Fence Cost Calculator

How to Pick a Fence Contractor

Updated March 15, 2021

Most fence contractors will offer a free on site consultation. The fence builder will use this time to get an understanding of what type of fence you would like and take measurements of your yard. Some will give you a cost right away or follow up with a call to give you the price they would charge you to install the design you talked about.

You should always get two consultations and two prices before you hire a fence builder, ideally three, after all they are free.

Screening Questions

While the fence builder is using the on site consultation to learn about what you want, it is one of your opportunities to learn about the contractor. Here are some questions you can ask them.

• Do you plan to get a line locate?

• How much do I have to pay upfront vs on completion?

• Will you be building the fence yourself or will you be outsourcing the job?

• Will you be using heavy machinery? Will the machinery damage my yard?

• Will you remove all the debris when you are done?

• When can you start the work?

• How long will the job take to complete?

• How long will the fence last?

• What warranty do you offer?

• How deep into the ground does your company set their posts?

Now, lets talk about the answers you want to hear for these questions.

Do you plan to get a line locate?

The answer to this first question should be a resounding yes. A line locate is when a utilities company marks the underground electricity and gas lines on your property. This is absolute must to do any time post holes are being dug. If a line gets hit when digging someone could be seriously injured.

Will you be building the fence yourself or will you be outsourcing the job?

During peak season some companies schedules may already be full. When this is the case some companies will still take jobs. However, instead of having one of their crews do the work they will outsource it to a company that still has capacity. This can be inconsequential or significant depending on what you like about the company in question.

Will you be using heavy machinery? Will the machinery damage my yard?

It is very common for fence builders to use machinery to do the back breaking work of digging post holes. That makes total sense, and for the most part does not really effect you. Unless, you have a finished yard (a yard with grass). Depending on the size of the equipment the company uses it could do significant damage to your yard, especially after heavy rainfall when the ground is soft.

Will you remove all the debris when you are done?

Digging fence posts leaves you with a lot more dirt than you might expect. The pros call it "the fluff factor". It is a funny term that means by the time you dig the dirt and pile it up it will take up twice as much space as it did when it was in the ground. Unless you have plans for it, all of it, you want to ensure the builder is taking it away.

How deep into the ground does your company set their posts?

How far the fence posts are dug into the ground is a huge factor in the strength of a fence. If the posts are too shallow the fence can be pushed over by the wind or something leaning up against it. That might be obvious, but that is only one of your concerns. In cold climates shallow posts can cause the post to heave. Post should be dug no less than three feet into the ground.

Online Reviews

Online reviews are a great way to gain insight on the quality of past work. A long list of high quality reviews says a lot about a company, as motivating customers to leave them is not the easiest thing to do. That being said, don't let one negative review stand between you and a good contractor. There are people out there that use negative reviews as leverage to try take advantage of contractors. Be mindful of this and if the review contradicts the majority consider disregarding it.

The Price

The all important price. Too often the deciding factor when choosing a contractor. Obviously some peoples financial situations force them to put heavy emphasis on this. However, whenever possible the price should be considered in tandem with other factors like how the contractor answered your questions, their track record and even when they are available to start the job. There may be a reason one company is able to start right away and do the job at a discount when everyone else is booked up for a month.