Fence company chief executive officer job description
A fence company chief executive officer sets which fences and gates the company sells, to whom, and how many crews it can staff to build them. The CEO weighs homeowner, builder and public bid work, decides whether to run a supply counter or add gate automation, and owes the owners or board steady growth at a healthy margin.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, other specialty trade contractors · BLS, May 2025
Annual pay: 10th percentile $83,500, middle half $113,900 to $319,020, 90th percentile $392,040. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Reports to
Owners or board of directors
Department
Executive
Schedule
Office hours plus travel and on-call · Standard office hours, longer when the business needs it, regional and national travel, and on call for emergencies
Also called
President · Owner and CEO · Founder and president · Principal
Fence company chief executive officer job description template
This is our Role Blueprint, word for word. Replace the highlighted fields and adjust the example targets and pay to fit your company.
Provides strategic leadership and direction to drive company growth and profitability in the fence installation sector. Collaborates with stakeholders to define a clear vision and implement business strategies. Builds and sustains key partnerships to ensure long-term success in the competitive home services market.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Defines and articulates the company’s vision, mission, and strategic objectives for sustainable growth.
Develops comprehensive business plans and operational strategies to achieve short-term and long-term goals.
Establishes and nurtures strategic partnerships with key stakeholders, vendors, and industry leaders.
Oversees financial performance, ensuring sound fiscal management and resource allocation.
Provides leadership and guidance to the executive team while fostering a high-performance culture.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Reviews and analyzes financial reports, operational metrics, and market trends to guide decision-making.
Meets with senior leadership to align on business priorities and address challenges.
Engages with customers and partners to ensure a commitment to quality and satisfaction.
Represents the company at industry events, conferences, and in media interactions as the public face of the business.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Revenue Growth: Target annual increase of 15%.
New Partnerships Formed: Aim for a minimum of 10 strategic alliances per year.
Gross Margin Improvement: Achieve a year-over-year increase of at least 5%.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
MBA or equivalent advanced degree in business administration, management, or related field.
A minimum of 10 years of leadership experience with a proven track record in strategic management.
Strong financial acumen and experience with budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis.
Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
6. Preferred Experience
Previous executive-level experience in the home services or construction industry.
Background in fence installation or related outdoor services sectors.
Experience working with private equity or in a publicly traded company environment.
History of driving growth and leading organizational change in dynamic markets.
7. Physical Requirements
Primarily office-based with occasional site visits that may require moderate walking in outdoor environments.
Minimal physical exertion; standard office work with some travel to company sites expected.
Ability to work in various weather conditions during on-site evaluations when necessary.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Standard office hours with an expectation of availability for extended hours as required by business needs.
Regular interaction with internal teams, industry partners, and customers in a collaborative, dynamic environment.
Occasional business travel, both regionally and nationally, to attend meetings, industry events, and site inspections.
On-call responsibilities during critical business situations or emergencies.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Competitive base salary range of $200,000 - $300,000 USD per year.
Performance-based bonuses linked to strategic milestones and company performance.
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans.
Retirement savings plan with 401(k) matching contributions.
Additional benefits such as paid time off, professional development opportunities, and executive wellness programs.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We foster an environment that values innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Our culture is built on mutual respect, integrity, and a shared passion for exceeding customer expectations.
We are committed to professional growth and offer a dynamic workplace where creative solutions and leadership are rewarded.
Join us in a mission-driven journey that leverages your expertise to shape the future of the fence installation industry.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
From the street, a fence is posts, panels and a gate. The CEO's hard calls sit behind it: who the company sells to, what it stocks, and how many crews it can staff.
A thin market for installers
O*NET puts the nation's fence erectors at about 30,600 in 2025 and expects faster than average growth through 2035. With few trained installers to hire, new crews mostly come from laborers your masters teach to set posts and hang gates. A builder program that needs two more crews next spring means paying to train them this winter, and the CEO budgets for that first. Source: O*NET OnLine: Fence Erectors (47-4031.00).
Installer, supplier or both
Some fence companies also sell material. They run a counter that sells posts, panels and hardware to homeowners who build their own, or a shop that builds wood panels and gates. A yard buys in bulk and keeps crews stocked. The catch: cash sits in inventory, the yard needs a forklift and counter staff, and it sells to contractors who bid against you. Whether that second business earns its space is the CEO's call.
Homeowners, builders and bid work
Homeowner jobs start with a deposit and a promised install date a few weeks out. Builders want one fence style down a whole new street, timed to closings, and often pay on their own terms. Schools, parks and towns buy chain-link through public bids, and the SBA notes that surety bonds are a requirement on many public and private contracts. Each source needs its own pricing, cash and crew plan, so the mix is set at the top. Source: U.S. Small Business Administration: Surety bonds.
