While many municipalities have some permit requirements for installing a fence on either personal or commercial property, many do not. This lack of regulation means that there is very little accountability in between various Gibraltar fence companies who work in the local area. Furthermore, while installing fencing as a business is not something that is easy to do over the long run, it’s something that is easy to get into. You could send in some sole proprietorship paperwork today via FedEx, rent a post hole digger, get a line of credit at a local commercial building materials supplier and be in business tomorrow. This makes the fence installation business the wild-west of the small contracting industries.

So how can you know that the Gibraltar fence company that you’re working with provides a quality product, great customer service, and proper follow-up? Here are a few things to keep in mind that will go a long way in helping you achieve that goal:

1) Check References – any company that has been in business for more than a handful of years should be able to supply references (if not full-blown testimonials) from happy customers who are willing to share their experience with you. Either ask for two or three previous customers right-off-the-bat when you call and ask for someone to come out and give you a quote so you can call the references up before the rep shows up at your front door, or ask that he bring them along when he stops by. If you choose the later, make sure you don’t make any commitment to buying a fence the same-day as you need to take some time to CALL the references and ask about how their experience with that particular Gibraltar fence company went when they had their fence put in. For this reason, it’s usually best to get the references up-front so if you like the price and style that you are shown, you’ll already know if the company follows through after the deposit is made and you can choose to move ahead with your project instead of waiting a few days.