Fence company chief financial officer job description
A fence company chief financial officer protects margin in a business that quotes by the foot while metal, vinyl and wood prices move underneath it. The CFO prices tariff risk into metal fence quotes, watches lien deadlines on builder lots, and handles sales tax if the company also sells material over a counter.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, other specialty trade contractors · BLS, May 2025
Leads the financial operations of the fence installation division to ensure sustainable growth and profitability. Oversees budgeting, cost management, and financial planning specific to fencing projects. Plays a crucial role in strategic decision-making to optimize operational efficiency and project success. Collaborates with cross-functional teams to align financial objectives with company goals.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Develops and executes financial strategies to support new and ongoing fencing projects.
Manages budgeting processes, forecasts, and cost control measures to maintain financial health.
Monitors project expenditures and financial performance to ensure adherence to budget constraints.
Provides financial insights and recommendations to senior management for strategic planning.
Ensures compliance with regulatory standards and internal policies for all financial activities.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Reviews daily financial reports and reconciles project budgets.
Analyzes variances between budgeted and actual performance for fencing projects.
Coordinates with project managers and procurement teams to manage cost-effective resource allocation.
Prepares and presents financial statements and updates for senior leadership.
Oversees vendor payments, contract reviews, and approves financial transactions related to fencing works.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Project Budget Adherence: >95% accuracy in maintaining budget forecasts.
Cost Reduction: Achieve cost savings of at least 10% through efficient resource management.
Financial Reporting Accuracy: 98% accuracy in monthly and quarterly financial statements.
Project Profitability: Maintain a gross margin of at least 30% on fencing projects.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field.
Minimum of 8 years of progressive finance experience, with at least 3 years in a leadership role.
Strong analytical and strategic planning skills with knowledge of cost control systems.
Proficiency in financial software and advanced Excel skills.
Excellent communication, leadership, and decision-making abilities.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience within the home services or construction industry, specifically with fencing projects.
Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) or professional certifications such as CPA.
Proven track record of managing finances for project-based operations in a similar industry.
Familiarity with regulatory requirements and risk management in the construction sector.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to work in a standard office environment with occasional visits to project sites.
May require prolonged periods of sitting and use of computer equipment.
Occasional lifting of project documents or equipment up to 10 lbs.
Ability to navigate between office and on-site environments as needed.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours: Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Flexibility required to attend project meetings and site visits during standard work hours.
Occasional travel to project sites and vendor meetings.
On-call duties during critical financial closing periods may be required.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Salary Range: $150,000 - $200,000 per year, commensurate with experience.
Performance-based bonus structure tied to project profitability and cost savings.
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
401(k) plan with company matching contributions.
Additional fringe benefits such as paid time off and professional development opportunities.
10. Company Culture and Overview
Our company values innovation, teamwork, and an entrepreneurial mindset, providing a supportive environment for growth.
We are committed to excellence in customer service and continuous improvement in every project we undertake.
Our collaborative culture rewards initiative and fosters personal and professional development.
Joining our team means contributing to a legacy of quality service in 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
Homeowner fence jobs are short, so cash turns fast. The tougher money problems are metal prices that shift with trade policy, builder invoices that wait, and a supply counter that changes the tax.
Metal fence prices follow trade policy
Imported aluminum and steel carry Section 232 tariffs. A proclamation signed in April 2026 applied the duty to the full customs value of covered products and their derivatives, regardless of metal content, starting April 6. A June proclamation changed the product lists and some rates again from June 8. The CFO asks distributors where aluminum panels, steel posts and chain-link come from, and sets how long a metal fence quote holds. Source: Federal Register: Proclamation 11021, aluminum, steel and copper imports (April 2026).
A supply counter changes the sales tax
South Carolina's tax manual lists fencing as a building material. A contractor owes the tax at purchase on fence material for its own installs. A retailer buys for resale without tax and collects tax when it sells. A business with real retail sales that also uses that stock on its own jobs buys it all for resale. It then reports tax on both. The facts decide which you are, including how you advertise and whether you have a showroom. Other states differ. Source: South Carolina Department of Revenue: Construction contractors (Chapter 16, September 2025).
The 90-day clock on builder lots
Some builders don't pay until a house closes. In South Carolina, a mechanics' lien is lost unless the claimant serves the owner and files a sworn statement of the amount due. That has to happen within 90 days of the last day it furnished labor or materials. A suit to enforce the lien must start within six months. The CFO logs the last work date on every unpaid lot as soon as it happens, and asks a lawyer how the rule fits your contracts. Source: South Carolina Code, Title 29, Chapter 5: Mechanics' liens.
