Why Hiring a Fence Installation Service Is Better Than DIY

types of fencing

Did you know that 33 percent of young homebuyers decide what house to buy based on whether or not there’s a fence? Many homebuyers today have pets they want to keep safe, and young parents may want the peace of mind a fence can bring. Building a fence around your yard can not only improve your quality of life but also the overall value of your home. 

Building a fence on your own may seem simple enough, but there are a lot of good reasons to bring in the pros. Read on to discover why hiring a fence installation service is better than trying to tackle that project on your own. 

Materials 

One of the best reasons to hire a fence company is so you get the best possible materials for your job. For one thing, fencing contractors are trained to analyze your yard needs and landscape and determine which material will be best suited to your situation. They can also work with you on your budget and design preferences to find the right material for you.

And even beyond figuring out the ideal material for your fence, fence installers may be able to get access to premium materials you can’t. They’ll know which fence material manufacturers provide the best quality and how to select the best materials. They may also be able to get discounts on those materials that you wouldn’t have access to, saving you money.

Tools 

Although you can technically build a fence with just a shovel and some wood, it’s certainly not the easiest way to do the job. Gas-powered augers turn the hours-long, back-breaking work of digging a post hole into a simple task of a few minutes. But if you want to buy a gas-powered auger, it’s going to set you back at least $300-$2000, not to mention the time it will take you to learn how to use it.

Fence installers already have all the tools they need to do the job quickly and well, and they know how to use them. They’re trained in all the proper safety protocols, they have appropriate safety equipment, and they have a team helping them. Having the right tools and the right training can ensure you get the best possible fence project at the end of the day.

Functionality

In addition to defining your property boundaries and keeping pets and kids safe, your fence has to be a functional part of your yard. Maybe you need a walk thru gate or a driving gate to provide access to the yard. You might need the fence to be higher in some areas or lower than others to provide the appropriate view (or lack of) from your yard. 

Managing these things on your own if you’ve never designed a fence before can be challenging, if not impossible. You may realize after you get the fence up that you need the walk thru gate in a different place or you can’t possibly turn a vehicle into the driving gate. Fence professionals know what pitfalls to look out for with functionality and can help you to design a fence that works for you.

Terrain Management

Even once the fence design is complete, you’ll have your yard terrain to work with. Very few yards run in straight, flat lines all the way across them.

You may have dips, slight angles in the property line, or even water features or rocks to deal with. Your house may sit higher or lower than the rest of your yard, and your fence will need to continue in a straight, true line across all these obstacles.

Fencers know how to handle the ups and downs of installing a straight fence in your backyard. They have tools to handle rocks and tough ground, as well as how to safely manage water features. They can even incorporate your new fence with your landscaping so it blends seamlessly with your gorgeous backyard paradise.

Local Regulations

You may be surprised to learn that there are a lot of rules that go into building a fence. First of all, most cities and counties have local ordinances controlling how tall a fence can be and so on. Homeowners associations may also have neighborhood regulations about what materials and/or color your fence can be.

If you build your own fence, you’re going to have to spend a lot of time combing through local and HOA ordinances to make sure your fence meets all the requirements. If you don’t meet all the rules, you could face a fine or even have to rebuild your fence. Fence installers know all the local rules and regulations and can ensure that your fence will be perfectly legal.

Time 

Of course, one of the biggest reasons to hire a fence installer is to save yourself a lot of time. If you build your fence yourself, it’s likely to take you at least a few weeks to finish the job. For one thing, you’re going to be working on evenings and weekends, and you’re going to have to learn as you go, which slows down your progress. 

Fence installers work in teams of two to five or more people, depending on the size of the job. They know what they’re doing and can devote a full day’s work to getting your fence put in, concrete drying times notwithstanding. Your fence installers could have your fence up in under a week, depending on their work schedule, weather, and other such factors.

Hard Labor 

In addition to taking a long time, building a fence by yourself can be back-breaking labor. You have to dig a hole for each post at least a few feet deep, place a post in the pole, and pour the hole full of concrete to hold it in place. Then you have to place the top and bottom bars of the fence, hang the slats, make sure everything is level, install gates, and apply whatever sort of finish you’re using. 

