# Presentation: 842995

## Economics of High Tensile Wire Fences

**Notes:**
Must compare to other common fences. Barbed & woven are the old standard, still only fences in statute except elk fence. Review advantages and disadvantages of each to help make decision.

## Planning Considerations

- Kind and class of livestock
- Predator control
- Operator preference

## High Tensile Wire Fences

- Easy to install and maintain
- Requires special equipment
- Easily powered to create psychological barrier
- Several contractors available
- Not easily moved
- Wire is difficult to handle if fence is moved

**Notes:**
Special equipment includes post driver, wire dispenser (some call it a spinning jenny) (about $80), HTwire cutter (about $50), crimping tool for nicopress connectors (about $75)

## Fence Construction - Wire

- High tensile wire fences (electrified) require 4 strands of wire

## Fence Construction - Posts

- Corners: required when fence deviates 5 degrees
- End assemblies: located at gates, against buildings, where fence ends or begins

**Notes:**
Many corners may be required when fences follow curved roads, contour lines, riparian areas, or woodland.  Posts for these assemblies are a minimum 6 inch diameter, 7 ft long, set into the ground 3 ft.  Cross braces are 4 inch diameter, 8 ft long, pinned to upright posts.  Tension member is #9 wire or HT wire.   

## Fence Construction - Posts

- Pull assemblies: Same as corners, but installed in a straight line.
- Required every 2640 ft
- Line posts: between the above structures
- 30 foot spacing for high tensile wire

**Notes:**
Line posts may be standard steel “T” posts or wood posts 4 inch in diameter and 7 ft long, set 3 ft into ground.

## CORNER ASSEMBLY

## END ASSEMBLY

## PULL ASSEMBLY

## Fence Construction - Miscellaneous

- Gates
- Staples and fasteners
- Insulators, lightning protection, earth return rods, clamps, etc.
- Energizer

## Fence Costs - Wire

- High tensile, 200,000 psi
- $ 49 for 2640 feet
- White HTW for visibility
- $ 370 for 2640 feet

## Fence Costs - Posts

- End assemblies		$ 27.70 each
- Corner assemblies		$ 45.40 each
- Pull assemblies		$ 45.70 each
- Line posts
- Wood				$ 6.00 each
- Steel “T”			$ 1.35 each

## Fence Costs - Miscellaneous

- Gate, 12 ft w/ latch		$ 107.00 each
- Energizer			$ 125 to $400 each
- In line strainers		$ 3.30 each
- Earth return rods		$ 6.00 each
- Lightning choke		$ 11.00 each
- Lightning arrestor		$ 5.00 each

**Notes:**
Lightning chokes are to be used at energizers to prevent damage to energizer.  Lightning arrestor(or diverter) is used at each gate in the system to divert lightning energy to earth return rods.  This may seem like overkill but the major cause of energizer failure is from lightning strikes.

## Fence Costs - Miscellaneous

- Insulated wire for around gate
- $ 6.50 per 50 feet
- Underground cable
- $ 15.00 per 100 feet
- Staples for barbed & woven wire
- $ 8.00 per mile
- Staples for insulated high tensile wire
- $ 6.00 per mile

## Fence Costs - Miscellaneous

- Insulation tubes
- $ 0.10 per strand per line post
- $ 0.80 per strand per corner assembly
- $ 0.40 per strand per end assembly
- Nicopress sleeves
- $ 0.19 each

## EXAMPLE SITE

- 660 feet

- 1320 feet

- 20 ACRES

## Example – High Tensile Wire

- 3 corner assemblies		$ 136.20
- 2 end assemblies		$   55.40
- 130 wood line posts		$ 780.00
- 5 strands HT wire		$ 367.00
- 1 strand white HTW	$ 554.00

**Notes:**
Next slide continues the HT wire example.

## Example – High Tensile Wire

- Gate & latch			$ 107.00
- Energizer			$ 225.00
- In line strainers		$   79.20
- Earth return rods		$   36.00
- Miscellaneous			$ 157.24

## Comparison - Example

- 20 acre site	$ 2,497.04
- $ 3,329 / mi
- Typical contractor price is 	$1.40 per foot or     		$ 7,392 per mile, materials & labor
- Cost per acre (materials only)
- $ 124.85

**Notes:**
Materials only!
Per acre costs = $130.21 (woven), $83.40 (barbed), $100.85 (HT wire)
Per foot costs = .66 (woven), .42 (barbed), .51 (HT wire) 

## EACH SITE = 20 AC.

- Cost = $2497
- $ 3,329 / mile
- $ 126 / acre

- Cost = $ 3171
- $ 3,247 / mile
- $ 159 / acre

- Cost = $ 2695
- $ 3,637 / mile
- $ 135 / acre

**Notes:**
This example illustrates the different costs of high tensile wire fences based upon the shape of the pasture to be fenced.