MakeMeAFence.com

After receiving three different estimates for an 8 ft., #1 western red cedar fence, we had chosen to use a local, well-known fence contractor. This contractor does not stain the fence, but we knew a staining contractor. He recommended that we get an estimate from his sub-contractor (Sean Holland). He forwarded the estimate to Mr. Holland to see if he would match our estimate. The estimate that was forwarded to Mr. Holland was for “132 ft. of 8 ft. cedar #1 Board-on-Board (1x4 and 1x2 trim), steel posts 3 ft. in the ground, 2 x 6 baseboards at the bottom, 1 walk gate (arched, window insert, corbels), tear out and haul off old fence for a cost of $5,544.” On May 12, 2015, we received an estimate from MakeMeAFence.com for an “8 ft. tall western red cedar fence, 1x6x8 pickets, 2x4 cedar rails, 1x4 trim, 1x2 cedar trim, steel posts 3 ft. in the ground and 6 ft. apart, custom arched walk gate with metal decor insert and 2 corbels, tear down and dispose of fence for a cost of $5,105.” Since Mr. Holland agreed to match the original estimate, we agreed to let him build the fence because he came in cheaper with his bid, and his website said there was a five year warranty – satisfaction guaranteed. We experienced delay after delay in starting the project. Contractor showed didn't show up when they were scheduled and showed up when they weren't expected. On June 23, 2015, the crew just showed up at our house unexpectedly to start tearing down the old fence. Mr. Holland showed up at our home and introduced himself to us. This was the first time that we had officially met him and or had any communication directly with him. All of our communication prior to this was made through the staining contractor. On Wednesday afternoon, June 24th, Mr. Holland called to say the fence was done and asked when I would be home so he could be paid. I told him I would be home later (early evening). He said he needed to get back to Arlington and asked if he could come by where I was working to pick up the check for payment. He said he really needed to get paid the money so he could do his next job. I contacted our contractor, and he said to just go ahead and pay Mr. Holland directly. I wrote him a check for $5,505. He said he did not have a receipt for me, but I told him that I had the canceled check. When I got home, I was so taken back with the over-all quality of construction of the fence. I spoke to Mr. Holland and told him we could not get the gate open without hitting or kicking the gate. They left nails sticking out on the inside of the fence. There were saw cuts in several of the pickets. Pickets were bowed and there were gaps between the pickets. There were many other issues. He commented that his crew had told someone here at the house that they were done and asked if it looked okay and they were told yes. I advised him that they were talking to a clueless sixteen year old that had no idea what was going on. Mr. Holland alleges that “this client was misinformed by another competitor fence company who told her #1 & #2 cedar pickets DO NOT have knots in them. We provided evidence supporting that they DO ACTUALLY have knot holes and only CLEAR Western Red Cedar has no holes, but is much more expensive. This was all explained verbally before we finalized the sale.” This is absolutely, unequivocally not true. There was no contact with anyone other than the staining contractor until Mr. Holland showed up in our front yard and introduced himself to me on June 23rd. The competing contractor who Mr. Holland speaks of as “one of the fence companies who was initially bidding against us,” was the contractor whose estimate he was supposed to match, and they never “said he did not use cedar pickets.” They said that it was their opinion that the fence was not #1 or #2 grade cedar pickets. Grade #1 and grade #2 both can have knots, but they are limited in number and limited in size. The knots are supposed to be solid and tight. My information and understanding is based off all my research on the different types and grades of wood and the characteristics of the different grades of western red cedar before we ever started getting estimates. This fence did not appear to meet the standards for #1 (or #2) western red cedar, so I talked to at least a half a dozen contractors, three different fence supply companies, and numerous other individuals who said the pickets did not look like #1 or #2 quality. I called western red cedar wood manufacturers who set the industry standards for grading western red cedar. There is plenty of information available to anyone who is interested in educating themselves. On July 7, 2015, Mr. Holland told me via text message that he had used #2 grade cedar. I told him we thought he was matching the estimate we provided which was #1 grade cedar, to which he never responded. I informed him that there were many issues that needed to be addressed. Mr. Holland agreed to come out and meet with us on July 8th. Three days of canceling his appointment with us, I texted Mr. Holland and asked what time he planned on coming. I received a response stating, “Leaving my appointment in Arlington now and headed your way.” An hour later Mr. Holland texted and said, “I'm not going to be able to make it. We did everything we were supposed to do. I even sent my crew there the next morning to correct anything you needed them to. They made corrections and were told everything looked great and were sent home.” This again is not factual because on Thursday morning, June 25th , Mr. Holland texted me to say that his crew would be out later that afternoon for repairs, but they never showed up. On June 26th , Mr. Holland texted me and said that one of his men was at my house. He said he took care of the nails and the gap in the fence and asked if me or my husband would show him any other repairs that were needed. I responded that my husband works nights and was on his way home and would be home in 10 minutes or less. He would walk the fence with his man and inspect everything. I immediately called my son and instructed him to ask the man not to leave because daddy was almost home. My son told me that he had said he could not wait – he had to go. When my husband got home, he had already left. When I got home, I looked at what was done, and he had cut some of the nails down. I responded, “Okay, I will contact our attorney.” No response from Mr. Holland. We retained an attorney on July 17, 2015. The attorney a letter to Mr. Holland via U.S. Mail and email on August 6, 2015. Shortly after that, our attorney was contacted by Mr. Holland's attorney, which began dialogue between the two. Our attorney sent pictures of the fence to his attorney, and he responded, “How do we know it was the same fence because it didn't look like the pictures Mr. Holland had taken right after the fence was put up.” Our attorney recommended that Mr. Holland and his attorney meet us and our attorney at the site of the fence. After rescheduling several times, Mr. Holland and his attorney finally met with us in late Sept./early Oct.. We had purchased a sample picket of #1 and #2 western red cedar and showed Mr. Holland and his attorney the pickets compared to the the wood pickets he used. His attorney walked the fence and making notes while our attorney pointed out the poor construction of the fence and the discoloration of the pickets caused by the first good rain after the fence was constructed. We pointed out that the pickets were sitting on the ground and Mr. Holland acknowledged that they are usually 1-2 inches off the ground to prevent the wood from rotting. When the corner mismatch was pointed out, Mr. Holland looked at it and stated, “I don't know why they did it that way.” A large knot hole fell out in our attorney's hand when he was showing them that the knot holes were not as small and tight as they would be on #1 or #2 cedar. A week or so after the attorneys walked the fence, Mr. Holland’s attorney contacted our attorney and made an offer “to replace the discolored pickets and up to 50 pickets of our choice.” This offer was rejected because this of

