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You being in Canada and me being in Colorado is probably going to make things a bit diffrent, but I will tell you based on where I am at.
As far as holes go, you are probably in sandy soil aren't you? You could probably hire a couple of 6 year olds with sand box shovels to dig easier than it is here. We just about need dynamite to dig post holes because of our clay based soils! If your soil is easy to dig, a 2 man auger would be ridiculously easy and make short work out of digging the holes. It will come down to economics. Is it cheaper to hire whomever you can to come in and dig or is it cheaper to pay your own labor or crews labor? I would do whatever makes sense.
I couldn't see the justification with a laser or transit. A string level is quick and more than accurate for fencing.
Out here, everybody screws the rails to the posts.
Out here composites are not very popular. Probably less than 5% of the market. The market is dominated by cedar privacy picket fencing. Rails with pickets make up at least 70% of the cedar picket privacy fencing, with the other 30% made up of fancy designs using cedar, such as toppings capping and suchs. The 2nd most popular would be cedar split 3 rail. You see very little composite because it doesn't really fit in with the Colorado lifestyle or rugged outdoor look that dominates the state nor does it fit in with alot of HOAs out here. You would be more likely to see white vinyl 3 rail fencing around a gentleman ranch out here because of the low maintenance.
Home Depot and Lowes out here offers inferior cedar products. I don't know how much you know about cedar grading, but the big boxes out here offer the lowest grade, and it shows by the following year as the fence falls apart, the knots fall out and the fence looks 10 years old. It doesn't take much to show a homeowner the difference between that DIYer stuff HD sells and what a quality picket is and what they are going to get out of it.
I wouldn't offer an incentive unless it was the only way to get the work. However, there is economy of scale at work if you have 3 houses to do that are within a stones throw of each other. I would rather use that economy of scale as additional profit if possible, but if you wouldn't see the work without doing it, why not? You are still making the same money by doing the 3 at once at a reduce rate as doing 3 spread out at a higher price.
As for concrete and posts, since technically concreting the posts isn't ideal anyways- for post holes for fences the stuff you pour in the ground dry and add water is fine. If you want to mix it first either by portable mixer or by hand depending on the size of the job why not? Out here I have access to companies that will deliver and mix right out of the truck, they have a one yard minimum. They pull up to the curp and mix as it comes out of the truck and pour into your wheel barrow. Get one of those needle nosed wheel barrows if you can find one so you can pour accurately into the hole, the last thing you want to do is shovel it in.
As for things to think about to differentiate yourself or add profit.
I would think about upgrades for additional costs and profits or to set you apart from the competition - to stainless steel nails to avoid the dark tannin streaks that you see on cedar. Upgrades to all screwed pickets on privacy fences - using autofeed screw guns of course. Upgrade to gravel set posts instead of cement for longer lasting posts. Upgrades to steel posts -out here wind is the fence killer, once a fence starts moving back and forth from wind every winter the post gets weaker and weaker, combine that with a little rot and hello premature fence failure. Steel posts eliminate that and are easier to work with to boot. Upgrades to staining your fences. Get creative with your gates. Offering unique gate designs can set you apart. Using metal gate framing kits and learning how to set hinges that don't fail over time will set you apart. Around here a fence is usually as weak as its gate and few people know how to build strong gates.
As far as holes go, you are probably in sandy soil aren't you? You could probably hire a couple of 6 year olds with sand box shovels to dig easier than it is here. We just about need dynamite to dig post holes because of our clay based soils! If your soil is easy to dig, a 2 man auger would be ridiculously easy and make short work out of digging the holes. It will come down to economics. Is it cheaper to hire whomever you can to come in and dig or is it cheaper to pay your own labor or crews labor? I would do whatever makes sense.
I couldn't see the justification with a laser or transit. A string level is quick and more than accurate for fencing.
Out here, everybody screws the rails to the posts.
Out here composites are not very popular. Probably less than 5% of the market. The market is dominated by cedar privacy picket fencing. Rails with pickets make up at least 70% of the cedar picket privacy fencing, with the other 30% made up of fancy designs using cedar, such as toppings capping and suchs. The 2nd most popular would be cedar split 3 rail. You see very little composite because it doesn't really fit in with the Colorado lifestyle or rugged outdoor look that dominates the state nor does it fit in with alot of HOAs out here. You would be more likely to see white vinyl 3 rail fencing around a gentleman ranch out here because of the low maintenance.
Home Depot and Lowes out here offers inferior cedar products. I don't know how much you know about cedar grading, but the big boxes out here offer the lowest grade, and it shows by the following year as the fence falls apart, the knots fall out and the fence looks 10 years old. It doesn't take much to show a homeowner the difference between that DIYer stuff HD sells and what a quality picket is and what they are going to get out of it.
I wouldn't offer an incentive unless it was the only way to get the work. However, there is economy of scale at work if you have 3 houses to do that are within a stones throw of each other. I would rather use that economy of scale as additional profit if possible, but if you wouldn't see the work without doing it, why not? You are still making the same money by doing the 3 at once at a reduce rate as doing 3 spread out at a higher price.
As for concrete and posts, since technically concreting the posts isn't ideal anyways- for post holes for fences the stuff you pour in the ground dry and add water is fine. If you want to mix it first either by portable mixer or by hand depending on the size of the job why not? Out here I have access to companies that will deliver and mix right out of the truck, they have a one yard minimum. They pull up to the curp and mix as it comes out of the truck and pour into your wheel barrow. Get one of those needle nosed wheel barrows if you can find one so you can pour accurately into the hole, the last thing you want to do is shovel it in.
As for things to think about to differentiate yourself or add profit.
I would think about upgrades for additional costs and profits or to set you apart from the competition - to stainless steel nails to avoid the dark tannin streaks that you see on cedar. Upgrades to all screwed pickets on privacy fences - using autofeed screw guns of course. Upgrade to gravel set posts instead of cement for longer lasting posts. Upgrades to steel posts -out here wind is the fence killer, once a fence starts moving back and forth from wind every winter the post gets weaker and weaker, combine that with a little rot and hello premature fence failure. Steel posts eliminate that and are easier to work with to boot. Upgrades to staining your fences. Get creative with your gates. Offering unique gate designs can set you apart. Using metal gate framing kits and learning how to set hinges that don't fail over time will set you apart. Around here a fence is usually as weak as its gate and few people know how to build strong gates.