Viking Fence pricing? (Austin: prices, linear, install)

[NakedApe]

Anybody know what kind of prices Viking fence has? I'm looking for a standard privacy fence, but hopefully better than the crap most homebuilders put up. I've never had a fence put in before, so I'm curious what I would be looking at.

Thanks for your help!

[triwing]

You just need to call them and get an estimate. Pricing for subcontracting is on a case-by-case basis.

[CptnRn]

I have taken bids from Viking in the past and they were always 15-20% higher then competitors for identical work, and last time (2007) the lower bidder provided 3 runners rather then only two. The 3 runners help keep the fence from warping, and help hold the pickets up when they start to rot, I recommend them.

For a standard 6' high wood fence I recommend that you specify, (3) 2x4 treated runners, 1x4x6 #1 grade cedar pickets, 2-3/8" galvanized steel posts. If you go with wood posts to save cost they should be "treated" wood posts. I tried cedar once, being told that cedar was naturally termite and rot resistant, and regreted it later. They rotted out much faster then treated posts, which will also rot out

As you can see from my comments, I have replaced far too many fences, mosty... solely because the posts rotted out before anything else. So, I consider the minor extra cost of galvanized steel posts a good investment. As long as the posts stay up it is easy and inexpensive to repair the fence rails and pickets to keep it all standing.

Treated pickets are cheaper but they warp badly, most fence companies refuse to install them because they cannot warranty them against sever warpage. #1 grade cedar pickets are the way to go. You can easily extend their life if you keep the ground clearance below them at 1" or so and do not allow mulch and other adjacent materials to create a bridge for termites to get up into them.

In August 2007 the bids for the fence (only) described above was: $13.87 - $16.27/ linear foot. Extra costs: Gates - $100-$125 each, Tear-down and removal of existing fence $2/linear foot.

Viking does have good people working for them and does excellent work, but they have the additional overhead of advertising and an national company included in their costs. I don't see the value in that for a 6' wood fence.

[UKjay]

Viking installed a long section of iron fence with a gate, a handrail and modified the remainder of the fence & gates to code for the pool. I seem to remember the cost was about $1300, the curly handrail was extra. We had great people that did the work & would use them again.

[9602Gray]

To clarify. Viking is not a national company. They are locally owned. I know the owners and the mgmt there really care about building quality products. Do you know that they mill their own lumber in Austin?