Experience with Home Depot or Lowe's Wood Fence Purchase/Installation?

We would like to fence in our back yard with 6' x 8' wood fence panels (I would guess using 4" x4" posts). Wood choices would be probably white pine, white cedar, red cedar, or redwood for the panels. The total perimeter is approximately 200 lineal feet. We would probably need/want two gates. We will probably use either Home Depot or Lowe's for both product and contracted installation. We live in Mesa, Arizona, so would only be concerned with heat issues since we get very little rain and (obviously) no snow or ice. Overall cost is some consideration.

I would welcome opinions on choice of material as well as any recommendation of Home Depot vs. Lowe's. I understand that both companies engage or arrange for independent contractors for installation.

We're not quite ready to get estimates, so thought I would ask here first.

TIA

Reply to
Wayne Boatwright
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We would like to fence in our back yard with 6' x 8' wood fence panels (I would guess using 4" x4" posts). Wood choices would be probably white pine, white cedar, red cedar, or redwood for the panels. The total perimeter is approximately 200 lineal feet. We would probably need/want two gates. We will probably use either Home Depot or Lowe's for both product and contracted installation. We live in Mesa, Arizona, so would only be concerned with heat issues since we get very little rain and (obviously) no snow or ice. Overall cost is some consideration.

I would welcome opinions on choice of material as well as any recommendation of Home Depot vs. Lowe's. I understand that both companies engage or arrange for independent contractors for installation.

We're not quite ready to get estimates, so thought I would ask here first.

TIA

Reply to
Wayne Boatwright

Why HD or Lowes? No fencing companies in your area of Arizona?

Reply to
willshak

On Sat 19 Jul 2008 08:21:54p, willshak told us...

I'm sure there are plenty, but my guess is that they would be more expensive. Cost is a consideration. When we get to the point of getting estimates, I'm sure we'll include other options beside HD and Lowe's. But I did want opinions...

Reply to
Wayne Boatwright

Lowes or HD do not have their own installers for anything. They contract local installers for everything they sell, and usually at the cheapest bid. Compare before you buy, anywhere.

Reply to
willshak

Popular assumption that HD and Lowes are bargain priced, but often wrong. Personally, I'd not trust their installers for anything; a true crap shoot. They have some good ones, but there are many horror stories.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

I shouldn't have clicked on "Send" when I did. If you have a problem with a HD or Lowes installation, you complain to the store. They complain to the local installer, who may, or may not come around to fix the problem in a timely manner, if at all. After all, they did not contract with you, the store did. When you deal directly with that local installer and like what he/she says, only pay half at the start, with the remaining paid at the end of a satisfactory installation. If it doesn't suit your expectations and is not what was agreed upon, withhold the final payment and take pictures, in case there is a court case. I've dealt with substandard contractors where I have followed the above and have saved thousands of $ for shoddy and unfinished work. i.e. Fence installed around pool. Contractor installed the whole fence except for the gate that entered the pool area (required by law before a CO can be granted). Numerous calls produced no response. Bought and installed the fence gate myself so the pool could be used. Never was asked, nor paid the $1000 still owed on the installation.

  1. Same pool. Successfully sued a concrete contractor in Small Claims court for allowing a pile of concrete to dry in a pile before he and his unexperienced workers could get it all down and smooth it out for a sidewalk around a pool ( he didn't want to pay the extra time for the concrete truck, so had the driver drop all the concrete in a pile in the sidewalk area which had to be pneumatically removed). I didn't save any money on this, but had to pay a few $ more, since I had to hire someone else to come in and remove the concrete and install a proper sidewalk.
Reply to
willshak

"Wayne Boatwright" wrote

Wayne, it's highly dependant on your area for which would be best. Really. Lowes in my area happens to be decent and i've had bad luck with Home Depot, but I do know come carpet time, Home Depot has better installers than my local Lowes.

The price is apt to be really close between the 2 with Lowes possibly being just a hair cheaper.

I have my fence work from a local fellow, not associated with either. Dunno waht wood is best.

Reply to
cshenk

Pine, cedar, and heart redwood (notice that's _heart_ redwood) are all fine woods for fences. Pine should last you 10 years unpainted. Keep it painted, and it will last indefinitly. My dad built his own heart redwood fence when I was a baby, and I just replaced some posts that rotted out after fifty years. He's in New Mexico, with similar weather to you. Redwood costs maybe three times as much as pine. Cedar is in the middle somewhere.

Before you pick your contractor, _insist_ on seeing some of his work. If you go with Lowes or Home Depot, make sure the work is by the guy they send you. Fences are simple to build, so the quality is in the details: * The top of the fence should be a straight, level line (unless it needs to follow the terrain, in which case it should be a nice curve). * Gates should be sturdy and straight, and they should swing easily. All gates sag over time, but they shouldn't drag when new. * The panels should be vertical. * Use steel posts instead wood. The steel posts don't rot. That's not a huge concern in AZ, but it still happens. Wood posts also warp, making your fence lean. * Pet Peeve: Make the contractor cut the tops off the posts short enough that they don't show above the fence.

