10 Questions to Ask a Fence Contractor Before You Hire One

July 17, 2026 · Fenctimator+ Team

A fence is one of those purchases you make maybe twice in your life, which means the contractor across the table has done this a thousand times more than you have. These ten questions level the field. A quality fence company will answer every one of them without flinching — and a couple of them will tell you more than any online review.

1. Are you licensed and insured?

Table stakes. Ask for proof of liability insurance, and workers' comp if they have employees. If someone gets hurt in your yard and the company isn't covered, that can become your problem.

2. Who is actually building my fence?

Their crew? A subcontractor? The answer isn't disqualifying either way — but you want to know who's showing up, and whether the person who sold you the job will be reachable during the build.

3. How deep do you set your posts?

This one's a scalpel. Posts are the skeleton of the fence, and shallow posts are why fences lean in three years. A quality installer will have an immediate, specific answer — for chain link, deep-set posts (a full 3 feet in the ground, in concrete) are the difference between a fence that stays tight for decades and one that doesn't. Vague answer here? Keep shopping.

4. Exactly what materials are you quoting?

"Wood fence" can mean ten different fences. Get the specifics in writing: species and grade of lumber, gauge of chain link fabric, post dimensions, hardware. Two quotes can only be compared when you know both material lists.

5. How did you arrive at this price?

Listen carefully. "Here's the footage, here's the material breakdown, here's the labor" is the answer of a company that calculated your price. "That's about what a yard like this runs" is the answer of a company that guessed — and a guessed price gets corrected mid-job, in change orders, at your expense.

6. Who handles the permit and utility locates?

Many areas require a fence permit, and every dig needs utilities marked first (811 in the US). A professional company handles both routinely and can tell you exactly how it works in your town.

7. How do we handle the property line?

Fence disputes with neighbors are miserable. Ask how they confirm the line — pins, survey, plat — and never let anyone "eyeball it." If there's any doubt, a survey is cheaper than moving a fence.

8. What's the timeline, start to finish?

When can they start, how many days on site, and what happens if weather interferes. You're not looking for the fastest answer — you're looking for a specific one.

9. What does the warranty cover — labor or just materials?

Manufacturers warranty materials; the installer warranties the work. A company that stands behind its installation will say so in writing, including what happens if a gate sags or a post moves in year two.

10. What's the payment schedule?

A reasonable deposit with balance on completion is normal. Full payment up front is not. Get the schedule, and everything else above, in the written contract.

One more signal worth noticing

Pay attention to how the company handles your first phone call. Did they capture your details? Could they give you a realistic ballpark quickly — some can now measure your property from satellite imagery and price it from real costs while you're still on the phone? Did the quote arrive promptly, professionally, signable without printing anything? A company that runs its sales process that tightly usually builds the same way.

Fence contractors reading this: if your operation can't yet do what that last paragraph describes, that's what Fenctimator+ is for.