In our business we come across a lot of fences built to very low standards.
I recently attended a quote, where the whole rear timber fence was laying flat on the ground.
The problem was, there was no concrete in the holes what so ever. Each post had come clear out of the ground. The poor homeowner was devastated, and understandably so. She thought she was paying a reputable company to build her fence. The fence was only 2 years old. She tried contacting the builder, but with no luck, they had gone out of business 18 months previously.
I asked her why she had chosen the company, and her response was 'Price'. She explained they were $200 cheaper than anyone else.
The cost of replacing a fence can be expensive, and especially these days since COVID, when timber became so hard to get and prices started soaring.
The old saying "You get what you pay for", comes to mind. For the sake of $200, this lady now has to spend $1,000's again to replace her fence.
A friend recently shared this quote with me and it has resonated with me ever since.
"Cheap is expensive in the long run, and Expensive is cheap in the long run."
Another story recently shared with me, where the contractor told a client , they used concrete, however when the client went out to see the progress, the contractor was only putting concrete in every 3rd hole. He questioned this with the contractor, who informed him this is the way it is done now days. Fortunately the owner did not settle for this statement and consequently informed the contractor, that concrete was to go into every hole, or Consumer Affairs would be notified. Only under threat of exposure, did this contractor complete the job properly.
These are just a couple of the horror stories I have been told while out quoting. It is in our nature to trust that someone who is supposed to be a professional in their field, that they will do as they say. This, a lot of the time, is not the case.
With this in mind, I have created a list of questions/information to ask each Fencing Contractor who comes out to give you a quote on your next fence.
Do you use concrete in every hole?
Do you mix the concrete on site? The reason for this question is some contractors will pour powdered concrete in the hole add some water, spade it around for a bit and then leave it. This usually means the concrete powder at the bottom, doesn't get mixed and makes for a weak foundation.
Do you use Quickset? If the answer to this question is yes, then this is not the contractor for you. Quickset does have advantages in other uses, but not in fencing. It breaks down very quickly and has very little strength in the long term. Quickset will also rust out Colorbond posts due to the high water content. Avoid.
How deep do you dig your holes? You want your fence posts to be in the ground a min of 600mm. If your fence is higher than 2mt or double paled then it needs to be at least 700mm deep.
Do they leave their posts to set overnight before building the fence? A good foundation is the making of a good strong fence. If the contractor builds on the same day he puts the post in, the chances are that should there be a wind that night the fence will move. But a fence built on posts that have had time to set, will be strong and straight.
Is your business insured? This one is an obvious ask, so if something should go wrong, you are protected as well as the contractor.
Does the business have a registered ABN? Again this is something most people don't check, and they should. In this day and age of scammers, do yourself a favour and check they are a legitimate business, registered with the Government.
Check their reviews. Google is a good place to start for this. See what other people have to say about a business. Good reviews for a business are the hardest to get. If someone has had a bad experience you can bet they are going to put their thoughts out there, but when people are happy with a service, they hardly ever write about it.
Cheaper isn't better. Your new fence is an investment in your property, and your privacy. Better to pay for quality, that may cost you a little more in the beginning, but will save you in the long run.
Do your homework, be informed, and make informed decisions. This can be applied to not only fencing but all aspects of services. I guarantee it will save you from making costly mistakes in the long run.
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