Overview
Livestock handling installation is sold by the system, and the welfare design is the line that decides whether the animals flow
Livestock handling installers fit the yards, crushes, races, head bails, and gates that allow farmers to safely handle cattle, sheep, and other stock for veterinary work, weighing, sorting, loading, and treatment. The work is part fabrication (galvanised steel panels and gates), part welfare design (the layout that gets animals moving forward without backing up, the curved race system pioneered by Temple Grandin), and part operator safety (escape routes, anti-trap gates, sliding doors). A flat 'livestock yards, $14,000' quote without naming the design, the panel count, and the crush spec misses what the experienced farmer is actually checking for.
QuoteGenio gives livestock handling installers a quoting shape built for welfare-and-safety work. Site survey and layout design as the first line, panel and gate count by spec with the height and material named, crush or head bail with the brand and weighing-system integration, race and forcing pen, sorting gates, loading ramp, foundations or concrete pad as a separately priced line, and labour by day. Send via WhatsApp or email to the farmer with the layout sketch, take a deposit on the materials order, raise progress invoices through fabrication and install, and the final invoice closes with the system tested with stock and a maintenance plan delivered.
Who it is for
Who uses QuoteGenio
Built for every kind of livestock handling installation business, from solo specialists building cattle crushes to small teams installing full dairy yard systems.
The problem
The quoting headaches every livestock handling installer knows
Livestock yard work is heavy steel with bespoke layouts. Without a structured proposal listing each component (race, crush, drafting gates, holding pens), customers compare on the cheapest yard fabricator and the engineering thinking gets lost.
Bespoke design absorbed
A proper yard layout takes 2 to 6 hours of CAD and stock-flow planning. Without a design line, you absorb the engineering time.
Galvanising spec not stated
Galvanised vs powder-coated vs raw steel have very different lifespans. Without stating the spec, customers comparing on price assume galvanised at raw-steel pricing.
Foundation work bundled
Concrete pads, drainage, and pen footings are real construction. Bundle into the steel fee and you absorb the civil work.
The fix
QuoteGenio makes it simple
A clean workflow for livestock yard work. Quote design, steel components, foundations, install, and ancillary equipment as separate lines. Send via WhatsApp and convert accepted quotes to deposit invoices on signing.
The payoff
What you get with QuoteGenio
The everyday wins that add up across a year of quoting and invoicing.
Built for livestock yards
Line items for design, race per metre, crush by spec, drafting gates, holding pens, loading ramp, foundations, install labour, and accessory equipment as separate lines.
Works from the farm
Build the proposal at the farmhouse after the layout walk. Branded PDF on every send, public link for farmer or stock manager acceptance.
Quote in under 15 minutes
Templates for sheep yard 200-head, cattle crush + race, dairy yard expansion. Each new layout is a few tweaks from sent.
Track milestones and steel
See which deposits have landed, which steel components are on order, and which yard builds are at concrete vs steel vs commissioning.
Built for your trade
Quoting calibrated to how livestock handling installers actually work
Pick your trade in Settings and the entire quote flow switches to fit. Line item presets, compliance fields, on-the-quote calculators, and per-m² / after-hours pricing all change to match your industry.
Trade-specific line items
Quick add picker pre-fills the common items your trade quotes. Skip the blank rows.
Brand-specific catalogues
Pylontech, Hikvision, Canadian Solar, Sunsynk and others pre-named. Pick the brand, the description writes itself.
Compliance fields built in
IOPSA, ECASA, PIRB, PSIRA, NHBRC, SAQCC. Set once. Every quote prints them under FROM.
Registration expiry alerts
Dashboard notification 60 days before your PSIRA, CoC or any dated registration lapses.
Per-m² / hour / day billing
Unit selector on every line item: m², hr, linear m, days. Stop doing the maths externally.
After-hours and emergency
1.5× and 2× multipliers as a one-tap toggle. Customer sees the breakdown on the quote.
Quote-flow calculators
Solar size, battery backup, cable run cost. Compute on the spot, drop straight onto the quote.
Staged payments
Deposit on acceptance + balance on completion as two separate amounts on the quote PDF.
Scope-of-work checklist
Structured Included / Not included lists. Client acceptance = signing the scope.
Site-survey mode
Log a location per line item: camera positions, fixtures by room, sensors by zone.
Regional rate hints
Pricing ranges per item per currency shown as you quote.
Free on every plan
All of the above included on the free plan. Premium is for capacity, not the trade tooling.
