Ready to start a fence contracting business? Fill your truck with the right stuff. Getting a wide range of specialized fencing tools will help you finish repairs and installs faster.
We’ve put together a list of tools you’ll need to dig post holes, measure lines, repair wire, and more for wood, wire, and aluminum fences.
When you’re ready to shop, download this fencing tool checklist to keep track of what you’ve bought and what’s still on your list.
Post digging tools
1. Post hole digger
A post hole digger (or post hole auger) drills holes into the ground for your fence posts. Diggers have a single, spiral-shaped drill that rotates, drives into the ground, and removes soil.
Manual diggers are cheaper, but gas-powered and electric augers can drill holes faster with less effort. If you’re on a tight budget, rent a post hole digger only when you need to install new fence posts.
2. Shovel
You’ll need a shovel to get gravel or concrete into your post holes. They can also finish off your post hole digging, or replace an auger if you don’t have one.
Shovels also come in handy for clearing debris and leveling out the ground around fence lines.
3. Tamping tool
A tamping tool, or tamper, is a long pole with a wide, flat bottom. Hitting the bottom on the ground around a fence post or stake compacts the soil.
Fencing contractors will tamp soil after inserting a fence post into a hole. Tamping the soil gets rid of air pockets and helps you create a firm, secure base that keeps posts stable over time.
Fence repair tools
4. Fence pliers
Fence pliers are a combination of a hammer, wire cutter, and gripping tool. You can install, adjust, and repair fences with just one pair of fence pliers.
These pliers can cut through two strands of wire at the same time. They also pull staples, cut wires, hammer in nails, and grip components tightly. Fence pliers are handy for both metal and wooden fence installations.
5. Wire crimping tool
A wire crimping tool is a handheld clamp that joins two pieces of metal or wire together by deforming one of them (or both) to hold each other.
Crimpers can attach wire ends and secure connectors so you can repair metal fences. Use one to ensure a strong, reliable bond between wires without having to weld metal.
6. Hacksaw
When you’re installing an aluminum fence, you’ll usually need to cut one or two fence lines that don’t fit a full section of fence. A hacksaw is the best tool for this.
Hacksaws have a fine-toothed blade that can cut precisely through fence posts, rails, and brackets. Aside from cutting materials to the right size, hacksaws can remove unwanted fence sections during repairs.
7. Chainsaw
Always have a chainsaw handy for wood fence repairs and installations. The motorized chain of a chainsaw speeds up woodcutting, making it essential for size adjustments.
8. Electric screwdriver
Drive screws into your wood and metal fences with an electric screwdriver. You can keep a manual screwdriver around for small adjustments, but you’ll get tighter connections done faster with an electric one.
9. Claw hammer
A claw hammer is a dual-purpose tool: they can drive nails into wood fences (with the flat end) and pry them out (with the claw end).
This is the best hammer for dismantling wooden fence components and making quick repairs and adjustments.
10. Wheelbarrow
Transport materials across the job site with a wheelbarrow—you’ll need to move soil, gravel fence panels, and posts. Wheelbarrows speed up your job site clean-up, too.
Wire stretching and tensioning tools
11. Come-along
A come-along is a hand-operated device that uses a winding mechanism to pull and stretch fence material. Fence contractors use come-alongs mostly for chain-link fences or to tighten wire fences.
The tool applies tension to your fence sections, making your wires straight and properly aligned before you secure them in place.
12. Wire stretcher
A wire stretcher tightens your wire fences to secure and tension them properly. By pulling on a lever or crank, you can pull the wire and tighten it before you fasten it to a post.
Wire stretchers make your fences structurally sound, preventing them from sagging.
12. Stretcher bar
A fence stretcher bar is a long bar with hooks on it. When you hook it onto a fence post, it lets you evenly distribute tension when installing or repairing wire fences.
Position the stretcher bar vertically against your fence, attach it to a section of the fence, then use a come-along or other tensioning device to pull the fence tight.
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Electric fence tools
14. Electric fence tester
An electric fence tester tells you if your fence is working properly by measuring its voltage. Checking the voltage on your fence line helps you troubleshoot shorts or weak spots.
15. Electric fence insulators
Insulate your electric fence posts using an insulator to keep the electrical charge within the fence wire.
You can attach these small devices to the fence post—or the wire that’s wrapped around the post, depending on the type of insulator.
You’ll need these to install electric fences properly, especially in wet conditions or where posts are made of conductive materials like steel or aluminum.
Fence measuring tools
16. Ground stakes
Fence contractors put wooden stakes in the ground to plan out fence installations. These stakes are where you’ll attach a string line so you can map out where your fence lines will be.
Once you figure out where your corner and end posts will go, drive your stakes into the ground a few feet beyond that point.
17. Mason’s line (string line)
A Mason’s line or string line is a thin, twisted nylon rope. This rope is what you’ll tie to your ground stakes to map out where your fence lines will be.
To build a fence straight, pull your Mason’s line tight between the two points where your posts will go.
17. Tape measure
Use a tape measure to measure fence lines and distances between posts so that they’re evenly spaced. You’ll also need to measure the depth and diameter of your post holes.
18. Post level
A post level is an L-shaped plastic tool that helps you properly set and plumb fence posts (i.e. make them perfectly straight).
This type of level is basically two pieces of plastic molded together to create a 90-degree angle. When you put a post level on top of your fence posts, you can tell if they’re vertically straight and horizontally level.
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Fencing business management tools
19. Fence estimating software
Fence estimating software like Jobber helps you build professional fence estimates and send them online, from the job site or on the go.
Using Jobber, you can win more fence repair and install jobs by making estimates that include photos from the on-site assessment—and line item images that show your customers their new fences.
Plus, you can add optional line items so customers can choose what fence material or add-on accessories they want.
You can even provide financing options directly from the estimate so that customers can pay in installments.
Once you’ve sent the estimate, Jobber helps you automatically send quote follow-up emails, collect a signature online, and easily access estimate details when the job starts.
You’ll easily manage job details on the go, too. Attach blueprints and notes on your fence design and materials. Then access those notes on-site so you can run repairs and installs without errors.
With Jobber, job details automatically flow from your customer’s initial request to the invoice, so nothing gets lost.
When the job is complete, get paid with one tap using the Jobber Card Reader.
20. Accounting software
You’ll need to track your spending and expenses to keep your fence business running. Use accounting software so you don’t have to do that manually.
QuickBooks Online is a powerful and beginner-friendly solution for small fence contracting businesses that need to track.
- Fencing tool and material expenses
- Payments from clients
- Payments to subcontractors or employees
- Receipts to prepare for tax season and claim tax deductions
Plus, QuickBooks integrates with Jobber so you can keep your customer, invoice, and payment information accurate without any double-entry.