Job costing for fence and deck builders

Fence and deck jobs are quick, which makes it easy to never find out which ones made money. JobMargin tracks material, footings, and crew hours on every job, so you can see which jobs, and which customers, are worth repeating.

What fence and deck builders track in JobMargin

• Materials as they’re delivered. Lumber, composite, and fence panels post to the job from the receipt or delivery ticket.
• Footings and hardware. Concrete for posts and hardware get their own lines, so small costs don’t disappear.
• Quotes homeowners accept online. Send a private link; the homeowner taps Accept, and the bid turns Won and is ready to start.
• Add-ons as change orders. An extra gate or a wider stair goes in as a change order before the crew builds it.

Set up for fencing and decks from the first day

When you pick Fencing & Decks as your trade, JobMargin loads these cost categories for budgets, receipts, and job costs. You can rename or add your own at any time.

• Fence & Deck Materials
• Labor
• Concrete & Footings
• Hardware
• Equipment Rental
• Fuel
• Disposal
• Permits
• Subcontractor
• Other

Bid line items use the units fence and deck actually bid in: linear feet (LF), square feet (SF), each (EA), and lump sum (LS).

Example: what a fence and deck job looks like mid-way

A 420 sq ft composite deck with stairs and rail, plus 180 linear feet of 6-foot privacy fence. Posts and framing are done; the decking boards are about half down.

The materials were delivered up front, so 96% spent is fine. Labor is 53% spent with the framing done and the decking half down, right on pace. The footings and permit came in on budget, so this one is tracking toward the margin it was bid at.

Guides and tools for fence and deck builders