Contractor Pricing

Fence installation is one of those projects where you think you’re buying “a fence”…

…and then your quotes show up like:

• “$4,800.”
• “$9,700.”
• “$18,400.”

Same yard. Same day. Same homeowner. Completely different jobs hiding behind the word fence.

If you’re doing a bunch of exterior projects this year, it’s the same game: the numbers don’t behave until the scope behaves. Related rabbit holes: driveway replacement cost in 2026, garage door replacement cost in 2026, and (when the “while you’re at it” wiring starts) trenching cost per foot in 2026.

I have a notes app page called “CABINETS” that is just… anger management with numbers.

Because cabinet quotes love doing this:

• Quote A: $9,800 (feels reasonable)
• Quote B: $21,400 (feels like a prank)
• Quote C: $38,000 (feels like a mortgage)

And then you look closer and realize the quotes are not talking about the same thing.

One is “cabinet boxes delivered to your driveway.”

One is “installed cabinets, with fillers, panels, crown, toe kicks, and yes we put the kitchen back together.”

Window replacement is one of those projects where the first quote makes you go:

“Wait. For windows?”

And then the second quote makes you go:

“Wait. For the same windows??”

Because a “window quote” is rarely just a window. It’s a bundle of decisions and risks:

• Are we doing a quick insert/pocket swap, or tearing back to the rough opening?
• Is the exterior easy (vinyl siding) or annoying (brick/stucco/old trim that disintegrates when you look at it)?
• Are we finishing it like adults (trim/paint/capping) or leaving you with a follow-up project?
• Are we quietly dealing with code stuff (tempered/egress) and older-home stuff (lead-safe practices)?

If you’re stacking projects this year, the same “force scope or the numbers are fake” rule applies to other stuff too: attic insulation cost in 2026 and garage door replacement cost in 2026.