate posts |
| 007 | 24′ double swing vehicle gate, 6′ high | 1 | EA | Counted | C-3.0 | South line, at the entry drive |
| 009 | Post footings — line posts, 10" dia. × 30" deep | 8.1 | CY | VERIFY | spec 32 31 13 | Detail 4/C-5.1 shows 24", the spec says 30". Priced to the spec. See question 001. |
| 011 | Footing concrete, ordered quantity | 9.7 | CY | Derived | items 009 + 010 | 8.78 CY neat + 10% waste — the waste factor is an assumption, set it to yours |
| 012 | Post caps, tension bars, bands, rail ends, ties | 1 | LS | Allowance | spec 32 31 13 | Carried as a lump sum, not counted. Supplier schedules it against the post counts. |
| 013 | 3-strand barbed wire with extension arms | 0 | LF | VERIFY | detail 4/C-5.1 | Not carried. Shown in a detail, absent from the spec, may be prohibited by code. See question 002. |
13 lines in the full workbook. This is a selection.
What is in, and what is deliberately out
This is the tab that keeps money in your pocket, and it is the one the cheap takeoff shops do not produce. Copy it straight into your bid.
Included — 7 items
- 1,636 LF of 6′ galvanized chain link — fabric, posts, top rail, bottom tension wire
- One 24′ double swing vehicle gate with drop rod and cane bolts
- One 4′ single swing man gate with latch and keeper
- Concrete post footings at line, terminal, corner and gate posts
- Standard fittings, caps, bands, tension bars and ties
- Layout from corner stakes provided by others
- Cleanup and removal of our own debris
Assumptions — 5 items
- Soil is augerable to footing depth with a standard truck-mounted auger
- Fence line is within 6" of level over any 10′ bay — no stepping or racking
- Corner stakes set and verified by others before mobilization
- 10% concrete waste — adjust to your own historical number
- No work required inside the paved parking area shown on C-3.0
Built from the takeoff, at the grade the spec calls for
Order quantities, not just measurements — rolls and sticks, rounded the way you actually buy. No prices anywhere on this tab, because none of them came from a quote we hold. Those come out of the RFQs.
| Item | Material | Qty | Unit | From | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M01 | Chain link fabric, 6′ × 9 ga., 2" mesh, galvanized | 33 | ROLL | Takeoff 002 | 50′ rolls covering 1,636 LF — 14 LF spare |
| M02 | Line post, 2-3/8" O.D. SS40, 8′-6" | 160 | EA | Takeoff 003 | Length assumes 6′ fence + 30" embedment |
| M03 | Terminal / corner / gate post, 3" O.D. SS40, 9′-0" | 8 | EA | Takeoff 004 | Length assumes 6′ fence + 36" embedment |
| M04 | Top rail, 1-5/8" O.D. galvanized | 78 | EA | Takeoff 005 | 21′ sticks, sleeved |
| M08 | Concrete, 3000 psi, post footings | 9.7 | CY | Takeoff 011 | Includes 10% waste — your factor may differ |
| M09 | Fittings package | 1 | LS | Takeoff 012 | Allowance — supplier schedules against post and gate counts |
Sixteen things somebody would otherwise assume you were doing
An exclusion you did not write down is a scope you agreed to. This is where a fence contractor actually loses money, and it is the part a $12-an-hour generalist working off a template does not produce.
Excluded — site conditions
- Property line survey, staking and boundary determination
- Clearing, grubbing, tree and stump removal along the fence line
- Rock or unsuitable soil at post holes — bid assumes augerable soil
- Private utility locates and repair of unmarked private utilities
- Grading, or any line needing more than nominal grade following
- Demolition and disposal of existing fence
- Restoration — final grade, sod, irrigation repair, paving patch
Excluded — scope and contract
- Gate operators, conduit, wiring, power, disconnects, pedestals
- Access control, card readers, keypads, loop detectors, low voltage
- Barbed wire and extension arms — see question 002
- Permits and permit fees
- Payment and performance bonds; above-standard insurance
- Prevailing wage and certified payroll administration
- Temporary construction fence
- Third-party testing, special inspection, concrete cylinders
- As-builts, O&M manuals, attic stock, warranty beyond one year
What the drawings could not answer
Four questions came out of one fence sheet. Each one carries what we assumed in the meantime and what changes if the answer is different — so it is a decision you can make, not a disclaimer you have to interpret.
| # | Sheet / spec | The question | Assumed meantime | If the answer is different |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | spec 32 31 13 vs detail 4/C-5.1 | Line post footing depth — the spec says 30", the detail shows 24". Which governs? | Priced to the spec at 30"; takeoff line 009 flagged VERIFY | Dropping to 24" takes about 1.6 CY of concrete out, and the labor with it |
| 002 | detail 4/C-5.1 | The detail shows 45° extension arms with 3-strand barbed wire. The spec never mentions it, and code may prohibit it here. In or out? | Not carried. Excluded in writing. | Adding it is roughly 1,636 LF of barbed wire plus 168 arms, plus labor |
| 003 | C-3.0 | No fence line grade shown. Is the line within 6" of level over a 10′ bay, or does it need stepping or racking? | Nominal grade following, no stepping. Stated as an assumption. | Stepped or racked installation is materially slower and changes post lengths |
| 004 | front-end docs (not provided) | Bonds, prevailing wage, or above-standard insurance required? | All three excluded in writing. | Any of them adds real cost and administration that has to be in the number |
What to get quoted, and what to watch for
The material list turned into requests a vendor can actually price, with the trap on each one called out.
| # | What to quote | Quantity / spec | What to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| R01 | Complete chain link material package | 1,636 LF · spec 32 31 13 | Ask for the fittings package broken out separately so it can be checked against the post counts |
| R02 | Gates — 24′ double swing and 4′ man gate | 2 EA, 6′ high, galvanized | Confirm lead time. Gates are usually the long pole on a fence job. |
| R03 | Ready-mix concrete, 3000 psi | 9.7 CY | Ask about short-load fees — this is several small pours, not one truck |
| R04 | Auger / skid steer rental | Duration to suit | Only if not self-performed |
One more thing, and it is the whole philosophy
Look at the Estimate tab in the workbook. Every unit cost cell is empty. Not because we ran out of time — because we do not hold a quote for any of them, and we will not type a number we cannot stand behind into a document you are going to bid off.
Your rates, your overhead, your margin, your number. We do the two days of work that comes before it.
Now do it with your job.
Send the next set on your desk. $99 for the first one, no contract, and you will know in three business days whether this is worth using again.