--- title: "Fence Estimate Checklist for New York Homeowners" description: "What a New York fence contract must contain, how to verify a contractor in each of the six counties, and which estimate lines to ask for before you sign." url: "https://portillo-fences.com/blog/fence-estimate-checklist/" lang: "en" published: "2026-08-18" modified: "2026-08-18" tags: ["Fence Estimate","Contractor Licensing","Contracts"] image: "https://portillo-fences.com/images/blog/fence-estimate-checklist/featured.jpg" --- ![Fence Estimate Checklist for New York Homeowners](https://portillo-fences.com/images/blog/fence-estimate-checklist/featured.jpg) Fence & Gate Blog # Fence Estimate Checklist for New York Homeowners What a New York fence contract must contain, how to verify a contractor in each of the six counties, and which estimate lines to ask for before you sign. [Get a Free Estimate](https://portillo-fences.com/contact-us/) [(845) 282-3336](tel:+18452823336) August 18, 2026 - Fence Estimate - Contractor Licensing - Contracts In New York, a fence is legally a home improvement, and any fence contract over $500 has to be in writing, signed by both sides, and carry a three-business-day cancellation notice. If your estimate does not have those pieces, it is not yet a contract. Use the list below at the kitchen table before you sign, then check the contractor's status with the county that licenses them. ![A printed fence estimate, a pen and a hand-drawn yard sketch on a kitchen table](https://portillo-fences.com/images/blog/fence-estimate-checklist/estimate-on-kitchen-table.jpg) Any fence contract over $500 has to be in writing and signed by both sides. ## Key Takeaways Over $500 means a written contract General Business Law Section 770 defines fence work as home improvement, and Section 771 requires the signed writing Three business days to cancel the owner can cancel until midnight of the third business day after signing, with narrow emergency exceptions Deposits are not capped by state law New York regulates how advance payments are protected, not how large they are, so ask for a dollar-and-cents payment schedule Three of the six counties license or register Westchester, Putnam and Rockland each keep their own list, and a license in one does not cover the next Insurance proof has a specific form a privately insured contractor's workers' compensation certificate is Form C-105.2, and ACORD forms are not accepted proof of that coverage ## What the contract must contain General Business Law Section 771 lists what a covered home-improvement contract has to say. The agreement and any later change to it must be written and signed by all parties, and you must get a signed copy before work begins. The writing has to include: - the contractor's name, address, telephone number and license number, if applicable - estimated start and substantial-completion dates, the contingencies that could change them, and whether a definite completion date is of the essence - a description of the work and materials, with make, model number or other identifying information, and the agreed price - the mechanic's lien notice - a notice that payments received before completion must be deposited under Lien Law Section 71-a(4), unless the contractor provides a bond, contract of indemnity or irrevocable letter of credit - a dollar-and-cents payment schedule tied to stages of completion, if progress payments are used - the three-business-day cancellation notice - since April 23, 2022, disclosure before work begins of any property or casualty insurance that covers the work if an insurance claim could arise, with the insurer's name, address and phone number The writing must be legible, in plain English, and clearly describe any documents it incorporates. ## Cancelling after you sign Under Section 771(1)(h) you can cancel until midnight of the third business day after signing. Cancellation takes effect when you give written notice to the contractor, and a notice mailed with correct address and postage counts as given when it goes into the mailbox. The notice only needs to show that you do not intend to be bound. The exception is a real emergency. If you started the contact, the work is needed to meet a bona fide emergency, and you give the contractor a separate, dated, signed, handwritten statement describing the emergency and waiving the cancellation right, the three days do not apply. The federal Cooling-Off Rule, 16 C.F.R. Part 429, also covers some sales made at your home for $25 or more. It gives the same three business days and requires the seller to give you a dated contract, a written explanation of the right and two copies of a cancellation form. It has exceptions, including emergency repair and sales completed after negotiations at the seller's permanent place of business. For a fence contract, the state notice is the requirement that applies directly, and a contract signed at your house may also fall under the federal rule. ## Deposits and payment protection New York law does not cap a home-improvement deposit by percentage or dollar amount. It regulates what happens to the money. Under Lien Law Section 71-a(4), payments received before substantial completion go into an escrow account at a New York bank within five business days. The contractor must name the bank in the contract or tell you in writing within ten business days after the deposit. A qualifying surety bond, contract of indemnity or irrevocable letter of credit can replace escrow if delivered within ten business days of receiving the payment. Withdrawals cannot exceed the total in the contract's payment schedule, and each progress payment must reasonably relate to the work or materials due at that stage. The Attorney General advises against paying the full price up front and recommends negotiating a small deposit. Ask for the payment schedule in dollars, with each payment tied to a stated stage of work, and confirm the escrow, bond or letter-of-credit arrangement before you pay. ![Fence panels, posts and bags of concrete mix stacked in a driveway before installation](https://portillo-fences.com/images/blog/fence-estimate-checklist/materials-staged-in-driveway.jpg) Payments received before substantial completion go into an escrow account at a New York bank within five business days. ## Verifying the contractor, county by county **Westchester.** The County Department of Consumer Protection licenses home-improvement contractors and runs an online license search by company name, contractor name, trade name or location. **Putnam.