Long product warranties, your labor
Vinyl warranties can run for decades and still leave the labor to you. One maker's 2026 fence and rail warranty, from Homeland Vinyl, lasts for the life of a residential buyer but never pays the labor to install or remove original or replacement product. If your own warranty promises that labor, every failed panel is a crew trip at your cost. The CFO counts warranty trips by fence line and reserves cash for them, so one bad batch doesn't sink a year's margin. Source: Homeland Vinyl: Fence and rail limited warranty (2026).
How much fence company chief financial officers make
The closest BLS group for fence company chief financial 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.
Salary plus a bonus on project profitability and cost savings, as the template has it. CFO pay isn't broken out by BLS; the chart shows chief executives at specialty trade contractors. This template's range opens near their median and climbs from there.
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 kept the books straight for a contractor that both installs and sells materials
Ties crew hours, material tickets and disposal fees to each fence job
Has priced quotes against moving metal costs with expiry dates or escalation terms
Knows when a slow builder invoice needs a lien filing, not another phone call
Picks the few job cost numbers the GM and estimators should check every week
Teach these on the job
How you quote each fence line by the foot, the gate and the add-on
Each distributor's payment terms and how much notice it gives before a price change
Your vinyl and aluminum makers' warranty terms
Your state's rules on liens and contractor sales tax
How each builder account pays, and how late
The CFO's week runs through the accounting system's job costs, open quotes and their expiry dates, distributor price notices and, if you sell over a counter, the state sales tax returns. If those retail returns come with the job, the posting should say so.
Fence company chief financial 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 · Material cost increases
Material costs rose sharply, and many signed jobs haven't been built yet. What do you do?
A strong answer: Measures the margin hit on backlog, checks contract terms, buys materials for signed jobs where it helps, updates price lists and adjusts quote validity.
Behavioral · Cost reduction
Tell me about a time you cut the cost of materials or equipment, such as posts, concrete or auger rentals, without raising callbacks.
A strong answer: Names the cost, the change, the savings, and the callback and quality numbers they watched afterward.
Start each target from last year's finished jobs, and restate it if tariffs or supplier increases move material costs during the year.
Project Budget Adherence
For each finished job, compare estimated cost with actual cost, and report the share that landed inside the estimate each month by estimator. Material overruns and extra crew days need different fixes, so keep them apart.
Cost Reduction
Count savings you can show on paper, such as better distributor terms, lower disposal fees, fewer return trips and less wasted material. Book each saving once, in the month it starts.
Financial Reporting Accuracy
Count the corrections made after each monthly or quarterly statement goes out, such as misposted jobs, missed accruals or inventory adjustments. Fewer late fixes means the CEO can act on the first version.
Project Profitability
Monthly gross margin on completed jobs, by fence material and by homeowner, builder or bid work. Use the same cost rules as the general manager's job margin so the two reports agree.
Career path
BookkeeperMatches homeowner deposits and supplier invoices to each fence job.
Accounting manager or controllerOwns the month-end close plus the lien and sales tax calendars.
Chief financial officerPlans cash, credit and pricing risk across the company.
It can be. South Carolina caps the state sales tax at 500 dollars on self-propelled light construction equipment with compatible attachments, up to 160 net engine horsepower. The tax department's manual says the cap covers equipment used for construction, the buyer can give the dealer Form ST-405, and the local option taxes the department collects don't apply to those sales. Check your own state before budgeting a compact loader with an auger.
How much does a fence company chief financial 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.
Should a fence company buy material ahead of the season?
Sometimes, and mostly for steel and aluminum. When a distributor announces an increase or new tariffs land, buying a few months of posts, rails and fittings can protect quotes already signed. The cost is cash and credit-line interest tied up in stock, plus room in the yard. Buy ahead against signed backlog, not hoped-for spring sales.
What belongs in a fence CFO's monthly report?
Gross margin by material and customer type, cash on hand, builder invoices by age, quotes still open at old metal prices, the value of stock in the yard, and the next three months' cash needs against the credit line. Keep the same format each month so trends are easy to spot.
Does a fence CFO ever leave the office?
Sometimes. The template's lines on long periods of sitting and lifting up to 10 pounds describe screen work during the close and budget season, plus bringing a laptop and paperwork to a yard count or a builder meeting. The lines ship as written; add how often the CFO visits sites and how an applicant can ask for an accommodation.
