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Founder conversationBuilder <$5m

How Austin Rent Fence Hit $3M and Took an $800K Loan With a $6M Buyout Option

Owner James Gill explains how a 2008 side project grew into a fence and portable restroom business, and the $800K loan Nathan offered against a $6M option.

James Gill · Austin Rent Fence

Published August 26, 2026
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What you’ll learn

Nathan Latka visits Austin Rent Fence, where owner and lawyer James Gill explains how a 2008 side project grew into a temporary fencing business with about 40 employees, plus a portable restroom division built partly through a competitor acquisition. Nathan then negotiates an $800,000 loan at 8% over three years that comes with an option to buy the whole company for $6,000,000 in cash.

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Lawyers have caps, businesses do not

“When you're building a business, there is no limit to what's possible. So for example, there's three or four people that work for the law firm at this point, and there's about 40 people that work for the fence company.”

Selling insurance on rented fence

“We give you the option upfront to either self insure your product or we will insure your product for a price based on the number of linear feet you do rent.”

Why route density drives profit

“Until the route gets a certain density, it's just not profitable. But it took all of last year to even get it profitable.”

Turning down a 5X offer

“I've turned down an offer of 5X with 90% of the money upfront in thirty days.”

Nathan's final loan terms

“$800,000 at 8% interest rate paid back over three years.”

Resource files

About the speaker

James Gill

Owner · Austin Rent Fence

Company revenue
$3M