Large gates carry their own standards
Four standards cover them: UL 325 for gate operators, ASTM F2200 for automated vehicle gates, and ASTM F900 and F1184 for commercial swing and slide gates. The American Fence Association says they are voluntary for now. The Alex Gate Safety Act, a 2025 Senate bill, would have the CPSC set a mandatory standard for vehicle gates, manual or powered, and other large gates. It isn't law. Whether to sell drive gates and openers is a CEO call. Source: American Fence Association: Gate safety.
How much fence company chief executive officers make
The closest BLS group for fence company chief executive officers is chief executives. Chief executives who work for other specialty trade contractors earned a median of $151,900 a year ($73.03 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $213,990 median for chief executives in all industries. About 490 of the 204,350 chief executives in that survey work for other specialty trade contractors.
Base salary comes with bonuses for strategic milestones and company results in this template. The range opens above the median BLS reports for top executives at fence and other specialty contractors, and closes below the line where their best-paid quarter begins.
Other specialty trade contractors
$151,900$151,900 median Middle half $113,900–$319,020 10th–90th $83,500–$392,040
All industries
$213,990$213,990 median Middle half $129,540–$356,200 10th–90th $75,700–$507,730
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Other specialty trade contractors
$83,500
$113,900
$151,900
$319,020
$392,040
All industries
$75,700
$129,540
$213,990
$356,200
$507,730
BLS doesn’t publish pay for fence contractors on their own. These figures cover other specialty trade contractors, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Has led a company with install crews, a sales team and its own yard or warehouse
Knows which fence lines and customer types made money last year, and why
Has bargained for price holds or supply with a fence or metals supplier when costs jumped
Has built crews by training laborers into installers
Will walk away from a builder or public bid that only fills crew days
Teach these on the job
How vinyl, wood, aluminum and chain-link go in, and where each one fails
Lead times for special-order colors, styles and gates
Gate operator basics, if you sell them
Your estimating software and how it prices by the foot
Which towns in your area are slow to approve fences
The CEO's dashboard is short: the month's statements, cash for the next quarter, signed backlog in feet by customer type, and job cost per foot by fence line. A candidate can't judge the job without knowing if a supply counter or panel shop comes with it, so put that in the posting.
Fence company chief executive officer interview questions
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Residential and commercial mix
A general contractor offers steady commercial fence work at thin margins with long payment terms. How do you decide?
A strong answer: Compares margin, payment terms, retainage, crew and equipment fit, and the effect on residential capacity, and sets conditions or walks away.
Behavioral · Partnerships
Tell me about a partnership you built, such as with home builders, pool companies or property managers. What did it produce?
A strong answer: Names the partner, what each side needed, the terms that kept it profitable, and the jobs or revenue it produced.
Agree on targets with the people the CEO answers to, using recent seasons. When material prices have jumped, footage installed is a better base than dollars.
Revenue Growth
Compare installed revenue with last year in feet as well as dollars, so a price increase on metal fence doesn't pass for growth. Keep counter sales and gate service on their own lines.
New Partnerships Formed
Partners that sent signed work or cut costs this year, such as pool builders who need barrier fence, home builders, property managers and distributors. Count a partner only once it has sent work or saved you money, and list what each one produced.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Ratings from your post-install survey and from review sites, by location and customer type. Read the weak ones for repeat causes, such as gates that won't latch, missed install dates or ruts left in a lawn.
Gross Margin Improvement
Gross margin on finished jobs this year against last, by fence line. Report gains from higher prices apart from gains from lower material, labor or disposal costs.
Career path
Sales managerRuns the estimators and learns which jobs and customers make money.
General managerRuns a fence location and its builder accounts day to day.
Chief executive officerChooses what the company sells, to whom, and how many crews to fund.
Owner or investorTakes an ownership stake, or leads the purchase of fence companies in nearby markets.
The template prefers fence or outdoor services experience, not a field career. More useful is a feel for a crew's daily footage by material, so sales targets and hiring plans line up. Someone from another trade can pick that up in a season if a strong installer or operations manager walks them through jobs.
How much does a fence company chief executive officer make?
Chief executives who work for other specialty trade contractors earned a median of $151,900 a year ($73.03 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $113,900 and $319,020 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
How many fence materials should one company sell?
Enough to answer most yards in your market, and few enough that crews do each one well. Each line has its own parts, tools and skills: chain-link needs stretching, vinyl has tight fits, aluminum panels rack on slopes, and wood comes in grades. A new line costs stock and training before it earns anything. Drop one when its jobs keep coming back.
What should a fence CEO check before buying another fence company?
Start with the people: whether the installers and estimators will stay, and who holds the builder relationships. Then look at the open jobs and deposits you would take on, the yard lease, the condition of the trucks and augers, and whether the seller is registered or licensed in every state it works in. Builder accounts tied to one salesperson can leave with that person.
Why does a fence CEO job list outdoor work?
The template's site visits happen outside: walking a subdivision's lot lines with a builder's superintendent, standing in a customer's yard to look at a gate that sagged, or watching a crew work through rocky ground. List those trips as duties next to the template's lines, which stay as written, and say you will make reasonable accommodations.
