This page is dedicated to educating you on how get the lowest bids possible.

All fence contractors charge extra when bidding a job that has tall weeds, vines or bushes growing on or against the fence. Heavy, overgrown landscaping gets in the way of progress. Slow progress equals more time... and time is money. You get the idea. In general, do any cleanup necessary before you start the bidding process.

Don't worry if you just have a couple of bushes or some light landscaping. This is mostly for those un kept, overgrown yards. This is just food for thought.

Save hundreds of dollars by:

Cleaning up the backyard

A clean, unobstructed work area allows for a speedy install. Move any firewood, compost piles, lumber, doggie poo, etc. away from the work area.

Trimming bushes & hedges

Cut the backs out of bushes and hedges (against the fence) to create a gap between the back of the bush and the fence. Imagine a person needing to "squeeze in" between the fence and the bushes. A good measurement is 12"-16" of clearance. This clearance should be maintained permanently to help your new fence last as long as possible.

Trimming trees

Tree branches touching or growing over the fence should be trimmed to a 16" clearance also. This is especially the case when changing from a 6' tall fence to an 8' tall fence. This clearance should also be maintained permanently to insure the branches don't scar or damage your new fence in the event of high winds and storms.

Remove/move storage sheds

Storage buildings located against the fence can be a big problem depending on which side of the fence the posts are on. All storage buildings should be at least 18" away from the fence when the "face" of the fence is inside of the yard (fence posts outside). Home-made roofs that are attached to the fence creating storage areas are always very difficult (if not impossible) to re-install.

The fence changes, the height changes...everything is different and the roofs never go back like they were. It's best to move/remove these items before your bid.

Pull back the bedcovers

Flower beds that contain bark mulch, lava rock or stones for ground cover should be raked back away from the fence line. In most cases there is also a "weed block" or liner of some kind that will also pull back.

Remove the vines

Trumpet vines, honeysuckle, etc......anything growing on the fence and using it for support is a big mistake! These plants are much heavier than you may think. They will slowly destroy a fence. Contractors who discard your old fence legally basically have to pay by the pound at the landfill. Large vines add extra weight to the dump fee and those costs are passed to you. It's best to remove them yourself, place them in paper lawn bags and put them out on your collection day. The vines will be ground up, composted and recycled.

If you like the look of the vines, build a seperate wire trellis 16" in front of the new fence and let them grow on that, not the new fence.

Cut back creeping ground cover

Ground covers such as "Asian Jasmine" and other varieties of ground based vines get tangled up in the drilling equipment like "spaggetti on a fork" and stops progress. Trimming back the ground cover with a string trimmer all the way to the ground is a big help. The ground cover only needs to be cut back about 8" from the fence to make post setting a speedy process. It will grow back.

I know this sounds like alot of work but... as fuel, labor and material prices continue to climb, Hancock Fence is working to save you money. Most homeowners don't mind a little weekend work in order to save some money.

For those of you with minimal, well kept landscaping, most of these suggestions will not apply. You should recieve a most reasonable quote automatically. 

For all the others, I guarantee that if you follow these steps you will recieve many compliments from your bidders. They will be impressed that you have taken the time to make their job easier, which amounts to no hidden costs in your quote for difficult installation situations.

Happy shopping!

Dutch Hancock

Hancock Fence & Fabrication