Well, the thread got a little Ot but I'll throw in my $.02 anyway...
G.L. In Ont said:
Hi folks - thanks for the valuable insight this board offers.
I am looking to launch a fencing (PT and cedar, possibly composite) and possibly deck business this spring. Am hoping there are some contractors out there, either who specialize in fencing or who do it along with other services.
My questions relate mostly to advertising, pricing and general tips on improving efficiency and providing the best level of quality.
1. If you're in a cold climate, when do you typically start to advertise?
make sure you hang your little signs on every job you do. Also, see about subbing for some of the bigger fencing contractors. Around here, most fencers are scrubbs and the owners with their name out don't mind selling jobs and letting somebody else deal with the headaches of a running a crew
2. Do you sub out the post holes or do them yourself?
you're going to have to do that work yourself.
3. If you do #2 yourself, what type of equipment (two-man auger, tractor, skid-steer, mini skid-steer)?
you usually can't get a skid steer in residential jobs. Besides, most fencers can't afford one. don't rent unless you are doing 700 feet+
4. Are there typical markups for getting a final per foot price after calculating what your cost is (materials and an estimate for your labour)?
figure around $15 per foot for chainlink. I don't know wood off the top of my head.
5. Old-fashioned string and stakes for levelling or anything fancy like laser levels?
DO NOT use strings or steaks or lasers. just set your corners and do the rest by eye. lasers do not work in the daytime and strings blow in the wind. What you do is set your 2 ends and one post for every 3-400 feet in the line. lean line posts in the hole in line with the fence and backsight from the center to the corner, leaning all the posts exagtly inline with the fence. If you have 1 or 2 stubborn posts just put the bottom where it goes and carefully lean it to the side so you can still see your line. you can set a run butt straicht as far as you can see using this method. as you pour concrete you can pull each post up to height and line it with nothing but your eye. make sure you dig all the holes deep enough so you do not have to cut any. I guarentee I can build a fence straighter than anyone who uses a string. I do not have a special knack, it is just that much easier. After the concrete is poured you can push the tops of the posts as much as an inch to line them all up on top even if they are out of line on the bottom. It is possible to line the bottoms better than that but it triples your set time and it looks absolutely no better by eye when the job is done.
6. Do you use fence brackets for rails or just toenail?
toenail if you use a nail gun.
7. How popular are composite products or vinyl vs. the traditional PT or cedar approach?
vinyl is still slightly more expensive but the prices are getting closer.
8. Are lumber yards preferred over places like Home Depot or Loews?
go with a fencing supplier and buy bulk if you can afford it.
9. Do you offer any incentives for multiple neighbours who all want a fence?
neighbors never EVER want all the exact same fence. they always want soemthing a little different. after you deal with each customer separately there is no room for giving a break
10. Concrete mixer and wheelbarrow with bagged ready-mix or ready-mix truck at curb and then wheelbarrow to each hole?
if you cannot drive the fencline with a cement truck then mix yourself. the best way is to have a flatbed truck with sand, gravel, and bags of cement dust loaded on it. buy a mixer and weld a mount on it so it is attached to your rese hitch. then have one guy who never gets off the back of the truck who just mixes concrete for 2 guys setting posts. Set it up so the mixer can tilt toward the flatbed to be filled, and then tilt away to dump it into a wheelbarrow. If the fence is less than 200 feet then buy bagged concrete and mix it in the hole, stirring with a rock bar.
11. Any other general tips/tricks/guidance for someone new to the game?
all your employees will be scrubbs and if you drug test you will have no employees at all.
hope that helps.
I realize that's a pretty long list - I have really been trying to research this very well before taking the plunge. Hoping I can get some great advice from you guys (Grumpy and Mike are two I hope can take a minute to share their wisdom!)
Cheers and thanks again for the great resource this board is!
GL[/QUOTE]