Reply to
SteveB

Prices between the big boxes and the "regular" places is highly variable. Sometimes the big boxes have a better price, but often they are the same or higher. I did find Depot to be significantly cheaper on some special order Square D stuff once, so you really can't make assumptions.

I've long since settled on "don't trust anyone for anything", the old "if you want it done right do it yourself" is very true it seems.

Reply to
Pete C.

Mostly true, but there are some great craftsman out there plying their trade. The hard part is finding them; the biggest ad in the Yellow Pages does not count as a plus either. . Recommendations help a lot if you know someone that has had similar work done.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

Yep, but seemingly few and far between.

Usually just the opposite, since the good ones are usually sole prop's and don't have big ads since they can't handle a big volume.

If you can find some.

Reply to
Pete C.

On Sat 19 Jul 2008 08:11:46p, Wayne Boatwright told us...

Following up on my own post to thank all of you for your experience and advice. I have had my doubts about the contracting and workmanship issues with Home Depot and Lowes. Reading your posts pretty much confirms that I won't use them.

As to carpeting, we had extremely good luck with Home Depot and the installers they used. But, then, that's not a fence. :-)

I'll check out several fence companies and get some bids.

Thanks again to all of you who commented!

Reply to
Wayne Boatwright

On Sun 20 Jul 2008 09:32:23a, Pete C. told us...

That would be my problem. I don't personally know anyone who has had a fence installed. There is a lot of block wall installation out here in AZ, but we really can't afford that. I suppose if I were bold enough, I'd drive around and look for recent fence installations that look good, and knock on a door to ask.

Reply to
Wayne Boatwright

I wouldn't say not to use them. I'd say to get references for the guy they want to send out.

Reply to
SteveB

Home Depot or Lowes are EXCELLENT places for fence building help.

Just hire the people milling around the parking lot.

Every one of them has probably been involved in dozens of fence-building projects in the past month.

Reply to
HeyBub

On Tue 22 Jul 2008 04:31:22a, HeyBub told us...

Worth looking into. Thanks!

Reply to
Wayne Boatwright

I agree that getting estimates from local contractors would be a good idea. I have heard some good and some bad reports from people who used HD or Lowes. Most of the bad news had to do with having HD or Lowes be the middle person between you and whoever they get to show up at your house to do the work.

The fence job sounds like a 1-day job. For that type of job, I never pay any money up front. I work it out so I will be there on the day they do the job and, as soon as the job is done, I pay them in full in person for the job. When you give someone a deposit, he/she has no real incentive to get to your job. Instead, you are on the hook waiting while they are out doing the jobs where they will get a check for the work at the end of the day. Once they have a deposit from you, they essentially already have their profit in their hands.

You can get some very good contract forms from the American Institute of Architects. Their contract forms include important items that are designed to protect your interests. Here are a couple of links to their website regarding contract documents:

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I think their contract number A105-2007 is probably what you would want. They have an AIA office in Phoenix where you can buy the contract forms in person.

When you do the gate(s), be sure to include a gate or other system where, if needed, someone with a backhoe, truck, or other heavy equipment can get into the fenced in area. You never know when you will need to have a tree cut down or other work done that requires access to the fenced in area. A wide gate would be good, but even a system where a section of the fence can easily be removed and replaced will work.

Reply to
alta47

HD is batting one out of three with my installs.

Good: water heater--- no problems, done fast, done right.

Bad: whole-house recarpeting and partial re-reroofing. Had serious problems with both of the contractors they subbed the jobs out to. And in both cases, HD would not take any responsibility or even get involved to the extent of talking to the sub. They said-- it's between you and them and walked away.

I said no, the credit card payment was to you and I disputed both charges to the card issuer and wouldn't pay. HD eventually saw my side of it with the roofing sub and that was resolved.

However, the carpet problem ended up in small claims court where HD sent TWO fancy-suited lawyers. I went alone and explained my side of it-- well documented with pictures and a "daily log" on the job's progress (or lack thereof). The judge socked it to them, reducing my cost to what I felt was fair-- then hit them punitive damages in the same amount of the payment due....so I eventually got a free house full of carpet. But 5-6 years later, the faulty installation showed itself and I have lots of ridges and pulls.

HD wouldn't send a crew back to fix the problems so last week I wrote a letter reminding them that the same judge still is still sitting on small claims court.

I haven't heard back from them yet---but I'll keep you posted!!

Reply to
J.H. Holliday

On Tue 22 Jul 2008 04:31:22a, HeyBub told us...

A point worth considering.

Reply to
Wayne Boatwright

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