Frequently Asked Questions

When you are looking for a contractor, look for their CCB# on their advertising or ask them what their CCB# is.   In order to do business in Oregon, contractors are required to be licensed and bonded. They provide documentation each year to the Construction Contractors Board in order to maintain their license. This insures the public will be covered for any liability issues that occur during the project.   You can also go on line to www.ccb.state.or.us to check on a contractor.   You can also check with the Better Business Bureau @ www.thebbb.org to see if there are any complaints against the contractor. We strongly recommend that you use a licensed contractor for your protection.

When you call, we always suggest you schedule an appointment with one of our knowledgeable sales staff.   Once you schedule an appointment, we will call you the day before to remind you that our salesman will be meeting with you. He will meet with you and work with you to determine the best option for your project. Meeting with the customer and reviewing the site provides the best method for determining your needs and providing an accurate bid for your project.

Yes, our estimator can provide an estimate for our staff to dig the holes and also install the posts if you like.

We realize that some customers may enjoy building their own fence.   You can call and visit with an estimator and he can provide you with a materials package. We will gather the materials and you can pick up the materials or we can deliver them for a small delivery fee.

Your contractor is responsible to arrange for public utility locates on your property. This insures that your contractor knows where all utility lines are and they can avoid them while doing their project.

It is the homeowner’s responsibility to identify where they want their project. If they are concerned about property lines, we suggest they locate them or have the property surveyed.

Yes. It’s the homeowner’s responsibility to identify and locate their sprinkler lines and low voltage lighting.

Normally a residential fence within the city cannot exceed 6’. However, there maybe some set backs required by the city for front yards. We suggest you check with your local building codes department to make sure what you are planning will be acceptable. If you belong to a homeowner’s association, you may need to check with them to insure what you plan meets their requirements.

Staining a wood fence is up to the homeowner.   Staining the fence does not necessarily prolong the life of the fence. A wood fence will normally grey over time. Many homeowners like the initial color of the fence. Staining it should maintain that color depending upon the product you use and may require staining every two years.

Yes. The normal color for chain link is silver. To have a colored chain link fence, we offer vinyl colored chain link in a variety of colors. The most popular color is black as it is more elegant look and blends into the landscape. However some customers may prefer a different color that works better with their landscaping needs.

Yes. Pre-slatted vinyl chain link fencing is available and does provide privacy. It is comparable to the cost of a wood fence. As with the vinyl chain link, there are a number of colors available.   If you have an existing chain link fence, we can also order vinyl slats for you to insert into the fence. Before purchasing and installing the slats, talk to our sales staff about your existing fence’s ability to handle the wind with the addition of slats.

All of our ornamental iron products are powder coated so that the iron won’t rust. We have a variety of colors available for our customers. As with the vinyl chain link fencing, black ornamental iron is the most popular. It blends with the landscape better and is easier to touch up and maintain than other colors. We have done some commercial safety railings that were orange coated and have also done residential white railings that require two coats for durability. Your estimator can go over the options for you and will have recommendations for your project.

After choosing Outdoor Fence to install your fence, you will need to sign and return the white copy of the contract, as well as the lien documents (if applicable) to our office. You can mail, email, or fax these documents. If your contract requires a deposit, you may mail a check or pay with a credit card by phone. After we receive these, your job will go to our Scheduling Department and we will call you once the job has been placed on the job schedule.  Please keep the signed yellow copy of the contract for your records.

Depending upon the size of your project and the nature of the jobs already in progress, it may take several weeks (2 – 5 weeks based on the volume of work in progress) before we can begin your project. It’s best to ask your estimator for a time frame of when you can expect to have your project installed and completed. Some projects take time to order the materials, and others (i.e.; ornamental iron) take time to construct the item.   Typically, for our fence projects, we come out on day 1 and set posts; we have a 5 – 10 day gap to allow the concrete post footing to cure. Then we will return and finish installing the fence and gates.

Approximately a week before we begin your project, one of our representatives will contact you or leave a message at the phone number you have provided. On occasion, the date we have scheduled to begin may be affected due to circumstances beyond our control (see terms and conditions of contract). We will do our best to keep you informed of any changes or conflicts.

In most cases, it is not necessary for you to be present. The estimator will instruct the field crew based on his conversations with you. If you have special concerns or just feel more comfortable being onsite at the time the work is being done, please feel free to stay.

If you want to change something on the project, please contact your estimator immediately so we can adjust the materials accordingly. It is much easier to make changes to your project before we start than if we’re already in the middle of it.

If you want to make a change while the crew is setting posts, please indicate the area of the change to the crew and contact your estimator right away.

We have knowledgeable gate operator maintenance staff that will come out and service or repair your gate operating system. They are knowledgeable not only on the operating systems that we install, but also other types of systems. If you wish, we can set you up in our system under the gate operator maintenance program. We set up a schedule to come out and do routine servicing of your system. Servicing a gate operating system is similar to getting an oil change for your car. It keeps your system working properly.