When you decide you’re ready for a brand new fence, the first step is to give First Rate Fence a call to schedule a free site check and estimate (you can learn more about our site check process here). Whether you know the answers to all the questions below or not, we are happy to come and help. However, being prepared can help your site check go much more smoothly and speed up the process.
1) What are your HOA’s fence requirements?
If you live a neighborhood governed by an HOA, it’s very likely that there are specific requirements for your fence. Knowing these requirements before your site check saves time and unexpected changes later on in the fence planning process. If you’re having trouble finding your HOA’s guidelines, you can provide us with the phone number and name of your HOA. We will do the leg work for you.
2) What exactly do you want?
With so many wood, metal, and vinyl options (check out some of our most popular wood fence designs here, look at our gallery here, or check out the AFA's guide to fences), simply saying you want a fence doesn’t quite give us everything we need to be as efficient and effective as possible during your site check. If you don’t know what your best option is, we are more than happy to advise you on the kind of fence that will fit your needs. However, if you do know what you want, now is is the time to let us know. As we walk your fence line we take different aspects into account for different types of fencing. Knowing whether we’re building a privacy fence, split rail fence, horizontal fence, chainlink fence, ornamental metal fence, or whatever fence you may be dreaming of as we’re discussing your project is extremely helpful for giving you a realistic timeline, cost estimate, and general scope of work.
3) Did you research the fence company?
Knowledge is power. While we know we’re great at what do, are priced fairly, and are generally great contractors, you don’t know that yet. We understand that many customers opt to get quotes from multiple companies. It’s important to do your due diligence to make sure you get an amazing product and work with people you trust. First of all, make sure the company is licensed and insured. Choosing a licensed and insured company will allow you to rest easy knowing that they know what they’re doing, can cover the cost if any unfortunate incidents occur, and are responsible business owners. Next, ALWAYS check reviews! Google and HomeAdvisor are reputable companies when it comes to reviews. In fact, reviewers on HomeAdvisor are even verified as past customers so you know that no fake reviews have made their way in. Check out our reviews on Google and HomeAdvisor.
4) Have you spoken with your neighbors?
Communication with neighbors who share your fence line is good fence etiquette. It’s sometimes necessary for us to enter a neighbors yard to get to the tricky sides of your fence and going into someone’s yard unannounced is never a great idea. Having a conversation with your neighbor beforehand can avoid possible property line, design, or landscape disputes. Furthermore, if your neighbor also needs a fence they will often split the cost of the shared side and doing both of your fences at once can help reduce material and labor pricing.
5) Where are your property lines, sprinkler lines, and utility lines?
Knowing the location of these three items is extremely important when it comes to installing a new fence. If you aren’t sure where your property lines are, it is not a bad idea to have a surveyor locate them for you. Knowing this before we get there will save time and potential property line disputes in the future. If you locate and show us sprinkler lines during the site check, we can find a way to work around them or at least be more aware of them to avoid accidentally cutting a line. While most cut sprinkler lines are an easy fix we know that every dollar adds up and would love to avoid them from the beginning. For gas and electric lines, a general idea of where they are will help us plan your fence with you but we will still have them located by the city before we start your project to ensure a safe fence installation.
6) Can you make it to the site check?
While your fence project may seem straight forward, there are often little things like landscaping, design issues, or a number of other issues that you may not have covered that can pop up. Being present for the site check ensures that we know exactly what you want and will prevent any confusion in the estimating process. The process is typically only 30 minutes or so and having you there makes it a better process for everyone involved.
Being prepared with some basic information is the the best way to ensure a smooth site check and fence installation. If you’re ready for a beautiful new fence, call First Rate Fence today at 720.458.4127 or visit us at www.FirstRateFence.com to schedule your FREE site check and estimate.
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