Suggestion on good fencing company (Arlington, Alexandria: HOA, credit, house)

[mshorey]

We recently moved to a new neighborhood in the Brambleton/Ashburn area and need to have a fence installed in our back yard. We only have direct experience with Long Fence and it wasn't the best experience. I'm interested in any suggestions for a good, solid fencing company that won't overcharge and knows how to properly architect a stable (wooden) fence that will pass the HOA muster. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[JD984]

You might try Carter Fence; they are based in Dunn Loring but include Loudoun in their service area. They are a family-owned business and get good reviews for quality, though I don't know how their prices compare to other area fencing companies.

[Catamounts]

We used Carter Fence. I asked 7 companies for quotes and only received 3 replies. Mike Carter replied within 2 days, drove by the house to look at it and gave me a quote the same day. There was one company that was cheaper but I'm glad we went with Carter. The fence looks great and seems very sturdy, even with a large dog trying to catch squirrels...

[Middlin]

You may want to search the forum as this has been discussed previously

[Bigfoot424]

I have a subscription to Consumer Checkbook and I did a check for your area. I chose companies with the highest ratings for Quality and Price based on consumers ratings. Not saying that this is the best as I've never used them but I have had good luck so far using Consumer Checkbook. They do work in Loudoun according to the site. I can't get everything to line up right with the cut and paste but it was rated high. If you call them tell them you got their info off Consumer Checkbook. I'm sure they will want to keep the good rating knowing that their customer is a member, even though you aren't.

1.Lions Fence
5746 Union Mill Rd
Clifton, VA 20124
703-395-8962
Arlington Co.
Alexandria
Fairfax Co.
Loudoun Co.
Prince William Co.
24 ratings88%$86*

[LynchburgLover]

About eight years ago, we used HalCo in Sterling. They were significantly cheaper than the Long estimate and did a great job!

[mshorey]

Thanks everyone for the good advice. Our Schnauzers thank you as well.

[Catamounts]

Originally Posted by mshorey

Thanks everyone for the good advice. Our Schnauzers thank you as well.

That's why we got our fence! (the squirrels are not thanking us...)

[Carlingtonian]

We just had a fence built using Lions. The owner is nice and returns phone calls, and to his credit, he's had his crew come back out well after we paid, to fix things that were wrong. So he's an honest guy. That said, I have issues with their work. The fence looks great *now*--but they used the wrong kind of nails (electroplated galvanized, rather than hot-dipped galvanized)--so that some have tiny spots of rust already. They also nicked a few branches on some small trees. And they used a small *chainsaw* to make their cuts, instead of a circular saw. So some of the edges are kind of chewed-up looking.

That said, they were $1000 cheaper than the quote from Arlington Fence. Lions charges the same for cedar or for pressure-treated pine (PTP), and they included disposal, unlike AF.

I wouldn't pay another $1000 for higher quality, but if there were a company that would do everything exactly right for 200-300 more, I'd be tempted.

Whoever you use, I would make sure they use lagged, hot-dipped nails (or even better, screws) and set the fence posts in gravel or at the very least wet concrete mix (not drymix dumped into the hole with no water). Also make sure they measure between posts and not just use the old post holes, because the latter might not be evenly spaced. And you should insist they use some type of lumber saw and not a chainsaw.

Let me also advise that you definitely want at least cedar runners (the boards that join all the upright boards). A few years ago (in another house) we had a fence built with PTP, and the boards started to warp within 4 years or so. I believe that everybody uses PTP posts because cedar posts would have to be treated below ground, and Douglas fir is expensive.

[mshorey]

We ended up using Carter Fencing and they did a great job. Our fence is quite sturdy and looks much nicer than the fence installed by "Lions" down the street. They are now giving quotes to our neighbors as well as we're in a new neighborhood. Plenty of new customers. Halco's quote was almost double in price.