Fence Replacement: Fair Price?

[DCal430]

If the OP lives in a sub-division here in California, normally, fences are "community property" shared by the property owners on both sides...maintenance and repair are at the expense of BOTH property owners.
That's USUALLY spelled out in the deed for the property.

In our sub-division, the "pretty side" of the fence alternates...

--------|________|--------|_______

Yep, and the HOA's CC&R defines the fence as such too. It is community property to be repaired and maintained by both parties.

 

[olds]

Good neighbor fence

 

[rh71]

Good neighbor fence

ugly in my opinion... should be one way or the other. Better yet, skip the wooden fences that are a maintenance nightmare (we had to replace a few before we sold and it was not worth the work) and go PVC... good look on both sides, maintenance free.

 

[PrinceofWands]

ugly in my opinion... should be one way or the other. Better yet, skip the wooden fences that are a maintenance nightmare (we had to replace a few before we sold and it was not worth the work) and go PVC... good look on both sides, maintenance free.

pvc is a post-modernist nightmare...it's so stark and antiseptic and...*blech*

Real wood FTW!

 

[lupi]

If the OP lives in a sub-division here in California, normally, fences are "community property" shared by the property owners on both sides...maintenance and repair are at the expense of BOTH property owners.
That's USUALLY spelled out in the deed for the property.

In our sub-division, the "pretty side" of the fence alternates...

--------|________|--------|_______

wow...........

 

[jteef]

in my opinion, you either alternate every board, or put the ugly side in your yard. the reason for the latter is most kids won't try to jump over the fence if there's no boards to stand on, so you want it hard for them to get into your yard from the outside.

as I'm typing this I am also realizing that kids probably don't go outside anymore, much less climb other peoples fences to get their baseballs back.

 

[alkemyst]

$300 is insanely cheap to have a wooden fence installed. I'd either pay him half & when he's installing it, make sure you provide him with beer/steak dinner, else pay him more than half.

That is, unless by installation, it simply means ripping off something like old stockade fencing, and simply nailing on some new stockade fencing to the pre-existing posts - which would take all of 30 minutes with a helper.

QFT...

OP whose fence is it actually. I am thinking your neighbor was just telling you nicely "It's about time to replace your fence and I am tried of looking at it!"

 

[sjwaste]

Split the cost with him and go out and help with the labor. I'm guessing you have no idea how to put up a fence, so go out and learn. Being able to do some basic shit around your house is sort of necessary.

 

[alkemyst]

Split the cost with him and go out and help with the labor. I'm guessing you have no idea how to put up a fence, so go out and learn. Being able to do some basic shit around your house is sort of necessary.

Sadly most people are truly uncapable of putting up a fence properly which is why almost all HOA's require the job to be done only by licensed-professionals.

 

[sjwaste]

Sadly most people are truly uncapable of putting up a fence properly which is why almost all HOA's require the job to be done only by licensed-professionals.

You generally don't need a license to even start a contracting business here. Is that an FL thing?

Funny thing up here, which I'm still getting used to - there isn't a single fence in the entire neighborhood. Not sure if it's specific to northern new england, but people consider it un-neighborly. It actually makes things look really nice, I like it. The number of dogs trained off leash here is correspondingly very high.

 

[BoomerD]

sj, legally, in California, to do contracting for any job for which labor and materials adds up to more than $500, you have to have a contractor's license...but a shit-ton of people do it without a license. The fines and penalties can be very steep if they get caught, and the contractor's licensing board runs stings every year, but the odds of getting caught are pretty minimal.

 

[sjwaste]

sj, legally, in California, to do contracting for any job for which labor and materials adds up to more than $500, you have to have a contractor's license...but a shit-ton of people do it without a license. The fines and penalties can be very steep if they get caught, and the contractor's licensing board runs stings every year, but the odds of getting caught are pretty minimal.

Ouch. That's definitely not the case out here. It does mean there can be some shady contractors running around, but everything is word of mouth and you'd go out of business fast.

Come to think of it, everyone I've hired to do anything here has been personally recommended from someone else. Of course, that works a lot better in small towns. When I lived in VA, it was a lot easier to get screwed.

 

[3chordcharlie]

Good neighbor fence

Honestly... why not just pay the extra bit and double side the fence?

Semi-privacy (alternating boards) is somewhat my preference, as it's easier to have green grass on the North side of these fences (they let light through).

 

[sonambulo]

You guys are such fucking assholes. His neighbor's parents were killed by steaks.

 

[Phoenix86]

Buy him a case of beer.

But only after it's done...

 

[0roo0roo]

But only after it's done...

lol i'd love to hear that guy explain the logic behind his method...

 

[3chordcharlie]

lol i'd love to hear that guy explain the logic behind his method...

Well, the pretty side is facing his neighbor, so it's okay.

 

[alkemyst]

You generally don't need a license to even start a contracting business here. Is that an FL thing?

Funny thing up here, which I'm still getting used to - there isn't a single fence in the entire neighborhood. Not sure if it's specific to northern new england, but people consider it un-neighborly. It actually makes things look really nice, I like it. The number of dogs trained off leash here is correspondingly very high.

Hence they must be 'licensed' also bonded/insured for most HOA work.

Fences are banned in many HOA's as well even here. With zero lot line especially as it really shrinks the 'percieved' size of the community.

A fence is more for having a dog off-leash and outside voice range.