Get three things on paper before you hire: a licence number you can check yourself, a certificate of insurance, and an estimate that spells out the whole job. If a contractor avoids any of the three, look elsewhere.
The Hollywood Fence Company is licensed and insured. Ask us for the documents with your estimate.
What should I ask a fence contractor before hiring?
- Who files the permit, and does the price cover the permit and any drawings or product approvals?
- Who places the Sunshine 811 locate request?
- How big are the posts and footings, and are they sized for wind?
- What exactly is the material: lumber treatment, vinyl grade, aluminum grade, chain link coating?
- Are the fasteners and gate hardware stainless or coated?
- Does the price include removing and hauling the old fence and its concrete?
- How many gates, how wide, and with what latches?
- What is the start date and how long will the work take?
- What happens to the price if you find rock, roots or water in the holes?
How do I check that a contractor is licensed and insured?
Ask which licence the contractor holds and who issued it, then look it up with that body. State licences are searched on the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation website. Broward County's Building Code Division handles local contractor licensing and enforcement. Florida has been phasing out many local specialty licences, so the answer differs from one contractor to the next. For insurance, ask for a certificate sent to you by the insurance agent, not a photocopy.
What should a fence estimate include?
It should give the footage, the height, the material and its grade, the size of the posts and footings, every gate and its hardware, tear-out of the old fence, the permit and survey, cleanup, when payments are due and when work starts. If two estimates differ widely, compare them against that list. One will be missing something.
Should I get three quotes?
For a complete fence, yes. You learn the market price, and you see which company took real measurements. Read what each quote covers before you look at its bottom line.
What deposit is normal?
Florida law does not cap a deposit, but section 489.126 of the Florida Statutes puts duties on a contractor who takes more than 10 percent of the contract price up front on residential work. That contractor must apply for the permits within 30 days of the payment and start work within 90 days after all the permits are issued, unless the two of you agree to something else in writing. Keep the deposit modest, link later payments to completed stages, and pay by check or card to the business.
The cheapest quote wants half up front and will not show insurance. Is that a problem?
It is. Each of those is a caution sign, and all three at once is a clear one. Without insurance, an injury on your lot or damage to the neighbor's property can turn into your problem. And a large deposit is hard to get back. Choose the contractor who documents the licence, the insurance and the scope, even at a higher price.
I paid a deposit and the contractor stopped showing up. What can I do?
Send a written demand and keep a copy. Section 489.126 refers to a written demand to apply for the permits, start the work or refund the payment, and gives the contractor 30 days to respond. If that fails, complain to whoever issued the licence. Broward County's Building Code Division takes complaints about locally licensed contractors, and complaints about state-licensed contractors go to the state. Save the contract, the proof of payment and all texts and emails.
The crew cut my internet line or sprinkler pipe. Who pays?
Start with whether the line was marked. A Sunshine 811 ticket brings out the utility companies to mark the lines they own. Anything the homeowner had installed, like sprinkler pipe, pool lines or garden lighting cable, is private and goes unmarked. Show the contractor where yours are before the first hole and have them noted on the estimate. That note decides most of these arguments.
My HOA approved the fence in writing and now wants it moved. What now?
Keep the approval letter safe and answer the association in writing. The disagreement is about the association's own rules and its earlier decision, so a Florida lawyer who works with community associations is the person to consult. It is not a matter a fence company can decide.
Can I install a fence myself?
On your own house, generally yes. Florida law lets owners act as their own contractor on their own home, and local building departments use an owner-builder disclosure form for it. The permit, the survey, the inspection and the Sunshine 811 notice still apply to you. What trips up most do-it-yourself fences here is footings too small for the wind and gates that sag within a year.
The fastest way to get a real number is a free on-site estimate. Call (754) 529-4274 or text us a photo of the fence line.