Why QuoteGenio
Why Livestock Handling Installers choose QuoteGenio
The tools that matter most when you are quoting on-site, under pressure, and between jobs.
Quote from your phone
Most Livestock Handling Installers build and send quotes directly from the job site. No laptop, no office, no delays.
Win more jobs, faster
The first professional quote a client receives usually wins. Respond in minutes, not hours.
Quote to invoice in one click
When the job is accepted, convert to an invoice instantly. No retyping, no double entry.
Pricing guide
Typical Livestock Handling Installers job pricing
A rough guide to what livestock handling installers charge for common work. Pricing varies by livestock type (cattle vs sheep vs dairy), yard size (head count), galvanising spec, and complexity (manual vs hydraulic). Full dairy yards and hydraulic crush systems sit at the top of these ranges.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Cattle crush (galvanised, head-bail, hydraulic) | $ 4,800 - $ 18,500 |
| Cattle race (galvanised, per metre) | $ 280 - $ 580 / m |
| Sheep yard (200-head, galvanised) | $ 18,000 - $ 48,000 |
| Drafting gates (3-way, manual) | $ 2,400 - $ 6,800 / unit |
| Loading ramp (cattle, adjustable) | $ 4,800 - $ 12,500 |
| Concrete pad (per square metre, yards) | $ 145 - $ 320 / sqm |
| Annual maintenance contract (large yard) | $ 1,400 - $ 4,800 / yr |
Pricing shown in USD as a rough benchmark. Rates vary significantly by country, region, currency, and market.
Call-out fees
Annual maintenance and yard expansion contracts are the recurring revenue base for livestock handling installers. Quote a maintenance contract on every install so the customer comes back to you for expansion work and gate refurbishment as the operation grows.
Hourly vs fixed pricing
Use fixed-fee pricing for standard cattle crushes and sheep yards where the spec is known. Use per-metre pricing for race and pen runs. Always quote design as a separate line because layout planning is engineering work that should not be absorbed into the steel fee.
See it in action
Example quote breakdown
Here is what a clean cattle yard proposal looks like. Design, concrete, crush, race, drafting, pens, loading ramp, and labour each visible on the proposal. Farm managers comparing yard fabricators accept this kind of itemised proposal faster than a flat 'yard' fee.
Try it yourself
Job size
Region
Sample quote
Cattle yard upgrade: race, crush, drafting gates, concrete pad
Site survey and yard layout design
Concrete pad (40 sqm, with drainage)
Cattle crush (head-bail, manual)
Cattle race (galvanised, 18m)
Drafting gate (3-way, manual)
Holding pens (3 pens, galvanised)
Loading ramp (cattle, adjustable)
Install labour (3 specialists, 4 days)
| Description | Qty | Rate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Site survey and yard layout design | 1 | $ 850 | $ 850 |
| Concrete pad (40 sqm, with drainage) | 40 | $ 220 / sqm | $ 8,800 |
| Cattle crush (head-bail, manual) | 1 | $ 6,800 | $ 6,800 |
| Cattle race (galvanised, 18m) | 18 | $ 380 / m | $ 6,840 |
| Drafting gate (3-way, manual) | 1 | $ 3,200 | $ 3,200 |
| Holding pens (3 pens, galvanised) | 3 | $ 1,800 / pen | $ 5,400 |
| Loading ramp (cattle, adjustable) | 1 | $ 5,800 | $ 5,800 |
| Install labour (3 specialists, 4 days) | 12 | $ 95.00 / hr | $ 1,140 |
| Subtotal | $ 38,830 | ||
| Tax (10%) | $ 3,883 | ||
| Total incl. tax | $ 42,713 | ||
Totals recalculate as you change the controls above. Tax rate inferred from the sample quote.
Items often forgotten
Site survey and design time, concrete pad and drainage, holding pens (separate from race), loading ramp adjustability, and install labour over multiple days. Add these as standard lines so the bespoke design and civil work do not silently disappear.
Peer snapshot
How Livestock Handling Installers actually use QuoteGenio
Indicative activity for Livestock Handling Installers on the platform. Use it as a benchmark for how often to quote and how fast to respond.
26
Quotes sent per month
42%
Average quote acceptance
2 min
Median time to send quote
$ 42,713
Typical quote value
Figures are indicative platform averages for this trade segment.
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Avoid these
Common quoting mistakes
We talk to a lot of livestock handling installers. The same design, galvanising, and civil-work mistakes come up yard after yard. Fix these and your maintenance contract base will compound as the customer's operation grows.
