Ask for three things on paper: the contractor's Connecticut Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration number, proof of insurance, and a written contract that lists the whole job. The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection says a home improvement project requires a written contract before work starts.
The Stamford Fence Company is licensed and insured. Ask us for the documents with your estimate.
What should I ask a fence contractor before hiring?
- What is your HIC registration number?
- Who applies for the Stamford fence permit, and is it in the price?
- Who makes the Call Before You Dig request?
- How deep do the posts go, and what are they set in?
- What species of wood or grade of vinyl, and what size posts?
- Is taking away the old fence included?
- How many gates, how wide, and what hardware?
- What are the start and finish dates?
- What happens to the price if you hit ledge?
How do I check that a contractor is registered and insured?
Look up the HIC number at elicense.ct.gov, the state's license lookup. For insurance, ask for a certificate sent to you by the contractor's insurance agent. Using a registered contractor also matters later: the state's Home Improvement Guaranty Fund can pay a consumer up to $25,000 when a job by an actively registered contractor goes wrong.
What should a fence estimate include?
The footage, the height, the material and its grade, post size and depth, each gate with its width, removal of the old fence, the permit, cleanup and the price. Connecticut's contract checklist adds the HIC number, the start and completion dates, the payment schedule and a notice of your right to cancel within three business days. When two estimates differ, one of them has usually left an item off.
Should I get three quotes?
For a whole fence, yes. You learn the going rate and you see who measured with care. Read what each one covers before you look at the totals.
What deposit is normal?
The Department of Consumer Protection advises never paying more than one third of the project cost up front. Pay by card or check so there is a record, and avoid cash. Turn down anyone who wants the full amount before work begins.
The cheapest quote wants half up front and will not show insurance. Is that a problem?
Yes. Half up front is more than the state's consumer agency advises, and no proof of insurance means that damage or an injury on the job could become your problem. Add a low price and you have the usual pattern of a job that ends badly. Check the HIC number before you go further.
I paid a deposit and the contractor stopped showing up. What can I do?
Write to the contractor with a date by which work must resume, and keep a copy. If nothing happens, file a complaint with the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection at ct.gov/dcp/complaint. Hold on to the contract, proof of payment and every message.
The crew cut my internet line or sprinkler pipe. Who pays?
It turns on whether the line was marked and what the contract says. Call Before You Dig has the member utilities mark their lines. Pipes and wires the owner added, such as sprinklers, are usually not part of that. Point them out before the job and have them written on the estimate.
My HOA approved the fence in writing and now wants it moved. What now?
Keep that written approval safe. The disagreement is between you and the association, and a lawyer who works with associations is the person to ask. If the fence does have to move, we can quote that.
Can I install a fence myself?
You can, and a short straight run on level ground is a fair weekend job. The hard parts in this area are digging 42 inches through stones, keeping a long line straight and hanging gates that stay square. You still need the Stamford permit, and a Call Before You Dig request before you break ground.
We only give a firm price after seeing the yard, and the visit is free. Call (203) 409-8830 or text us a photo of the fence line.