How to choose a fencing company
Don’t get locked in with the wrong fencing company
Once you’ve made the decision to either install a fence it’s important that you do a bit of research before choosing the contractor for the project. Here aresome questions to help you make that decision.
- Are you licensed? (Ask to see a copy).
- Does your company carry liability insurance? (Ask to see a copy).
- Does your company carry workman’s compensation insurance? (Ask to see a copy).
- Do you guarantee your work?
- Do you provide any warranties?
- Will you obtain any necessary permits?
- Do you belong to any national or local trade organizations?
- Can you show me pictures of your work?
- How long will it take to complete the job?
- In addition you can do the following:
Contact the local Better Business Bureau to see if there are any records of complaints.
The contractor should be able give you a list of references that you can contact and discuss their experiences with this company.
It’s also a good idea to hire a company who uses an in-house staff rather than sub-contracting out the work. There is more likely better loyalty, communication, and reliability than using sub-contractors who often are working on more than one job at a time.
You will want meet the contractor in person for the first meeting. The contractor you choose will ask to come out not only to see the project but to talk to you about what your needs are. He will take measurements and give you different options.
The contractor and you should sign a contract describing the work that will be done, the start and estimated completion dates, the cost, and payment schedule.
Finally, do not hire a contractor that need full payment in advance. It is standard practice to ask for a portion at the beginning or the project, but not the entire amount.