Get three things in writing before you hire: the contractor's Arizona Registrar of Contractors licence number, proof of insurance and an itemized estimate. The licence can be checked by anyone on the Registrar's website, roc.az.gov.
The Scottsdale Fence Company is licensed and insured. Ask for the licence number and the insurance certificate when we give you the estimate.
What should I ask a fence contractor before hiring?
- What is your ROC licence number, and what classification is it?
- Will you pull the Scottsdale permit and prepare the HOA submittal, and is that in the price?
- Who files the Arizona 811 request?
- How deep do the posts go, and what is the plan if you meet granite or caliche?
- What size and wall thickness are the steel posts and pickets?
- Is the steel galvanized or primed under the powder coat?
- Does the price include taking out and hauling the old fence?
- How will gates be carried: on new steel posts or on the block wall?
- What is your start date and how many working days is the job?
How do I check that a contractor is licensed and insured?
Look the company up by name or number on roc.az.gov. In Arizona a contractor's licence is required for any job totaling $1,000 or more in labor and materials, and for any job that needs a building permit. Below that is the handyman exemption, and a person relying on it has to put the words 'not a licensed contractor' in their advertising. Fencing has its own licence classifications at the Registrar. For insurance, ask the contractor's agent to send the certificate straight to you.
What should a fence estimate include?
Length, height, material and grade, the finish, post type and depth, every gate with its width, removal of the old fence, permit handling, cleanup, payment schedule and a start date. When two estimates differ, look for the item one has left off. Arizona law, A.R.S. 32-1158, requires a written contract for work over $1,000. It must give the contractor's name, business address and licence number, the date and an estimated completion date, a description of the work, the total price, any advance deposit and the progress payments.
Should I get three quotes?
For a whole fence, a driveway gate or a pool barrier, yes. Three quotes reveal the going rate and show who actually measured the lot. Line up the scope of each before you look at the bottom line.
What deposit is normal?
Companies differ. A.R.S. 32-1158 puts no cap on a deposit. It only requires that any advance deposit be stated in the contract. Paying up front for custom steel or special-order material is fair. Link the remaining payments to completed stages and use a payment method that leaves a paper trail.
The cheapest quote wants half up front and will not show insurance. Is that a problem?
Treat it as a red flag. Half up front is legal here, but paired with a refusal to show insurance it often points to an unlicensed operator. Hire one and you lose access to the Registrar's complaint process and to the Residential Contractors' Recovery Fund, which exist for customers of licensed contractors. Check roc.az.gov before any money changes hands.
I paid a deposit and the contractor stopped showing up. What can I do?
Write to them with a date, ask for a firm start or finish date and keep a copy. If that goes unanswered, file a complaint with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors. For remodel or repair work, the Registrar says a complaint against a licensed contractor must be filed within two years from the date work was last performed. Save the contract, proof of payment and all messages.
The crew cut my internet line or sprinkler pipe. Who pays?
The markings and the contract decide. Utility companies mark the lines they own after an Arizona 811 request. Drip tubing, pool lines, landscape lighting and private gas lines are yours, are not marked, and run through nearly every Scottsdale yard. Show them to the crew before digging and have that written on the estimate.
My HOA approved the fence in writing and now wants it moved. What now?
Hold on to the approval letter and do not move anything yet. This is a dispute between you and the association and it is a legal question. See an Arizona attorney who handles HOA matters before you pay for changes.
Can I install a fence myself?
You can. A short straight run in soft soil is a fair weekend job. Hard ground stops most people here, because a rental auger will not cut granite or caliche. Gates are the other common failure. The owner-builder still has to get the Scottsdale permit for anything over 3 feet and contact Arizona 811 before digging.
A real price needs someone to stand on your lot and measure. That visit is free. Call (480) 530-6409, or text a photo of the fence line to the same number.