5 Things to Know Before Hiring a Fence Contractor

When estimating residential fence projects, there are 5 things you can do that help our estimators save time (which saves you time and money).

1. Make sure your property has been surveyed.

     ​This means having someone from a private company double check where all the property lines are and find any buried property stakes. This makes it easier for us when we write down the dimensions for your project. It also helps you in case any neighbors decide they want to dispute property lines while your fence is being installed. Ultimately, having this done saves all parties involved a lot of time since we as contractors are not able to do anything until we know for a certainty where the property lines are. So for your sake as well as ours, get your property surveyed!

2. Call Diggers Hotline.

     The ones who are doing the digging (the fence contractor) are ultimately responsible for calling Diggers Hotline, however it doesn't hurt to have some pre-planning done to help speed things along. It's also helpful to have it done if you plan on doing any sort of landscaping in general. If you're not familiar with Diggers Hotline, they are a free service that will mark out the location of any public buried utility lines. This is not only helpful for planning the layout of your project, but legally required for obvious safety reasons. They can be easily reached by dialing 811 or visiting their website. 
     Please keep in mind that fence contractors and Diggers Hotline are only responsible for having public utilities located and marked. We are not responsible for marking or locating any private lines, such as sprinkler lines. Diggers Hotline does provide a list of locating companies that you can hire to find private lines.

3. Check with your local municipality for any restrictions or special rules on fences or building permits.

     Some subdivisions may not allow you to have a fence at all. Some may have height requirements, or restrictions on the type of material used. In most cases, you are only allowed to have up to a six-foot-tall fence in the back yard, and no taller than four feet in the front yard. No matter what, you should always check with your local municipality first. Keep in mind that you are required to show the "nice" side of the fence to your neighbors. Not only is it a courteous thing to do, but it adds curb appeal when looking at your house from the outside. This could also help eliminate potential disputes with your neighbors. Check out our Fence Regulation Resource Guide for more information!

4. Having dimensions already drawn out is extremely helpful!

     Most contractors will end up taking down their own dimensions anyway but having something to double check our measurements against can be very useful and time-saving. Not to mention, you may want different prices on different options. For instance, it may be nice to have two gates, but that second gate could push the final price just over your budget. Having your dimensions drawn out with your own notes on them helps us come up with more options to give you. Keep in mind when designing your fence project, the more straight the fence is with the least amount of angles or turns, the more money you will save. A nice square-shaped fence lining your lot will probably be the least expensive option.

5. Know your budget.

     Don't be afraid to call or submit a form on our website to get budget pricing. Ask a neighbor (hopefully you like them) or a family member (hopefully you like them too) how much their fence cost. This will give you a good idea of how much money you should have saved and will eliminate the risk of sticker shock when we follow up with our estimate. Some contractors will offer financing through third party lenders, others (like us) accept credits cards. We typically ask for half of the total amount quoted as a down payment.
     Feel free to get estimates from multiple contractors, but keep in mind you get what you pay for. The lowest estimate more than likely isn’t always the best option. Be wary of contractors who bid low on projects, as they more than likely take shortcuts on quality purely for the sake of winning your business. We take pride in our installations. When we generate our estimates and proposals, we err on the side of quality.

For budget pricing or just to get in touch, scroll down to see our contact information.
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