7 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Fence Contractor

Fencing is one of those trades where the difference between good and bad work is invisible for about three years, and then extremely visible. By then the contractor may not be reachable.

These seven questions are not a trap, and any decent contractor will be glad to answer them. What matters is not just the answer but whether they can give it without hesitating.

1. Are you insured, and can I see it?

Ask for liability insurance and ask to see the certificate. Fencing involves heavy equipment, digging, and working near property lines and utilities. If something goes wrong on your property and the contractor is not covered, that becomes your problem. This is the single most important question on the list.

2. How deep will the posts be set, and in what?

This is the question that separates people who build fences from people who install pickets. Post depth and how they are set determines whether your fence is standing straight in ten years. It is also completely invisible once the job is finished, which is exactly why it gets cut.

You want a specific answer - a depth, whether concrete is used, how much. A vague answer here is the most reliable warning sign there is.

3. What exactly am I getting, in writing?

The quote should name the material, the grade, the height, the post type and spacing, the hardware, and the number and size of gates. "Wood privacy fence, 180 feet" is not a specification. Two contractors can both write that and build noticeably different fences.

Get it in writing before work starts. Not because you expect a dispute, but because a written scope is how both sides stay clear on what was agreed.

4. Who calls 811, and when?

Underground utilities must be located and marked before digging. The answer should be immediate and confident, because it is routine. If a contractor treats this as an inconvenience or offers to skip it to start sooner, that tells you how they handle everything else you cannot see.

5. How are we establishing the property line?

A fence in the wrong place is a legal problem that costs far more to fix than it did to build. A good contractor will ask about your survey rather than wait for you to raise it, and will tell you plainly if they think the line is uncertain. Beware anyone happy to build to where you point.

6. Is tear-out and clean-up included?

If there is an existing fence, removing and disposing of it is real work and real cost. Confirm it is in the price. Confirm the same about old concrete footings, brush clearing, and hauling debris off the property. This is one of the most common places a quote turns out to be lower than a competitor's because it covers less.

7. What is the warranty, and what does it cover?

Ask what is covered, for how long, and whether it covers labour as well as materials. There is a real difference between a manufacturer's warranty on the timber and a contractor standing behind their own installation. Ask which one you are getting.

Two more things worth doing

• Look at finished work. Not just fresh photos - ask to see something built a few years ago. New fences all look good. Our gallery is a starting point, and we are happy to point you at work locally.
• Be careful with large deposits. A reasonable deposit to cover materials is normal. Paying most of the job up front is not.

If you are collecting quotes, the guide to what fencing actually costs here will help you tell a genuinely competitive price from one that has quietly left something out.

We are glad to answer every one of these before you commit to anything. Ask us for an estimate and put us through them.