Hiring fence installers means you can kick your feet up inside while the pros handle the heavy lifting. Not only do they have a full team to help them out, but all those tools we discussed earlier make the job easier for them to handle. You don’t have to beat up your body in the hot sun to see your beautiful fence come to life.

Work Quality

If you’re spending all the money to put up a new fence, you want to know it will last you a good long time. If you’ve never built a fence before, there are going to be some mistakes and problems that could compromise the quality of your fence. You may find that, within just a few years, you have slats that are loose or falling off or a section of fence that’s sagging.

One of the benefits of hiring pros to tackle the job for you is you can be certain the work quality will be excellent. Fence installers know how to do the job right, and they’ll make sure your fence isn’t going to blow over in the first storm that comes through. Your fence will be built to last, and, as we’ll discuss more in a moment, it may even come with a warranty guaranteeing that.

Warranty

Now you may be thinking that, at least if you put up your fence yourself, you’ll know exactly how it was put together. If you hire a fencing company, you have to trust that they’re going to do the job right and not cut any corners. And what do you do if something does go wrong and your fence falls apart within just a few months?

Many quality fence companies offer warranties to guarantee their work and protect against that very circumstance. These warranties may not cover damage from outside sources, such as severe storms or falling trees. But if the fence starts sagging after just a few months, your fencers will come back and fix the job at no cost to you.

Insurance Regulations

One great reason to hire pros to put up your fence may be that your insurer requires it. If a company is insuring your house, they want to do everything they can to minimize the risk of something going wrong. Many insurers won’t cover damage from work you did yourself, since a lack of expertise can pose some serious installation risks. 

Before you start digging post holes, talk to your insurer about what they will and won’t cover in terms of home improvements. If they only cover work done by the pros, check on any qualifications they look for in these companies. For instance, many insurers may require you to get the work done by a company that is licensed, insured, and/or bonded to guarantee the quality of the work.

Design

Although fences primarily serve a practical purpose, they are also an important part of your landscape design. A fence can look homey, industrial, elegant, imposing, modern, crisp, or just plain blah. And if you don’t believe us, think about the difference between the typical white picket fence and a horizontal fence made from stained cedar planks.

Trying to decide which fence design is going to work best with the overall design of your home can be challenging. Fence installation companies know all the options and can make recommendations about which style will meet local requirements and make your home as beautiful as possible. They may even be able to work with you on creating some custom elements that will add the perfect flair to your new fence.

Decorative Options

On the subject of decorative options, your fence doesn’t have to be one boring wall of material at the edge of your property line. You can add decorative elements that make your fence a true centerpiece in your landscaping. From unique stains and paints to pet portals to torch sconces, there are dozens of ways to make your fence your own.

Your fence contractor will know how to manage these different decorative elements and ensure you get a gorgeous fence with just the right touches. They can add small details like decorative post caps or help you design a custom fence that will meet your local code requirements. It is important to keep in mind that these customizations will impact the overall price of your fence.

Neighbor Negotiations 

Of course, one of the trickiest parts of having a new fence installed is negotiation with your neighbors. The construction work will be happening on their property as much as on yours, and they may not be excited about a bunch of holes being dug at the edge of their lot or loud saws running all the time. They may also disagree about what fence design is going to look best. 

If you build your fence yourself, you’ll have to handle all of these negotiations on your own. If you already have a somewhat strained relationship with your neighbors, this can make things tricky. A fence installation service can keep those negotiations civil and may lead to a better overall relationship with your neighbors.

Hire a Fence Installation Service

Putting up a fence can be a great way to define your property line, keep pets and kids safe, and improve your property value. But putting up a fence on your own is hard work and may not get you the result you want. Bringing in a professional fence installation service can help you get the quality you want and the fence you need.

If you’d like to find the best fence installation service for the job, check out the rest of our site at Butte Fence. We go the extra yard to make sure you get the best fence for your yard. Request a quote from us today and discover the largest inventory and best service in the Meridian area.

Like this article?

Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on Linkdin
Share on Pinterest

Leave a comment

Get A Free Quote