Fence Erectors
Erect and repair fences and fence gates, using hand and power tools.
24,480 people do this job in the US. $47,980 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 0%
- 4%
- 96%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 0%. Today's estimate: 0%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 20 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erect alternate panel, basket weave, and louvered fences.Done daily by most who do it. | 14% | 3.3 h1.7 h to 6.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Blast rock formations and rocky areas with dynamite to facilitate posthole digging.Done several times a day by most who do it. | 10% | 3.3 h1.7 h to 6.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Dig postholes, using spades, posthole diggers, or power-driven augers.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 9% | 50 min17 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Establish the location for a fence, and gather information needed to ensure that there are no electric cables or water lines in the area.Done daily by most who do it. | 7% | 38 min17 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Construct and repair barriers, retaining walls, trellises, and other types of fences, walls, and gates.Done daily by most who do it. | 7% | 2.5 h50 min to 6.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Measure and lay out fence lines and mark posthole positions, following instructions, drawings, or specifications.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 6% | 38 min21 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Nail pointed slats to rails to construct picket fences.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 6% | 50 min25 min to 2.1 h | Stays with people | |
| Attach rails or tension wire along bottoms of posts to form fencing frames.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 29 min17 min to 58 min | Stays with people | |
| Set metal or wooden posts in upright positions in postholes.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 25 min13 min to 50 min | Stays with people | |
| Discuss fencing needs with customers, and estimate and quote prices.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 50 min25 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Weld metal parts together, using portable gas welding equipment.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 4% | 50 min25 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Assemble gates, and fasten gates into position, using hand tools.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 4% | 50 min25 min to 2.1 h | Stays with people |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Carpenters16% now, 17% by 2028
- Structural Iron and Steel Workers5% now, 5% by 2028
- Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers7% now, 8% by 2028
- Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers8% now, 8% by 2028
- Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers2% now, 2% by 2028
- Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters0% now, 0% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).