Sean Holland and his crew were extremely prompt and professional from the start. Sean worked with me providing several different quotes for several different options. Sean was accommodating and courteous every step of the way. Sean was also very patient as I waited on fielding other quotes, and as I waited to hear back from my neighbors on their thoughts and to get their OK to replace the fence-line we mutually shared. Even though the quotes he provided stated "good for 30 days," he assured me the price would be good when that 30 days expired as I still had not heard back from my neighbors. I opted to do the work piecemeal because of the delay in hearing from my neighbors. I went with my street facing fence and back-line fence first. This breaking up of the work was never an issue. Sean and his crew arrived when he said they would, and they had the work done in two days as they worked in cold conditions. When my neighbor saw how outstanding my front fence looked, he agreed to move forward. The following week Make Me A Fence was back out, and they had the entire length of 278' replaced in two days. It looks amazing. The week after that, they were back out to replace the other side of fencing shared with the other neighbor. All three separate bills, split between neighbors with absolutely no issues, and we are all extremely pleased with the quality of the work. If I had any questions or wanted something corrected along the way, Sean saw to it that the work was done. I got three quotes before I decided on Sean and Make Me A Fence. Sean's company came in at the best price per linear foot BEFORE the Angie's List discount by several dollars. Thus, I saved thousands of dollars. After all was said and done, I had a random stranger stop by the house, knock on my door, and ask who had done our fencing because he thought it looked amazing and wanted a fence just like it. As I told that man that day, I highly recommend Sean and Make Me A Fence for your fencing needs.

They worked with me on the couple of ideas I had and got it done in good time. Sean did my estimate and had it to me in a day and a couple of days later I had it scheduled. They ripped out my old chain link fence and replaced it with a new board on board privacy fence.

Sean was excellent. My quote was fast and my fence was up 4 days later

unknown

Our new fence looks awesome.  Our gate is now functional.  The fence installers were very professional and arrived on schedule and completed the project quickly.  Sean, the owner, was great to work with. We've received lots of compliments on how nice our fence and gate look.  The fence and gate provided the finishing touch on all the work we did on our yard this year and certainly improved the value of our property.

Contractor communicated in advance of and during the job very well (Mr. Holland). <br /> <br /> His 3 men were professional and nice people. They stayed after the job and brought the correct equipment. It was 96 degrees when they finished. My wife and I provided refreshments and the use of our bathroom. <br /> <br />The entire job took about 6.5 hours and they cleaned up thoroughly after themselves. They hauled away the old fence, per Agreement. <br /> <br />I had a couple of small modifications I wanted to be done on the morning of the install (5 ft less of fence due to the configuration of my yard) and the Contractor made an adjustment in the price which was very important to me. <br /> <br />Unlike three other fence contractors I attempted to do business, he gave me a specific date he would show up and he accepted a credit card wherein I would not have to pay a 3% service charge. I wanted to do a credit card to protect me if there was a problem of any kind but there was none. <br /> <br />I would hire this company again. I was very put off by people in his business who are very intransigent, difficult to deal with, have attitude and generally have a poor self image of themselves. All I want is a guy who speak truthfully, will do a good job, communicate as needed w/o prompting and do it at a fair price. Mr. Holland did all that.

