Some more details. I expressed they reduce the height as much as possible but it mostly got ignored in many parts.
The guy leading the construction lied to the company manager when my wife called them today asking them to fix the height issues by claiming I told them the height gaps were okay because we planned to put dirt down which isn't true.
We haven't had to pay yet because we are waiting on gates and doors to be installed tomorrow but I expect they will want the money immediately after.
I assume I will have to take this to small claims if they refuse to properly deal with these gaps.
I would almost prefer they destroy the whole thing and I get someone else to do this job because of how frustrating this has been.
by VTorb
15 Comments
Not an expert, but since you haven’t paid yet you are in the drivers seat. Right when they ask for payment have them fix the height issue. They will be more motivated than they would be if you already paid.
With that said, would you be ok if they added dirt and leveled it in the area? Food for thought, when I had a fence installed recently there was a sizeable gap near the bottom, but the fence contractor leveled the dirt in the area before having me sign and pay. I was worried up until that point lol but that was 1 of his final planned steps.
Before doing anything else I’d recommend posting this in /r/fencebuilding. You’ll get better answers there.
Looks like they’re leveling it with some other part of the yard. It’s level on the top all the way around I’m assuming.
The ground should have been leveled before the fence started. I just had over 900 feet of fencing installed , and it was clear in the contract that they were not responsible for leveling the dirt below the fence , it was up to me to do or have done. They said we’ll put it to the existing elevation , or if you want it flat, have that done before we come in. I think you’re expecting your fence contractor to also be a dirt work contractor.
How large is that gap? If that is an 8’ or 6’ panel length it looks like that gap is at least 12” at the most narrow. Many pets could easily fit through that space making in unsafe to contain pets in there or to keep pets safe from other pets in there. That’s crazy.
Send those pics to the company manager and request a different crew work on your property. Some cities limit how high a fence can be so if your city was one of those and the height max was 6’ and the panel is 6’ high, you’re way over that.
You need to keep telling them rather than allowing them to continue with something you’re not happy with. You can either have them step the panels down or slope the panel down and then continue.
we have done fence jobs like this in the past. 99% of the time, its due to the ground not being level. those white picket fences are pretty difficult to set up if the panels are not level, they require modification to the posts and it will either be not secure not look good from the inside (your view). Your best bet is the level the ground by adding dirt and re-seeding it. It sucks but it is what it is
Have you considered the rest of the wood may not be as hard as the posts driven into the earth or nearly as treated,the gap may be there to reduce rotting from damp soil and termites, if you insist it should flush with the earth you may want to have it PvC coated
Did they put the posts in upside down?
Is there anywhere the fence is close to the ground? If you want the top level that is where you base the remaining panels at. You could also step up or down the top would no longer be level but that’s a decision you would have made prior to construction and a conversation with the contractor.
hard to see without the entire fence in the photo. If the gorund isn’t level then maybe this looks better overall- but you will have to add dirt to level the yard. idk
Add more pics u/op . The section to your left in the photo looks like knee-high gaps.
Hope the posts are set in concrete. Also these flat panels will want to move in the wind. Having open areas at the bottom so the wind can split and reduce pressure may be a good thing.
Other types of fencing can be racked to more closely follow the terrain. If the objective was to have a level top that’s what it appears you got.
The issue you have is what does the contract state. If your expectations and the contract don’t align the contract will prevail.
Conversations pre contract that aren’t reflected in the contract are not binding. If it’s not in writing it never happened.
Can they use gravel boards to close up the gap?
My dog would be gone first trip outside. This is not acceptable and the same crew should not come back to “fix” this. Fence company will want to stick something in the ground, but it’s your property and you should decide what’s right.