How to Choose a Reputable Fence Contractor

How to Choose a Reputable Fence Contractor

How to choose a reputable fence contractor; the deliberation process is important because this is an important investment.  What follows is my own experience, and some important criteria to consider if you’re thinking about a new fence for your land.

“A man’s got to know his limitations.”  Clint Eastwood, Magnum Force

When I started my garden project over a year ago, I had grandiose notions of effecting a fabled garden singlehandedly.  I was gonna build a regular Eden and I was gonna do it myself.  Admittedly, my only recourse for removing gigantic dead trees was to hire a tree removal service.  And I had my friends Eric and Zen, and now Carlos, help me with some heavy lifting and transporting.  With these exceptions, up to this point, I really have designed, implemented, built, installed, hauled, dug, planted, and performed all things garden, all by my lonesome.

I started laying out the dimensions, grade, and height benchmarks for my new fence a couple of weeks ago.  All along, I believed the fence installation was just another aspect of the whole garden project which I’d complete myself.  But after getting everything laid out and staked, I realized it wasn’t going to happen that way.  The job was big, and I was running out of time.  I knew I still had a heavy timber arbor and trellis system to build and install before fall.  I realized there was just no way I could install the fence and build and install the arbor/trellis feature this year.  So I made the decision to build and install the arbor/trellis system myself, and hire a professional fence contractor to install the fence.

How to Choose the Right Fence Contactor.  I have been accused of being an anal, over-the-top, perfectionist type, and I admit that I do take my garden project pretty seriously.  So how does a guy like me, with control issues and pickiness to spare, trust someone else with any part of his precious garden project?  Furthermore, since the fence hasn’t even been installed yet, how am I so sure that I did pick the right fence contractor?  And the million dollar question: which fence contractor did I pick choose for my project?  

I’ve spent a substantial portion of my adult life in both the real estate investment/development and construction/manufacturing industries, having owned and/or run substantial enterprises in both industries.  It was necessary for me to establish a list of criteria in order to select the right contractor/subcontractor for a specific project.  And after many years of using these criteria to pick the right company for my projects, I’ve gotten pretty good at it.  By using this list of criteria (and feeling very confident and adept at doing so), I’ve been able to suspend my anal, controlling, over-the-top-ishness and entrust certain critical jobs to the proper qualified people.

So, who did I pick to remove my old fence and install my new one?  The choice was easy – Spencer’s Fencers.

What were my criteria for picking the right fence contractor to remove my old fence and install my new one?  Why Spencer’s Fencers?

  • Accessibility.  Spencer’s Fencers was super easy to contact.  I called their office early one morning, and my call was automatically forwarded directly to Project Manager Greg Bailey.  I was able to immediately and personally discuss my project with Greg.  You’ve gotta be able to get in touch with your contractor.  That’s critical, not just at the initial stages of estimate-gathering, but after the contract is signed and  throughout the duration of the project.  Spencer’s Fencers and Greg get an “A+” for accessibility.
  • Promptness.  Nothing shakes your confidence in a contractor more than when he or she shows up late for an appointment, or worse, doesn’t show up at all.  Not an issue with Spencer’s Fencers.  Greg was there exactly at the time of our appointment.  Another “A+”.
  • Reliability.  I had a couple of unique conditions regarding the scope of the fence project I wanted to undertake.  I relayed my questions about these conditions to Greg during our initial phone conversation.  He told me he’d research the issue and get back to me later the same day with answers.  And that’s exactly what he did.  “A+” for reliability.
  • Knowledge.  Greg was thoroughly knowledgeable about all issues regarding my fence project.  He understood exactly what I wanted and knew exactly how to accomplish it.  His knowledge of his craft put me entirely at ease.  Again, “A+”.
  • Professionalism.  Greg, and his company, are entirely professional.  Greg himself was a real gentleman who presented and conducted himself professionally and politely.  As a company, Spencer’s Fencers demonstrated thorough professionalism.  One look at their website told me much of what I wanted to know – Spencer’s Fencers is a successful, established company with a history of completing successful, beautiful fence projects.  Greg Bailey and Spencer’s Fencers get another “A+”.
  • Other satisfied customers.  Google ’em.  Check out the reviews for yourself.  They’ve made a lot of fence customers very happy.  “A+”.
  • Ability to accommodate unusual circumstances.  When going over the specifics of how I wanted my fence project to go down, I threw Greg a few curveballs.  No problem.  All of the unusual specifics of my project are being accommodated.  “A+”.
  • Efficiency.  Greg got his arms around the scope of my project immediately.  He quickly provided me with an estimate before he left our home.  “A+”.
  • Pricing.  The price that Greg quoted me (on a professionally prepared, written proposal) was extremely reasonable.  I was more than pleasantly surprised.  Great pricing, for sure.  Yet another “A+”.

Now you know why I picked these guys, and now you know how to choose your own reputable fence contractor.  I’m sure I could go on and on about why I made the decision I did, and why I feel so confident about this decision, considering the job hasn’t even started.  Let me just put it this way:  I’ve been around the block a few times.  I know construction and I’ve dealt with tons and tons of contractors and subcontractors.  I used my above tried-and-true list to make the fence contractor hiring decision.  Without any doubt whatsoever, I absolutely made the right decision to use Spencer’s Fencers.  When the fence job is done, I’m going to publish an article about it, and I’ll include lots of pics.  (You can cheat, and click here to read the article about the completed project and check out the pics.)  And I’m going to gloat about making such a great decision.  In fact, I’ll gloat first, and then I’ll publish.

And just as importantly, I feel confident in suggesting that you utilize the above list of criteria when choosing not only a fencing contractor, but any contractor.  If, when interviewing a prospective fence contractor, you can check off each item on a similar list with the same great grades I gave Greg and Spencer’s Fencers, I’m confident that you’ll do right by hiring that contractor.  But why not make it even easier?  Give Greg a call and see for yourself.

To learn more about Spencer’s Fencers and to contact them, click here.  To reach Greg Bailey, Project Manager, directly, feel free to call him at (574) 360-5538, or email him at greg@spencersfencers.com

My existing tired, old fence.  This post wouldn’t be complete without the inclusion of a few pics of my existing fence.  As you can see, its best days are definitely behind it.  This is the fence Spencer’s Fencers is going to remove and replace with a brand new one.  The new fence, and its planned location, will increase the size of my garden.  I want you to see these pictures of my old fence so you’ve got a frame of reference for viewing the pictures I’m going to post after the new fence is installed. 

View from inside the garden of the existing south fence elevation.
View from inside the garden of the existing west fence elevation.
Exterior view of the existing south fence elevation.
Exterior view of the existing west fence elevation.

That about does it for this post.  I’m hoping that the list of criteria I provided above will be helpful to you if and when you decide to install a new fence around your own garden.  In my experience, the use of these criteria in evaluating a prospective contractor has always proven effective.  In the case of my upcoming new fence project, I’m excited to have Spencer’s Fencers on the job.

Thanks so much for tuning in, and as always, Cheers, and Happy Gardening!

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6 thoughts on “How to Choose a Reputable Fence Contractor”

  1. John, l thought the information on how you chose a fence was really informative. Next time I’m looking for a girlfriend l will use the same criteria you used to find a fence company. Thanks again!

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