Ask for three things in writing: a California contractor licence number, a certificate of insurance and an estimate with every item listed. The licence takes a minute to check on the Contractors State License Board site, cslb.ca.gov.
San Francisco Fence Solutions is licensed and insured. Ask for the licence number and insurance certificate when you get your estimate.
What should I ask a fence contractor before hiring?
- What is your CSLB licence number?
- Does this fence need a permit, and who gets it?
- Who places the USA North 811 ticket?
- How will materials reach the yard, and is carrying through the house included?
- How deep are the posts, what are they set in, and what fasteners do you use?
- What wood species and grade, or which metal or vinyl product?
- Is removal and disposal of the old fence in the price?
- Which gates, how wide, with what hardware?
- What is the start date and how many working days?
- What happens if you hit rock or an old footing?
How do I check that a contractor is licensed and insured?
Look the name or number up with Check a License on cslb.ca.gov. In California a contractor licence is required for work of $1,000 or more, counting labor and materials. The CSLB announced that this figure rose from $500 on January 1, 2025. Below $1,000, an unlicensed person may do the work only if it needs no building permit and they hire no workers. The fencing classification is C-13. The licence record shows bond and workers' compensation details. For liability cover, have the insurer send you the certificate.
What should a fence estimate include?
Footage, height, material and grade, post size and depth, fastener type, every gate and its width, removal of the old fence, how access is handled, permits, cleanup, the payment schedule and a start date. Where two estimates differ, one of those items is nearly always missing from the cheaper one. The CSLB's consumer guide says a home improvement job over $500 needs a written contract.
Should I get three quotes?
Yes, when you are replacing a whole fence. You learn the going price and you see which contractor measured the yard and thought about access. Compare the written scopes first and the totals second.
What deposit is normal?
A small one. The CSLB states that the down payment on a home improvement job cannot be more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less. Later payments should follow the work as it is completed, not run ahead of it. Use a check or a card and keep every receipt.
The cheapest quote wants half up front and will not show insurance. Is that a problem?
It is. Asking for half up front goes beyond the down payment California allows on a home improvement contract. Refusing to show insurance on top of that suggests the crew may not be licensed. If they break a neighbor's window carrying lumber through, or a worker is injured, the cost may fall on you. Check the name on cslb.ca.gov first.
I paid a deposit and the contractor stopped showing up. What can I do?
Send a dated letter or email asking for a definite date to start or finish. If you hear nothing, complain to the Contractors State License Board, the state agency that licenses contractors and takes complaints against them. Hold on to the contract, your payment records and every message.
The crew cut my internet line or sprinkler pipe. Who pays?
That depends on whether the line was marked and on the contract. An 811 ticket brings the utility operators out to mark what they own. Private lines, including sprinkler pipe and garden lighting cable, are not covered by those marks. Point them out before work starts and have them noted on the estimate.
My HOA approved the fence in writing and now wants it moved. What now?
Keep the approval letter and leave the fence where it is for now. The disagreement is between you and the association and has nothing to do with how the fence was built. Take it to a lawyer who handles California common interest developments.
Can I install a fence myself?
Yes, and a short level run is a manageable project. The hard parts in San Francisco are the ones owners underestimate: carrying everything through the house, digging in sand that caves or rock that will not move, and hanging a gate that stays square. You still have to contact USA North 811 before digging and stay within the city's height limits.
We measure the line and give you a written quote at no charge. Call (415) 888-9244 or text us a photo of the fence.