Mistake: Design time absorbed
Better: Quote yard design as a separate paid line, refundable on order. Design is engineering work and customers respect seeing it priced openly.
Mistake: Galvanising spec not stated
Better: State galvanising grade (hot-dip, raw, powder-coated) on every steel line. Galvanising drives lifespan and customers comparing on price expect to know what they get.
Mistake: Concrete and drainage bundled
Better: Quote concrete pad and drainage as separate lines. Civil work is real construction labour and should not be hidden in the steel fee.
Mistake: Components not itemised
Better: List crush, race per metre, drafting gates, holding pens, and loading ramp as separate lines. Customers comparing across fabricators compare on individual components.
Mistake: No deposit on bespoke yards
Better: Take 30 to 50 percent deposit on bespoke yards because steel is fabricated to design. State on the proposal so the customer agrees in writing.
Mistake: Verbal warranty terms
Better: State the steel manufacturer warranty (typically 10 to 25 years on hot-dip galvanised) and your install warranty (typically 12 to 24 months) on the proposal.
Mistake: No expiry on the quote
Better: Set a 30 day validity. Steel pricing moves with commodity markets. State the validity so old quotes do not bind you to outdated steel costs.
Mistake: No follow-up after sending the quote
Better: Most quotes that don't close, don't close because nobody followed up. Send a polite check-in 48 hours after the quote lands, and a second nudge at day 7. Two of every three accepted quotes get there because someone followed up.
Step by step
How to quote livestock handling installations
Always survey the farm and walk the existing yard with the stock manager. A 60 to 120 minute survey tells you the head count being handled, the existing infrastructure, the stock-flow problems they want solved, the access for steel and concrete delivery, and the budget. Quote based on what you walked because yard design is bespoke per operation.
Itemise design, steel components (crush, race per metre, drafting gates, holding pens, loading ramp), galvanising spec, concrete pad and drainage, install labour, and ancillary equipment as separate lines. Customers comparing across fabricators compare on component spec. Quote both manual and hydraulic options on cattle crush proposals because the price difference is significant.
Take a deposit on bespoke work. Standard catalogue crushes can sometimes invoice on completion if in stock. Bespoke yards and hydraulic systems need 30 to 50 percent deposit because steel is fabricated to design and non-returnable. Quote staged payments on multi-week builds (deposit, design approved, fabrication complete, install complete).
Send via WhatsApp and follow up. Farm managers compare 2 to 3 fabricators. The first detailed proposal with design, galvanising spec, civil work, and component itemisation usually wins. Share the public link via WhatsApp from the farm, follow up after a week, and once accepted invoice the deposit and start fabrication. Set a 30 day validity to protect against steel price moves.
FAQ
Common questions from livestock handling installers
Everything you need to know before getting started.
Yes. Quote yard layout design as a separate paid line, refundable on order. Design is engineering work and bespoke planning is what separates a custom yard from a catalogue purchase.
Yes. Once your quote is ready, share the public link via WhatsApp. The farmer or stock manager opens a branded PDF on their phone, accepts online, and you have a time-stamped acceptance on file.
State the galvanising spec (hot-dip, powder-coated, raw) on every steel line. Hot-dip galvanised is the durable standard for outdoor yards; raw steel is cheaper but rusts. Customers comparing on lifespan respect the spec being explicit.
Yes. 30 to 50 percent deposit on bespoke because steel is fabricated to design and non-returnable. State on the proposal so the customer agrees in writing.
Per square metre with drainage spec stated. Concrete and drainage are real civil work and should be quoted as their own line, separate from the steel fabrication.
Yes. The free plan gives you 5 quotes and 2 invoices per month with no credit card. Upgrade to Premium for unlimited quotes plus milestone invoicing for staged builds.
Yes. Quote both as alternative options on the same proposal. Hydraulic crush and drafting gates are 2 to 3x the price of manual but pay back in handling speed for high-throughput operations.
Yes, as a separate line where applicable. Adjustable cattle ramps and sheep ramps are real engineering and should be itemised on the proposal.
If you are tax registered, yes. Some jurisdictions have agricultural exemptions; check local rules and quote accordingly.
30 days. Steel pricing moves with commodity markets. State the validity so old quotes do not bind you to outdated steel costs.
Still have questions? We would rather answer them now than after you have signed up.
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Guides
Guides for Livestock Handling Installers
Practical advice to help you quote better, get paid faster, and grow your business.
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