Ask for three things in writing: the Home Improvement Contractor license number, proof of insurance and an itemized estimate. In New York City the license comes from the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), and you can check it online or by calling 311.
The Queens Fence Company is licensed and insured. Ask us for the license number and the insurance certificate with your estimate.
What should I ask a fence contractor before hiring?
- What is your DCWP Home Improvement Contractor license number?
- Does my fence need a Department of Buildings permit or Landmarks approval, and who handles it?
- Who contacts New York 811?
- How deep will the posts go, and how will you set them if my yard is concrete?
- What material and grade, and what size posts?
- Is removing and hauling the old fence in the price?
- How many gates, how wide, and what hardware?
- How will you get materials into a yard with no side access?
- When can you start and how long will it take?
How do I check that a contractor is licensed and insured?
Look the company up in the DCWP license check or call 311. New York City requires a Home Improvement Contractor license for construction, repair or remodeling work on residential property that totals more than $200, and the city's guidance names fences as covered work. For insurance, ask for a certificate sent to you by the insurer, not a photocopy from the contractor.
What should a fence estimate include?
Footage, height, material and grade, post size and depth, how posts are set in soil or in concrete, every gate with its width, removal of the old fence, any permit, cleanup, the payment schedule and a start date. If two estimates differ, find the item that only one of them lists. New York's home improvement contract law (General Business Law section 771) requires a written contract signed by both sides, with the contractor's name, address, phone and license number, the dates, the work and materials, and your right to cancel within three business days.
Should I get three quotes?
Yes for a full fence. Three written quotes tell you the going price and show which company actually measured. Compare what each one includes before you compare totals.
What deposit is normal?
A modest one. DCWP's advice to consumers is to pay no more than 25 percent of the contract up front. State law adds a protection: under Lien Law section 71-a, a home improvement contractor must put payments received before the work is substantially complete into an escrow account within five business days, or give you a bond or letter of credit instead. Pay by check or card and keep every receipt.
The cheapest quote wants half up front and will not show insurance. Is that a problem?
Yes, walk away. Half up front is double what the city's consumer agency suggests, and refusing to show insurance usually means there is none. Check the license before anything else. With an unlicensed and uninsured crew, damage to your property or an injury in your yard can become your bill, and you lose access to the city's Home Improvement Contractor Trust Fund, which only covers licensed contractors.
I paid a deposit and the contractor stopped showing up. What can I do?
Send a dated written message asking for a firm date. If you get no answer, file a complaint with DCWP online or through 311. For licensed contractors the city runs a Home Improvement Contractor Trust Fund that can repay consumers in some cases. Keep the contract, proof of payment and all messages.
The crew cut my internet line or sprinkler pipe. Who pays?
That depends on the markings and on your contract. New York 811 has the utilities mark lines they own. Private lines, such as sprinkler pipe, yard lighting or a cable run to a garage, are not marked by anyone unless you point them out. Tell the contractor about them before work and get it noted on the estimate.
My HOA approved the fence in writing and now wants it moved. What now?
Keep the approval letter and leave the fence where it is for now. An association that approved a fence and then wants it moved has a dispute with you, not with the builder. Talk to a lawyer who handles co-op, condo or homeowners association matters in New York.
Can I install a fence myself?
Yes, on your own property. A short run in open soil is manageable. Gates, concrete yards and long lines are where home-built fences go wrong, usually at the posts. You still have to contact New York 811 before digging and keep to the city's height limits.
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.