When you are bidding fence work as a subcontractor to a general contractor, the GC is on the hook for the prime bid. They need clean numbers, a clear scope, and enough detail to present your work to an owner without having to call you back twice before bid day. Most fence sub-bids fall short on at least one of those fronts.
Cover the scope in writing, not just a number
A number without a scope statement is not a bid — it is a starting point for a dispute. Your sub-bid should state what you are including: linear footage, fence type and height, gate count and type, demolition or removal if applicable, and any surface preparation. If there are items in the spec you are explicitly excluding, list them.
GCs who receive bids that only say "fence per plans and specs, $X" have to call every sub to figure out whether demolition, concrete footings at gates, or electrical rough-in for operators is included. A bid that answers those questions up front gets used. One that does not gets set aside.
Flag spec issues before bid day, not after
If the plans show a fence type that is not available in the lead time the schedule requires, or if the spec calls for a product with only one domestic source and that source is backordered, say so in your bid. Not as a disclaimer buried at the bottom — as a clear note in the body of the submission. GCs who include your number in their prime bid need to know this before they sign a contract, not during a submittal review six weeks later.
The same applies to site access. If the drawings show a fence line that runs through an area that looks like it will need utility locates, an easement, or permission from an adjacent property owner, flag it. You are not being difficult. You are keeping the GC out of a problem they do not know they have.
Schedule is part of the bid
State how many working days you need from notice to proceed to substantial completion, and whether that assumes materials are available at the time of award or requires a lead time window after contract execution. On a project where the GC is working toward a fixed substantial completion date, your schedule affects their ability to sequence other trades. Give them the number in the bid so they can plan around it instead of finding out at the pre-construction meeting.
Bonding and insurance
If the prime contract requires the GC to flow down bonding requirements to subs, they need to know your bonding capacity before they include your number. If you are bondable and have current limits, say so in the bid. If bonding is not something you carry, say that too — the GC needs to know whether they are carrying your scope in their bond or whether you can provide your own.
For insurance, include your current certificate limits or state that a current certificate is available on request. Many GCs will not submit your number to their estimating team without at least knowing your coverage tier.
One contact, clear availability before bid day
If a GC has a question at 2pm on bid day, they need to reach someone who can answer it. Put a direct phone number — not a general office line — on the bid. If the person who put the number together is not available the afternoon the bid goes in, the GC will go to the next sub on their list.
What to leave out
Do not include terms and conditions, limitation of liability clauses, or long warranty exclusion language in a sub-bid submitted during the bid phase. That material belongs in a subcontract, not in an estimating document. When a GC sees a bid with two pages of legal language, the natural assumption is that the sub is going to be difficult to work with. Present yourself as an installer who knows what they are doing, not a vendor protecting themselves from the work they are about to do.