How Much Does It Cost To Rent Construction Fence?

When budgeting for a construction project, one of your line items is likely to be temporary fence rental. In fact, rental fence might be one of the earliest expenses you incur, since it’s one of the first things to go up on site. It’s also one of the last things to come down, and depending on the length of your project this means you could be renting fence for months or even years. That’s why it is critical to understand the cost to rent construction fence.

Unsurprisingly, “how much does it cost to rent fence?” is a question we hear a lot at Modu-Loc. The answer isn’t necessarily as simple as you might think. There are a number of factors that impact how temporary fence suppliers set their rates. They include everything from project duration to complexity to simple supply and demand.

The cost to rent construction fence will also differ from region to region, as standard rates are different in each market. So temporary fence rental pricing in Calgary won’t be the same as the going rate in Toronto.

What Are the Costs Involved in Renting Construction Fence?

Though rates might differ from project to project, there are a few key elements that make up every fence rental estimate. Generally, you will see a charge for getting the fence, a charge for returning the fence, and (of course) the rental. The way these charges appear on your bill will depend on the service level you require. Here are the most common scenarios and charges for someone looking to rent basic construction site perimeter fencing.

Full-Service Fence Installation and Removal

Here are the standard line items you will see on your construction fence quote if you decide to have our crews deliver, install, and remove the fence:

Delivery and Installation

Delivery and installation charges are combined on full-service rentals. At Modu-Loc, they appear as a per-foot rate on your first invoice. This covers the cost of an installation crew coming to site to set up the fence according to your needs and instructions. A good 2-person crew can install approximately 300 feet of basic temporary fencing every hour.

Removal

Appearing as a separate line item, the removal charge would include a crew returning to site when you no longer need the fence to disassemble and remove it. Like the delivery and installation charge, it is assessed per foot of fence.

Fuel Surcharge

The fuel surcharge has become a standard charge in the equipment rental and delivery industry. It covers the fluctuating cost of fuel, and is based on current fuel prices. At Modu-Loc, the fuel surcharge covers both the initial delivery and the return trip for the removal.

Drop Service and Pick-up

Some clients prefer to install the fence themselves to save the installation costs. They may still opt to have the construction fence delivered to site and then picked up once the project is finished. Here are the charges they would incur in that situation:

Delivery

Similar to the delivery and installation charge on a full-service rental, the delivery fee for drop service is charged on a per-foot basis. Delivery charges typically depend on the distance from the rental depot to the delivery address. At Modu-Loc, we have a fixed delivery rate within a set delivery area of 80 kms from the rental depot. Deliveries outside of that area are subject to additional delivery surcharges.

Of course, if we’re just dropping the fence then the delivery charge does not include installation. However, the delivery crew will unload the stacks of fence and leave them where instructed.

Pick-up

The pick-up charge is billed at a rate per foot, and covers the cost of a crew returning to site to pick up the fence when no longer needed. Unlike a removal charge, the pick-up fee does not include having the crew disassemble the fence. For a pick-up, the customer must disassemble the fence and neatly stack it for our crew. Once on site, our crew will band the stacks so that they are safe for transport, and load them onto the truck.

Fuel Surcharge

Just like a full-service rental, drop service orders are also subject to a fuel surcharge, since they still require a truck to deliver and pick up the fence.

Yard Pick-up and Return

For those looking to further minimize the cost to rent construction fence, a yard pick-up is their best option. This involves the client using their own vehicle to pick up the temporary fence from their nearest Modu-Loc depot, and installing it themselves.

Yard Pick-up

Although this is the most “DIY” (do-it-yourself) approach, there is still a fee to pick up at the yard. The yard pick-up charge covers the cost of the fence being reserved, prepared for transport, and loaded onto the customer’s vehicle. We charge this fee at a rate per foot of fence.

Yard Return

The return charge covers unloading the fence when it comes back to the rental depot. It ensures a smooth drop-off for our clients. All they need to do is show up with the fence, and our team will take care of the rest.

All Service Levels

Regardless of service level, the cost to rent construction fence will include a rental charge – of course!

Rental Charge

The rental rate is the charge which is arguably most impacted by the factors we mentioned at the beginning of this post. Geographic location, project size and duration, and even the time of year can all have an impact on the rental rate.

Although some suppliers may charge per fence panel, rental rates for temporary fence are usually billed per linear foot. For construction projects, the rental is usually charged per month on a recurring basis until project completion. At Modu-Loc, the first invoice includes your costs to obtain and return the fence (as determined by the service level) and rental for the first month. Every subsequent invoice would just include the monthly rental charges for your construction fence.