** The County Office of Consumer Affairs runs a mandatory registration program for contractors working on residential properties, intended to confirm they are insured, bonded and covered by workers' compensation. Its Registered Contractor List, dated September 18, 2026, shows business name, phone, license number, expiration date and scope of work, with entries such as "FENCE INSTALLATION" and "[FENCING](https://portillo-fences.com/fencing/)." **Rockland.** The County Office of Consumer Protection issues the Home Improvement Contractor License required for residential work. Search its online database or call the office to confirm a license is valid. **Dutchess, Orange and Ulster.** The New York Department of State lists the counties that require a home-improvement license, and these three are not on that list. Orange County's license page lists electrician and electrical-inspector licensing, and Ulster County's trades page lists electrical licensing and other trade programs, not a general home-improvement license. Do the checks you can: ask for proof of workers' compensation, property and general liability insurance, ask your town or village building office what permits apply, and get the contract and insurance paperwork in hand before work starts. ## Reading the insurance certificate For workers' compensation, New York has specific forms. A privately insured business provides Form C-105.2, issued by its insurer or the insurer's licensed New York agent. A business insured through the New York State Insurance Fund uses Form U-26.3, a self-insured business uses Form SI-12, a group self-insured business uses Form SIG-105.2, and a business claiming exemption uses Form CE-200. ACORD forms are not acceptable proof of New York workers' compensation coverage under Workers' Compensation Law Section 57. Disability and Paid Family Leave coverage use Form DB-120.1, or Form DB-155 for a self-insured business. A general liability certificate has no single state form. Ask for a current certificate that names the contractor as the insured and shows the coverage types, policy numbers, limits, effective and expiration dates and the correct certificate holder. Check the workers' compensation page against the form that matches the contractor's insurance setup. ![A crew member setting a fence post with a level while a second post stands braced nearby](https://portillo-fences.com/images/blog/fence-estimate-checklist/setting-posts-in-line.jpg) The estimate should say who arranges utility locating before anyone digs. ## Lines to look for on the estimate The legal requirements are the ones above: the price, the work and materials with identifying details, the dates, and the payment schedule. Beyond those, a clear fence estimate states: Wood, vinyl, aluminum or chain link, with product identifying details and the fence height Tap a row to open it. No New York rule requires a separate line for the survey, the utility markout or the grading, and no statewide estimate template exists. So, ask each question out loud and make sure the answer ends up on the page. ![A finished white vinyl privacy fence with a walk gate along a back yard](https://portillo-fences.com/images/blog/fence-estimate-checklist/finished-vinyl-fence-with-gate.jpg) Each gate should be itemized on the estimate with its width, type, posts and hardware. **Quiz: Check yourself** 1. Until what point can you cancel a fence contract after signing, absent an emergency waiver? - Midnight of the third business day **(correct answer)** - Midnight of the fifth business day - Midnight of the seventh business day 2. Which form is a privately insured contractor's proof of workers' compensation coverage? - Form C-105.2 **(correct answer)** - Form U-26.3 - Form CE-200 3. Within how many business days must payments received before completion go into an escrow account at a New York bank? - Five **(correct answer)** - Ten - Three 4. Which of these counties is not on the Department of State's list of counties requiring a home-improvement license? - Ulster **(correct answer)** - Westchester - Rockland ## Frequently Asked Questions **Q: Is a fence a home improvement under New York law?** A: Yes. General Business Law Section 770 includes fence construction, erection, replacement and improvement, and a home-improvement contract is one whose total price exceeds $500. **Q: Can I cancel a fence contract after signing?** A: Yes, until midnight of the third business day, by written notice to the contractor. The exception is an owner-initiated emergency where you sign a separate handwritten waiver. **Q: How much deposit is normal?** A: New York sets no percentage or dollar cap. Ask for a payment schedule in dollars tied to stages of work, and confirm where advance payments are held. **Q: Where do I look up a contractor in Westchester, Putnam or Rockland?** A: Each county has its own lookup: the Westchester Consumer License Search, the Putnam Registered Contractor List and the Rockland Consumer Protection license lookup. **Q: Is an ACORD certificate enough for workers' compensation?** A: No. ACORD forms are not accepted proof of New York workers' compensation coverage. Ask for the form that matches the contractor's setup, such as Form C-105.2 for a privately insured business. **Q: What if my county does not license contractors?** A: Ask for proof of insurance, check permit requirements with the town or village building office, and get everything in a signed writing. A good estimate answers the questions you would otherwise ask halfway through the job. Before you sign, you should be able to point to the line that says what is built, what it costs, when the money is due and who is responsible for each permit and each hole. At [Portillo Fences and Gates](https://portillo-fences.com/), we install and repair fencing across Putnam, Westchester, Dutchess, Orange, Ulster and Rockland Counties, from [wood](https://portillo-fences.com/wood-fencing/) and [vinyl](https://portillo-fences.com/vinyl-fencing/) to [aluminum](https://portillo-fences.com/aluminum-fencing/), [chain link](https://portillo-fences.com/chain-link-fencing/) and [residential fencing](https://portillo-fences.com/residential-fencing/). We walk the property and itemize what is included before any work starts. [Contact us](https://portillo-fences.com/contact-us/) for a free estimate, or call [(845) 282-3336](tel:+18452823336). ## Ready to talk through your project? Get a free estimate from a licensed, insured Hudson Valley fence and gate team. [Get a Free Estimate](https://portillo-fences.com/contact-us/)[Call (845) 282-3336](tel:+18452823336)