Fence installation contract template
Fence disputes are rarely about the fence. They're about where it went: a few inches onto the neighbor's side, across an easement, or higher than the HOA allows. This contract makes the property line, the permit and the HOA the owner's to confirm, then sets out the fence itself: material, height, gates, posts and what happens when you hit rock. Read it below, then send it from SignMaster.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 4 min read
The contract
Gray blanks are yours to fill in before you send. Each signer fills in the blanks in their color.
- You, before sending
- Property owner
- Fence contractor
Fence Installation Contract
This Fence Installation Contract (the "Contract") is made on Contract date between Fence company name, license number License number (the "Contractor"), and Owner name (the "Owner").
1. Property and layout
The Contractor will install a fence at Property address, in the layout shown on the site sketch Site sketch name and date.
2. The fence
- Material and style: Material and style.
- Height: Fence height.
- Total length: about Fence length in feet feet.
- Finished side faces: Finished side faces.
- Gates: Number of gates, sized Gate widths, with Gate hardware.
3. Posts
Posts will be spaced about Post spacing apart and set Post depth deep in Post setting method. Corner, end and gate posts: Corner and gate posts.
4. Property line and location
The Owner will show the Contractor the property lines, using survey markers where they exist, and confirms that the fence's location is on the Owner's land and meets setback and easement rules. If the line is uncertain, the Owner will obtain a survey at the Owner's cost before work starts. Unless the Owner directs otherwise, the fence will be set about Offset from property line inside the line. The Contractor will build where the Owner directs and is not responsible for a fence placed in that location.
I have shown the Contractor where the property line runs along the fence.
5. Permits and association approval
Any permit the fence needs will be obtained by Who obtains the permit, and permit fees are Permit fees included or extra. The Owner is responsible for getting any homeowners association approval of the fence's height, style, color and finished side before work starts.
6. Utility locates and digging
Before digging, the Contractor will request a utility locate through the 811 call-before-you-dig service and wait for the marks. Locates don't mark private lines, so the Owner will mark sprinkler lines, landscape lighting, pet fences and septic parts. If a post hole hits rock, concrete, large roots or another obstruction that needs extra equipment or labor, the Contractor will tell the Owner and either move the post slightly where the fence allows or charge Charge per hard-dig hole for each hole affected.
7. Old fence and the site
Removal of the existing fence: Old fence removal. Soil from post holes will be Post hole soil. The Owner will clear plants, stored items and decorations from a strip about Clear strip width in feet feet wide along the fence line, and keep pets indoors on work days, since parts of the yard will be open.
8. Schedule
Work is expected to start on or about Estimated start date and take about Estimated working days working days. Frozen or saturated ground, weather, permit timing and material delays can move these dates.
9. Price and payment
The total price is Contract price. A deposit of Deposit is due when this Contract is signed and is used to order materials. The balance, plus any hard-dig charges under section 6, is due when the fence is complete. Accepted payment methods: Payment methods.
10. Warranty
The Contractor warrants its workmanship, including posts that lean and gates that sag because of the installation, for Workmanship warranty in years year(s) from completion. Materials carry their makers' warranties. The warranty does not cover damage from wind, storms or falling trees, ground movement or flooding, vehicles, animals digging, or the natural shrinking, warping, checking and fading of wood.
11. Changes, cancellation and general terms
Changes to the fence, location, price or schedule must be agreed in writing by both parties. If this Contract was signed at the Owner's home, the Owner may have a legal right to cancel within three business days, and the Contractor will provide a written notice explaining how. The Contractor carries general liability insurance. This Contract is the whole agreement for the fence and is governed by the laws of the state of State. Electronic signatures count as original signatures.
Owner contact details
Phone: Owner phone Email: Owner email
I understand that the property line, setbacks, easements and any HOA approval are my responsibility under sections 4 and 5.
Property owner
Fence contractor
Opens it in SignMaster as a template you can edit and send.
A starting point, not legal advice. Have a lawyer review it for your state and situation.
