Material Shortage and Fence Replacement Price Increases

Stay Calm, We have the Materials

During the coronavirus pandemic that our nation and state of Texas has endured, there has been a few changes that don't seem to be going away.  As you may already know, our financial family leaders have been working from home if possible and the home improvement stores have become shopping malls.  Our "honey do" projects have run out of excuses and the time to get them done has presented itself in a major way.  With these things considered along with the natural storm and fence season ramping up, we in the fence business have had to travel to multiple stores for each project to find materials.  For example, visit a Lowes and try to buy yourself some 4x4 pressure treated pine posts or see how many cedar pickets they have available.  You may have a better chance finding a pallet of Clorox wipes at your local grocery store.

After speaking with the lumber yards in east Texas this past weekend, the shortage is only just begun as the mills have been working at half capacity and back logged during the pandemic.  As result, material distributors and home improvement stores have increased their material prices over ten percent or 3 dollars a foot from last year.  Small businesses in our industry have been purchasing bulk materials wherever they can be found and trying to save them in storage units to keep from shutting down.  With this being said, we unfortunately have not choice but to raise our prices as well to avoid going out of business.  Please understand that this is the last thing we wanted to do but we have no choice but to make these adjustments.

Effective immediately, Kingdom Roof and Fence has set a new pricing structure for our residential wood fence customers that will be competitive as usual.  Please refer to your estimates for more information regarding these updates from our company.  We would however like to remind you that we still offer metal post fencing solutions which are readily available and come with a lifetime warranty.  In addition, there are great wrought iron and aluminum fences available for you to choose from that have not been effected from the pandemic like the wood products have.  Thank you for reading our blog and understanding that is has been and will always be our goal to bring you the best our industry and marketplace has to offer at affordable prices.  -Kingdom

Fence Contractor in the Katy Texas area

We at Kingdom would like to help alleviate some of the stress associated with of choosing the right fence for your home.  Here are a few things to consider upon making your final trim package selection and proceeding towards beginning the construction of your project.

First we would like to highlight the installation of your new posts.  Many contractors in the business do the traditional "dry pack" method which proves to be ineffective over a period of time.  This process places the post in the new holes dug and then packs literally dry concrete that has not been mixed yet.  This typically follows a water hose soaking the dry concrete and a stick mixing it together.  Unfortunately too many contractors do this and the concrete forms in different stages leaving multiple set pieces very similar to gravel around your post.  This explains the posts that are leaning but are set in concrete within the first year or two of the install.

The correct method to set posts is to mix the concrete before setting the posts and then pour the final product around the post.  During this process you're making sure your posts are level and lined up with you string.  There is a poking stick or we like to use the end of a level to push down the concrete making sure that it is all the way down and around the posts.  This simply step cannot be overlooked and corner cutting must not be done during this step or you'll be looking at your fence on the ground once again way sooner than expected.

Secondly, we need to discuss the "rails" or 2x4s that are the framework of your new fence.  Most fences that were built during the construction of a home have only two rails.  This means there's one at the top and another at the bottom.  We refer to that as "builder grade" fencing that could be potentially code for something more derogatory.  When replacing a fence, it would be very uncommon for a reputable contractor to use that same bracing style.  For the longevity of the fence and to ensuring the pickets are securely attached, the 3 rail system is obvious framework that is used on 6' wood fencing.

Lastly, there's the subject of building a gate that works and will stand the test of time.  We in the fence business would like to think is the difference the separates the men from the boys.  There are several unique gate assemblies that work and can be used but after a decade in the fence business we are sold on the 3 hinge diamond bracing system.  This means that instead of the customary 2 hinge gate assemblies that we see on almost every fence in our neighborhood, a 3 hinge fence is a better choice for holding the weight of the gate.  It's important to also spotlight that there needs to be another post close by the hinge side of the gate for additional support of the gate.  If installed correctly, the gate is more similar to a front door than a fence gate comparing how sturdy it is.

We hope this section helped educate you on why you should choose Kingdom or at a minimum what qualities you should look for in the workmanship of your fence contractor. 

WHAT TO EXPECT DURING FENCE CONSTRUCTION!

What to expect during construction

We are so happy to beginning your fence project. There are a few things we would like for you to review as we get ready to complete your project.

Sprinkler System -  We require that prior to construction that you turn on your sprinkler system for our installer prior to your fence project beginning. We will need to see the system work and each zone. If this process is not complete we will not be responsible for an sprinklers systems not working. Sometimes the sprinkler systems are placed very close to the fence and at times directly on. This often happens if it was put in after the fence was completed. There are instances that there is no way to remove the post with out cracking one of the lines. If this is the case we will repair the sprinkler and it will be added to your final invoice. If you know for certain that we will need to re-route your system we can give you an estimate to do so.

Fence Attached to House - If you're existing fence is connected or anchored to the house through your brick or siding, there's a good chance that the siding/trim or brick can be damaged during the removal process.  Repairing / replacing this siding, trim or brick will be an additional expense.

Earth from Posts - We remove the dirt from the ground when digging to place your posts. Typically we grade dirt out in areas that are needed unless otherwise instructed. This is a great opportunity to level out your yard or take care of any areas that are low. We will grade the dirt along the fence line, you are welcome to move this dirt to any location that you choose.

Cleaning of Yard (Animals) and debris from trees- Before we begin the project we ask that you clean up your yard, removing any pet excrement and any shrubs or bushes that are within 18 inches within the fence line. If we have to remove tree branches, vines, and  bushes there may be additional charge to the project.

Property Lines -  We do not build the fence on the property line but on the existing fence line. If you need the fence line change you must provide the survey for your property prior to the project. This can change the footage and in turn the estimate will be revised.

Neighbor Compensations - Most fences are shared with a neighbor, however, we deal directly with the customer that contracted us. IF there is a split payment of different neighbors we ask that we have all the neighbors information prior to the project. If not, we expect the customer to pay any amounts in full.

Inclement Weather - Weather can change the terrain of a fence project. What was once a pile of dirt can turn to a pile of mud as well as tracking it back and forth bringing supplies.

Removal Process- During the removal process we typically take all the old fence panels with us off site the day we take the fence down. There are some instances when this is taken on another day, this is not common but on rare occasions when multiple neighbors have large amounts of fence pulled at the same time that this may occur.

811 Dig- We will request line marking from 811 dig. This process usually take 24-48 hours.

Unforeseen Labor  - Tree Roots, abnormal amounts of concrete, extra bracing or materials (repair projects) may require additional charges.