Other Charges

At Modu-Loc, we pride ourselves on being honest and up-front about our rental charges and associated fees. Modu-Loc has a reputation for offering transparent billing, with no hidden charges. Not all temporary fence suppliers are as open about their billing practices, so here are some other charges to consider when budgeting for temporary fence.

Weekend, Evening, Holiday and Emergency Surcharges

Your fence rental provider may add a surcharge for work to take place outside of regular business hours. Modu-Loc is committed to taking care of its people and compensating them fairly for giving up their personal time. For this reason, jobs that require odd hours may be subject to additional surcharges.

Emergency jobs are usually handled by our on-call crews. By their very nature, they are unplanned and often require an urgent response. Emergency surcharges may be assessed on such jobs.

Minimum Charges

Some customers only require a small amount of fence. At very low volumes, we may not recoup the cost of sending a crew if using our standard per-foot delivery and install charges. So if a customer with a small order requires delivery or installation, they may be subject to minimum charges.

The best way to avoid minimum charges is to do a yard pick-up and return. Modu-Loc offers pickup panels, which means that yard pick-up is an option even for customers who don’t have a large delivery vehicle.

Mobilization Fee

As mentioned, your initial invoice will include your costs to obtain the fence, return the fence, and actually rent it. If you need a crew to return to your site in between the start and end of your rental period, you may incur a mobilization fee.

The most common scenario for this is a relocate. For instance, the fence needs to be moved from one area of the site to another, as in the case of a project with multiple phases. To cover the cost of a crew being dispatched to the site, dismantling the fence, and re-installing it, we would charge a mobilization fee.

A mobilization fee may also be charged if a crew needs to return to site to fix or reinforce a fence line.

Damaged or Missing Product Charge

Just about every temporary fence supplier will charge a customer who has lost or damaged product on rent. Modu-Loc’s standard terms and conditions plainly indicate these charges. If a supplier does not mention damaged or missing product charges up front, it’s a good idea to ask how they handle those scenarios. You should also note any damaged product upon delivery, so that you’re not held responsible for damage you didn’t cause.

So How Much Does it Cost to Rent Construction Fence?

Now that you understand all of the elements of a typical rental quote, you can see why temporary fencing rental prices appear to be all over the place. Where one supplier may include delivery or installation in their rental rate, another may not. To further complicate things, some suppliers may charge different rates depending on the “grade” or condition of the fence. For instance, if it’s important to you to have brand new fence that looks great, you may pay more in monthly rental fees than you would for fence panels with some rust or wear and tear.

It’s important to ensure all of your requirements are captured when reviewing estimates to ensure an apples-to-apples comparison. With that in mind, you can expect rental rates for 6′ tall temporary construction fence to fall within these ranges in each of these regions:

Average Construction Fence Rental Rates in Ontario

• Greater Toronto Area – $0.50 to $1.00 per linear foot per month
• Ottawa – $0.30 to $0.90 per linear foot per month
• Cambridge, Guelph and Kitchener-Waterloo – $0.40 to $0.90 per linear foot per month
• St. Catharines and Niagara area – $0.45 to $0.90 per linear foot per month
• Other parts of Ontario – $0.40 to $1.00 per linear foot per month

Average Construction Fence Rental Rates in British Columbia

• Greater Vancouver Area – $0.25 to $0.70 per linear foot per month
• Fraser Valley – $0.25 to $0.60 per linear foot per month
• Okanagan, including Kelowna and Penticton – $0.15 to $0.50 per linear foot per month

Average Construction Fence Rental Rates in Alberta

• Calgary and surrounding areas – $0.25 to $0.60 per linear foot per month

Average Construction Fence Rental Rates in Quebec

• Greater Montreal – $0.30 to $0.80 per linear foot per month
• Quebec City – $0.30 to $0.80 per linear foot per month

Remember: these ranges represent averages and should be used as a guide only. You may receive estimates that are higher or lower depending on your unique requirements. There are many different factors that influence pricing, including the distance of your site from the supplier’s shop, the complexity of the install, and the condition of the fence panels. When budgeting, it’s always best to reach out to a few suppliers in your area for proper quotes.

Understanding the Cost to Rent Construction Fence

As you can see, the true cost of renting fence involves a bit more than a simple rental charge. We hope this post has taught you all the things to consider when budgeting for construction fence. You should also be able to understand all of the elements of your fence rental bill.

Again, a more complex install involving multiple accessory products may necessitate more custom pricing. If you have unique requirements, or simply want specific pricing for your project, please contact us for a quote.