On this page
Why fence contracts start at the property line
A fence marks a boundary, so building one in the wrong place has consequences that outlast the job: a neighbor's complaint, a demand to move it, or a fence that sits on someone else's land. You can't know where the line is unless someone shows you, so the contract puts that duty on the owner, with a survey if the corner pins can't be found.
Once the location is settled, the rest is about expectations: which side faces out, how deep the posts go, what happens to the old fence and the dirt from the holes, and whether the gate is wide enough for the mower.
What the template covers
- The fence: material, style, height and length, the finished side, and a site sketch named by date.
- Gates and posts: the number and width of gates, the hardware, and post spacing, depth and setting.
- Location: the owner shows the property line, pays for a survey if it's unclear, and confirms setbacks and easements.
- Permits and HOA: who obtains the permit, and the owner's job of getting association approval for height, style and the finished side.
- Digging: an 811 locate before any holes, private lines marked by the owner, and a per-hole charge for rock, concrete or big roots.
- Old fence and site: removal and disposal, soil from post holes, a cleared strip along the line, and pets kept inside.
- Payment and warranty: a deposit for materials, the balance at completion, and how long you stand behind posts and gates.
Fence installation mistakes
- Guessing at the line. Ask the owner to show you survey pins or a plat, and have them confirm it in the contract before the first post hole.
- Forgetting which side faces out. Neighbors notice, and some local rules and HOAs require the finished side to face outward. Write it down.
- Pricing every hole as easy digging. Rocky ground can double the time per post, so put a price per hole for rock or buried concrete in the contract.
- Hanging wide gates on light hardware. Big wood gates sag without the right hinges and bracing. Specify the hardware and warrant the gate for a set time.
- Ignoring the neighbor. If the new fence replaces a shared one, the neighbor may have a say. Suggest the owner talks to them before you start.
Shared and boundary fences
Some states and cities have rules about fences on a shared boundary, including how neighbors split the cost and where the fence may sit. This template treats the owner who signs as your only customer. If a neighbor is paying part of the cost, have them sign their own agreement for their share.
How to send it with SignMaster
- 1
Open the template
Choose Use this template. It opens with the property owner and your company as the two signers, owner first.
- 2
Fill in the fence
Use the gray blanks for the material, height, length, gates, post spacing and depth, the rock charge and the price. Name the site sketch so the layout is tied to the contract.
- 3
The owner confirms the line
When they open the contract, the owner checks the boxes confirming they've shown you the property line and that the line and HOA approval are their responsibility, then signs. Both boxes print on the signed copy.
- 4
Close it in the driveway
Most fence sales are decided at the estimate. Use Sign in person on your phone, and you can order posts and panels the same afternoon.
- 5
Keep it handy for locates and permits
Both of you get the signed PDF with its certificate of completion. The sketch and the owner's line confirmation are right there when the locate crew, the inspector or a neighbor asks.
HOAs, builders and neighborhood runs
When an HOA replaces a perimeter fence or a builder fences a whole phase, the same contract goes to many owners. Put each address, length and price on a row of a spreadsheet and bulk send one contract per owner, with columns like Property address, Fence length in feet and Contract price filling the blanks. Owners who haven't signed get reminders, so the crew can plan a street at a time.
Questions? Answers.
Who is responsible for knowing where the property line is?
Under this template, the property owner. They show the line and pay for a survey if it's uncertain, and the contractor builds where they direct. The owner is the one with the deed and the plat, so that's where the duty sits.
Do I need a permit for a fence?
It depends on your city or county, and often on height and whether it's a front yard. The template says who obtains any permit and makes HOA approval the owner's job.
What if we hit rock digging post holes?
Section 6 sets a per-hole charge for rock, concrete or large roots. The crew tells the owner when they hit it, or moves the post slightly where the fence allows, so the cost isn't a surprise on the invoice.
How long should a fence warranty be?
It's your call. Many installers warrant workmanship, such as leaning posts and sagging gates, for a year or more and pass along the material maker's warranty. Set your years in section 10 and list what's excluded.
Sources
- Common Ground Alliance: Call 811 before you dig · call811.com