Real Estate

Top 5 Questions to Ask Your Fence or Deck Contractor

If you’re considering hiring a professional fence or deck contractor, there are a few questions you’ll want to ask before you begin. Here are the top five questions to ask your contractor:

1) Ask if a deposit is required: Reputable fence and deck builders will never ask a client for a deposit to start work. A decent contractor must have the financial ability to purchase materials up front and the confidence to deliver the final project in order to be paid for the job when it is finished.

2) Ask about insurance and licenses: Hiring a “handyman” to build a fence or deck may cost a little less up front, but there are several risks if they don’t have the proper license or insurance. If someone gets hurt during construction, for example, you may be liable through your homeowners insurance. Fence builders usually don’t need to get building permits, but deck builders often do, so this will often be a problem for unlicensed deck contractors. Professional fence and deck contractors will always have adequate insurance and proper local business licenses.

3) Ask about additional charges: Sometimes you’ll get an “estimate” from a fence or decking company instead of a “quote.” Often a contractor will add additional charges down the road which may or may not be confirmed with the owner first. If you have already committed to the project with a particular fence or decking company, it may be more difficult to dispute any additional charges down the road. Fencing and decking projects typically have little or no cost changes along the way, so be sure to receive a written price “quote” that will represent the final invoice for the project as described.

4) Ask your deck or fence builder if they use screws or nails. Although most wood fencing and wood decking contractors today only use screws in their construction, some companies still use nails! Using nails is faster than screwing, but of course it’s common knowledge these days that nails will fail much sooner than screws in the same applications. Proper fence and deck builders will never consider the use of nails. You’ll want to make sure you hire a company that only uses exterior screws that are approved for use in the material being used (typically pressure-treated lumber).

5) Ask about the warranty: A reputable builder should offer a warranty on the workmanship of the completed project. Material collateral, if applicable, must also be passed to the owner and will vary in terms and duration. The workmanship warranty should be at least two years to allow full exposure to four seasons a couple of times; this will expose any labor issues that need to be addressed. Also consider that a guarantee for work done is only valuable if the company stays in business: a guarantee from a very small company is usually worth much less than a guarantee from a larger, reputable company.