Ask for three documents before hiring: an insurance certificate, proof of any registration your town requires, and a written estimate with every item listed. A contractor who will not provide them is not worth the saving.
The Akron Fence Company is licensed and insured. Ask for our documents when you receive your estimate.
What should I ask a fence contractor before hiring?
- Does my town need a permit or zoning certificate, and who files it?
- Who contacts OHIO811?
- How deep are the posts, and does that clear the frost depth used here?
- How will the fence follow my slope: racked, stepped or cut on site?
- Concrete, gravel or both in the hole?
- What grade of wood, vinyl or chain link, and what post size?
- Is removing and hauling the old fence in the price?
- How many gates, how wide, and what hardware?
- What is the start date and how many working days?
- What is the charge if you hit boulders, roots or old concrete?
How do I check that a contractor is licensed and insured?
Check locally, because Ohio does not issue a state licence for fence contractors. The Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board covers a short list of trades such as electrical, plumbing and heating and cooling, and fencing is not among them. Some cities register contractors who work inside their limits. Phone the building or zoning office in your town and ask whether fence contractors must register and whether the company has. For insurance, ask the contractor's insurance agent to send the certificate directly to you.
What should a fence estimate include?
Footage, height, material and grade, post size and depth, each gate and its width, how the slope is handled, removal of the old fence, any permit, clean-up, payment terms and a start date. If two estimates differ by a wide margin, look for the item one of them left out.
Should I get three quotes?
For a whole fence, yes. Three quotes tell you the going rate in the Akron area and show which companies took real measurements. Line up the contents first and the totals second.
What deposit is normal?
A deposit that covers materials, with the rest due on completion, is the normal pattern. We are not citing an Ohio deposit cap here. Use a check or a card and keep the receipt. If the contract was signed at your home after a sales call, Ohio's Home Solicitation Sales Act may cover it. Ohio Revised Code section 1345.22 gives the buyer until midnight of the third business day after signing to cancel, and says a seller providing services shall not begin them during that period. The Ohio Attorney General's office can tell you whether your contract qualifies.
The cheapest quote wants half up front and will not show insurance. Is that a problem?
It is two problems. Half up front normally exceeds the cost of materials, which means your money is paying for something other than your fence. And with no proof of insurance, an accident or damage on your property may fall to you. A somewhat higher quote from a documented company is the better deal.
I paid a deposit and the contractor stopped showing up. What can I do?
Write to them with a deadline to either start or refund, and keep a copy. If your town registers contractors, tell the building office. You may file a consumer complaint with the Ohio Attorney General. Getting money back can mean small claims court, so keep the contract, the payment record and all messages together.
The crew cut my internet line or sprinkler pipe. Who pays?
It turns on whether the line was marked. OHIO811 arranges marking of utility-owned lines. Sprinkler pipe, landscape lighting, invisible dog fence and other private lines are not included. Show the crew where they run before digging and have it written on the estimate, so there is a record if something is hit.
My HOA approved the fence in writing and now wants it moved. What now?
Hold on to the approval letter and reply in writing. This is a disagreement with the association, and the fence is only the subject of it. A lawyer who deals with association disputes can advise you where you stand.
Can I install a fence myself?
Yes. A short run on flat ground is a fair do-it-yourself job. Akron makes it harder than most places, because the holes must reach below frost through clay and cobbles and the line often runs across a slope. Gates and long runs are where home-built fences go out of true. You still have to notify OHIO811 at least two working days before digging, and your town's fence rules apply to you just as they do to a contractor.
A measured, written quote is the only number you can rely on, and ours is free. Call (330) 521-3641 or text a photo of the yard.