The installation itself usually takes 2 to 3 working days for an ordinary yard, spread over about a week so the concrete can set. Allow more time before that for the estimate, the New York 811 notice, any approval your address needs and the schedule.
What happens, in order
- Free on-site estimate with measurements and a written quote.
- Approvals, if your address needs them: Landmarks, a co-op or association board, or a Department of Buildings permit for a fence over 6 feet.
- New York 811 request, at least 2 working days before digging.
- Old fence removed, posts set in concrete or drilled into the slab, then setting time.
- Panels, rails and gates go on. Cleanup and a walk-through with you.
What slows a fence job down in Queens?
- Landmarks Preservation Commission review in a historic district.
- Board approval in a co-op, condo or private community.
- No side access, so every piece is carried through the house.
- Frozen ground in midwinter and soaked ground after coastal storms.
- Boulders, old footings and buried rubble.
- Core drilling in thick concrete.
- Custom gates, operators and special-order materials.
- Street parking and delivery limits on tight blocks.
We are getting a dog in three weeks and have no fence. What is fastest?
Call now, because the 811 notice and scheduling use up part of that time. Stock materials such as chain link and standard vinyl or wood panels go up fastest. If the full yard will not be ready, we can fence one section first so the dog has a secure place from day one.
We are putting in a pool. Fence before or after?
Plan them together and finish the fence after the pool is in. The pool crew needs a way in for equipment, so that side stays open until they are done. The Building Code asks for a temporary barrier during construction, and the permanent barrier has to be complete for the Department of Buildings to sign off.
My association says fix the fallen panels by Monday and my contractor keeps delaying. Can a handyman patch it?
A handyman patch is allowed on your own fence, but mind the license rule. In New York City anyone doing more than $200 of home improvement work on a residence needs a DCWP license, so a larger patch job calls for a licensed contractor. Tell your current contractor in writing what you are doing, and read your contract for what it says about cancelling.
We have to see the yard to give you a real number. The estimate is free and comes in writing. Call (718) 550-3411 or text us a photo of the fence line.