What if you ruined your home by making a single phone call?
That may sound unlikely. But if you’re an Idaho resident looking to get new fencing installed, then calling and hiring the wrong company may be one of the worst mistakes you could ever make.
That leads to the big question: how can you find the best Idaho fence company? To help take the guesswork out of all of this, we put together this definitive guide.
Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about hiring the right fence company in your area!
1. Scope Out Local Neighborhoods
You might think that your search for a good Idaho fence company would start very simply. For example, searching online for something like “best fence company near me.”
The problem with this is that everybody and their brother claim to be the best. And a fence company that is great for one person may not be so great for you.
If you want to keep things simple, we recommend walking and/or driving around local neighborhoods and look for recently-completed fences. More often than not, there will be some sort of badge or sign noting who did the work. If there is no such sign but the fence is new, you can also politely ask the homeowner who they hired.
This is a great approach because it saves you a lot of time you’d otherwise spend staring at a computer screen. And you can evaluate the quality of the fence company’s work with your own eyes before you ever reach out to them.
2. Find the Right Idaho Fence Company By Getting Multiple Estimates
Want to hear the biggest rookie mistake when it comes to hiring a good fence company? Here it is: many homeowners simply go with the first company that looks good.
Why is this a bad idea? Well, without getting multiple estimates from multiple companies, you’ll have no idea whether you’re getting a good deal or not. For that matter, you won’t even know what all of your options are or if you are possibly hiring scammers.
We recommend treating a fence installation like any other major purchase. For example, you’d probably never dream of buying something like a car without exploring all of your options. And just like shopping around for a car, properly shopping around for the right fence company can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars of money.
3. Check the Warranty
Why are you trying to find a fence company in the first place? For most homeowners, the answer is simple: their old fence was damaged or fell into disrepair and they need to replace it with a new one.
But what if the same thing happens to your new fence and, before you know it, you are shopping around for fence companies once more? To help keep that from happening, you need to check the warranty before you sign anything with a fence company.
The warranty will specify the number of years that this fence company covers their work (usually three or more years). There may be separate warranties: for example, a warranty for installation and a warranty for the product.
Basically, you want to know exactly what is covered and how long that coverage will last. With any luck, you won’t need to take advantage of the warranty. But it’s better to have a good warranty and not need it than need one and not have it!
4. Figure Out Who Needs To Do What
When homeowners hire a fence company, they usually want that company to take care of just about everything. But if you don’t talk with the company about what you do or do not have to do with this project, you may end up way busier than you anticipated!
For example, you may need to get special permits before installing a fence. And if a permit is required, then the final work will likely need to be checked out by an inspector. Find out ahead of time whether the fence company will be able to arrange these things or if you’ll have to take care of them.
And whenever you are installing new fencing, there is a chance you may accidentally damage underground utility lines on your property (which can also be damaged by growing tree roots). To keep this from happening, someone will need to contact the local utility locator. Once again, it’s important for you to determine whether you need to do this or if the fence company will do it.
Finally, you’ll need to determine if installing a new fence will violate any zoning or easement rules. This is not likely, but the last thing you want to do is run into problems with the city after installation. Make sure your fence company knows about local regulations before they begin work.
5. Get Payment Details In Writing
Not all of the advice about hiring a fence company needs to be complicated. In fact, our last bit of advice is nice and simple: you need to make sure you understand payment details, and you need to get these details in writing!
For example, you should receive a written contract that details everything the company will do and how much their services will cost. And that contract should specify not just how much is due but how much you will be paying by certain dates.
Why is this important? Some companies may expect all of the payment upfront, while others may allow you to make payments over a certain period of time. And others may require an initial deposit followed by the rest of the money at a later date.
Once you know what all the payment details are, you can make the best possible decision for who will be installing your Idaho fences!
Find the Right Company Today
Now you know the best tips for finding an Idaho fence company. But what if you could find the best company with just the click of a button?
Here at Butte Fence, we specialize in making your home look more beautiful than ever before. To see what we can do about all your fencing needs, simply contact us today!