I used them to install an electronic gate at our farm on February 22, 2016. The first install happened and within 3 days it broke. Sean replaced the unit under warranty about a week later, but within another week the batteries would not charge and after a week new batteries were placed on the unit. Within 3 weeks of install the welding they completed started coming apart, the gate is not operable. From that point on Sean would not return my calls or text, at least a dozen. To date we are out $2700 and do not have gate that works. Sean acts like he cares but his failure to correct and fix his work is unacceptable. Do not hire them, they will not stand behind their work.

I was told it would be done in one day.  It took two.  The work was good.  My request to keep fence bottom two inches off the ground was accomplished.  The downside was that workers left some refuse on site after completion.  This was a sale purchase and it proved that you get what you pay for.

unknown

We got 4 estimates before deciding on makemeafence and we couldn't be happier with our new fence.  <br /> Sean and his crew were true professionals- there were a few alterations that we made that were addressed within a day.  I highly recommend makemeafence to anyone needing a fence!

unknown

The guy cancelled on me multiple times. Finally, after multiple attempts he finally showed up and he didn't fix everything he said he was going to fix.

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I was extremely impressed with the professionalism and pride that they took in their work. They didn't just drop the concrete and slap up the boards.  They showed real care for the quality of how it looked and how it would sustain. There was a problem that occurred during construction that could have affected the integrity of the project. They worked on a plan B and a plan C to find a way to solve the problem and insure that it was strong and beautiful. I was also impressed with their trim work.  Again, they took pride in making sure that each piece fit together properly. When it was done they cleaned up and made sure that all of garbage that had accumulated during construction was cleaned up.

They did an excellent job on my fence. It looks great and the price was very reasonable. They were extremely prompt with their bid. They were friendly and professional. The only hiccup was that I was originally scheduled for a Tuesday and they called that morning to say they were behind schedule on a build started the day before and they needed to move me to later in the week. Fortunately, I was off work this week. Otherwise, that would have been a big issue with my boss. <br />

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This company did a great job for a fair price. They even put a custom top to the fence that is their trade mark as part of the product. This was scheduled and completed within a week...super fast. The owner called me the day of and provided the name of the foreman and they were on the way to start work. When done everything was cleaned up and the only indication that any work had been going on was the new fence standing.The entire crew is very professional and pleasant to deal with. I even received a follow up call to make sure I was satisfied with the work performed. If you need a fence this is the company to use. <br />

<p>Sean Holland came for the preliminary bid, and I wasn't sure I was ready to proceed with the entire fence replacement, so he provided a reasonable bid for replacing some gates (I have 3 dogs, and they were getting out because the gates were in bad shape). After consideration, I decided to proceed with the full job, instead of the stop-gap measure. The fence was probably original with the 1960's house.</p> <p>Sean came back out for a final walk through and bid. His crew was able to start the next week. Estimate was for 3 days, weather permitting. </p> <p>With 2 yards, he coordinated the job to finish the main "dog yard" in the first day, 162 LF, so I didn't have to worry about my dogs. The second yard was completed day 2, and most of the old fence and bush/tree trimmings removed, just a short second trip on a 3rd day to finish up.</p> <p>Sean's team was excellent - they did stop for clarification when I was available on day 1, and were happy to make sure they fulfilled the requests. Second day they worked independently, and Sean came by both days to touch base with them (and me). </p> <p>Sean made sure everything was complete to my satisfaction, and I am so happy with the end result. His recommendation of the 6" pickets to replace the existing 3-4" have made a big difference. They also finished off with a top rail and a kick-board in the "dog yard" to prevent any digging under the fence!</p> <p>Thank you, Sean and crew!</p>

Sean and his band of merry men only took a few days to complete this project and I have been extremely happy with the work.  They were prompt, courteous and worked long hours.  Each day they removed whatever debris was left and always left my home as they found it.  I even had them come back out a week or so later because I wanted one area of the fence moved out further to the street so it it would match the other side of the house.  This was my initial error and they replaced in within a half day.   Absolutely great guys to work with.  <br />

unknown

I was so impressed with how quickly this got done. With a week of contacting Sean, we had a fence up. From start to finish, it was smooth sailing. They were definitely the most reasonably priced for all that we received. His crew has been with him for several years. They were all so nice. They started at 9:30 and were done by 2:00. They cleaned up everything and even took a few bad pieces of tree wood that we had to get rid of it for me. Seriously, you could not go wrong with this company, please give them a call for any fence work that you need to have done. <br />

I purchased the $95 maintenance package in hopes that it would be enough to repair some animal and weather damage to our gate.  The owner of the company is actually who came out to complete the service, though I am not sure if that is normal or not.  It took him a few hours including a trip to Home Depot for a few supplies, but he completed all of the work for no additional cost.  I must admit I was completely impressed with his customer service and skills and the job was done perfectly.  I would easily recommend this company to anyone I knew, and I highly encourage anyone to try that $95 maintenance deal if you have a few small issues. <br />