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The first name in Fence construction!
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Many people have questions about
fence, and fence installation. The
following are a few questions and
answers that I hope will be helpful to
you. If you have questions that are
not covered here, please contact me
and we can talk to you about your
project.
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Most fence contractors will stipulate in your contract that it is the
property owners responsibility to identify the property lines.
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Always call to have the underground utilities located before you start
digging holes. The service is free in most municipalities. To have
underground utilities located anywhere in the state of California call 1-
800-227-2600.
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- Saving Money on your fence purchase
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Most contractors will give quantity discounts. Therefore, the first thing
you can do is increase the quantity of fence. That does not mean put
up more fence around your property. Rather, talk with your neighbors or
anyone you know in your neighborhood that may need a fence, group
together, and then approach a contractor. This is by far the most
effective strategy for lowering the price tag and it will save you a
significant amount of money on your fence purchase.
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You may or may not need a building permit to build your fence
depending on the municipality in which you live. Some communities
have restrictions on the size and type of fence that you may put up on
your property. To find out if there are any restrictive covenants or
caveats registered against your property you can contact the
community association or city in which you live.
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If you are going to build a fence, it is almost always a good idea to tell
your neighbor of your intentions while still in the planning stages. Your
discussion may result in your neighbor agreeing to share the cost of
the fence, and it may very likely prevent hard feelings or even a
dispute down the road.
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- Underground sprinkler lines
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Unlike underground utilities, there is nothing that can be done to
locate underground sprinkler lines aside from physically digging for
them. As a result sprinkler lines will be damaged on occasion. The good
news is that, once damaged, the lines are usually very easy to fix with
parts from your local hardware store. If you have an idea where the
sprinkler lines run, inform your fence contractor and ask them to take
precautions when digging. However, as stated earlier, there is not
much that can be done and most fence contractors will have a clause in
the contract that states that you, the property owner, will be
responsible for any underground sprinkler line damage.
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- Is it true that a chain link fence devalues a property more
than wood
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Just to clarify, adding a fence to your property adds value whether it is
wood or chain link. As far a chain link adding less value than wood,
that idea is completely unfounded. We install wood, chain link,
ornamental and vinyl fences, and more and more people are putting up
maintenance-free fences (chain link, ornamental or vinyl) because they
don't want to have to mess around with the fence for the rest of their
lives.
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- Should I put the fence in before or after the sod or other
landscaping
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If you are landscaping your yard there is a specific time, in relation to
all of the other landscaping activities, that you should install the fence
to avoid many potential problems. The same principles apply to
landscaping your yard that apply to the construction of your house.
Would you install the carpeting before the drywall? The best time to
put in the fence in is after the finished grade is done, but before the
sprinkler system, brick work, or planting have been done. Sod should
be the last item to go in.
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- Can fences be installed in the winter
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- Choosing a fence contractor
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It all comes down to trust. You should try to answer the two following
questions regarding each prospective fence contractor before you shop
for prices:
Can they do the job? If you are not sure, ask to see jobs they have
previously done that are similar to yours. It is important to ask for
similar jobs because quite often the larger companies will have their
most experienced crews working on commercial or industrial projects
and reserve the least experienced crews for residential jobs.
Will they look after my interests? This question is harder to answer if
you have not worked with the contractor previously. The best sources
for this information are previous customers. You can find previous
customers by asking the fence contractor for referrals. Or you can look
for the contractor's signs on fences. Most of the larger companies will
place their logo or a sign on a fence they build. When you find a sign,
knock on the property owner's door and ask them about their
experience with the fence contractor.
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- What are the cost differences between fence types
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Wood
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HI
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HI
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REPALCE
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Ornamental
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HI
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LOW
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LOW
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Chain Link
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LOW
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LOW
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LOW
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Vinyl
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HI
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NONE
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NONE
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Get A FREE Fence Estimate
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