76 Fence Company Illinois

Planning Your Project

PLANNING YOUR PROJECT

Before you purchase a new fence, there may be some research you want to do beforehand. Here we've compiled some rules of thumbs and other items to help you in your journey.




THINK ABOUT IT

When picking out a fence, things you should think about are:


Your Budget

How much are you willing to pay for the fence up front? Things to consider are deposit, financing, and payment options.


Long-Term Maintenance

Wood fences, which are cheaper, need more upkeep than metal or vinyl fences, which are more expensive but don't need as much maintenance.


Rules for Building

Some zoning laws may put limits on the height, style, and placement of fences. We handle all of the necessary permits but you should be aware of local regulations before getting your heart set on a particular style or location of a fence as it may not be allowed by the local governing authority.


Builders' Association (HOA)

In their policies, most HOAs list rules, such as getting board approval and what style, height, and even color your fence is allowed to be. HOA approval falls on the homeowner.


Overall Style

There are many choices and colors for each product, so pick the one that fits your style the best.


Fences around neighborhoods or "Keeping up with the Jones'"

You might want to copy the way your friends' homes look and feel.


View our Residential Products Overview to learn more about the fences we sell.


HOW TO GET AN ESTIMATE

For the best price on your new fence, talk to one of our sales people in person.


We'll get in touch with you within 24 hours to set up an estimate if you email or fill out an online form. You can expect the meeting to last about 15-20 minutes.


If you call us, we will set up an appointment on the spot and you will have an estimate the same day. You can book directly on our calendar here.


PRIOR TO YOUR MEETING

At your in-person meeting, it will help if you have a copy of your plat of survey with you. A licensed land surveyor made this scaled map of your property, which shows the property lines and all the buildings on the property. This will help us figure out where on your property we can put up the fence.


Not able to locate yours? You can also get a plat of surveys from your mortgage company, the government body that gave you your last building permit, or the land surveyor who made them. They might have a copy, or you might need to get in touch with a surveyor to make a new one since this is an important document for your work.


APPOINTMENT

This is where we find out more about you and your wants and needs as it relates to the new fence installation. Next, we'll talk about the fence options you have.


Next, the salesperson will want to know why you need a fence, your budget, how much upkeep you expect, and if there are any building regulations and rules. These things will help determine what kinds of products will work best.


You can now show off your style! You can choose from different color and style of posts, pickets, rails, and caps for each type of product. You will also choose the style and sizing of your gate(s), as well as the latches, locks, and other hardware that goes with it to finish designing your fence if you so choose. If none are chosen, we just install the traditional hardware that is standard for most of our installs.


A salesperson will walk through your yard to make sure everything is correct. As well as looking for outdoor issues like hills, slopes, and other problems, they will also look for things like trees, utilities, and other things that might get in the way of your fence design, product suggestions, and installation. They will also look for places where you might need gates and talk to you about where to put them.


The last thing you need to do is get a quote. A verbal quote will be provided during the meeting and you can get scheduled for installation on the spot. A digital version of the quote will be sent via SMS (text) and email. If there are any complexities or further research is needed by the sales representative, then a quote will be provided shortly after the meeting. If they need more time, they will let you know when to expect it.



GETTING READY FOR INSTALL

Picking 76 FENCE to build your new fence was a great choice. There are a few things you need to get and send us before we can set up a time for your installation. Visit our "What to Expect" page to learn more about our entire process after you make a deposit.


CONTRACT

The first thing that needs to happen for your project to move forward is a signed contract and a 50% deposit. Once funds clear and the municipality approves the permit, your materials will be ordered.


WHAT YOU NEED TO GET A PERMIT

We will call your city, township, or county to find out what permits you need, where to apply, how long it takes to get approved, and how much they cost. Most cities and towns will need you to send them your drawn fence plan (which is part of your quote) and a copy of your plat of survey along with your permit application so they can look it over. Keep in mind that we need to send in this plan even if you are also getting a pool. The process could take a few days to a few weeks. These wait times are set by the city government and are not under our control.


Homeowners Association (HOA): If you live in a neighborhood with a HOA, you will need to get board approval on the plans. The process should not take more than a week or 2.


Send us the documents we need.

Before we can set up your installation, we need to have your permit, HOA approval (if applicable), and your plat of survey marked with the fence & gate locations.


HOW TO SCHEDULE YOUR INSTALLATION

We'll get in touch with you to set up your installation as soon as we get the necessary paperwork and your items arrive at our yard. A property owner must be home during the installation and be on-site with our crew when they arrive and when they leave (after the installation is finished). Holes are not dug until JULIE (utility marking) takes place.


Even though we do our best to install your fence on the planned date, dates can change if the weather is bad and/or scheduling delays occur. If any changes need to be made, our operations team will let you know.


Underground Utilities

We are going to call JULIE to help us find and mark your power lines, cable lines, and gas lines. We try our best not to hit these lines during the installation by following the lines.


Public Utilities versus Private Utilities

It is the homeowner's job to find and mark all private services (electrical, sprinklers,etc). We won't be responsible for any damage to private services that aren't marked or that are marked but not moved away from the fence line. Electrical lines for outdoor lights, power to a back garage, sprinkler systems, drain tiles, septic fields, private gas lines, and other things are examples of private utilities. Please call our office if you have any questions about what a private service is.


We have to dig into your yard to put up the fence, so any private utilities that are in the way will be hit.


The power will need to be moved away from the fence line so that it doesn't get damaged. This needs to be done before the date of our service.

OR

You can try to get the fence line farther away from the power line. This might not always work, based on where your property line is.


We don't want to damage your property and we want to keep our crew safe. Please remember to mark the ones that are private with flags and/or spray paint.


PRIVATE UTILITIES - SPRINKLERS AND ELECTRICAL LINES

Please be advised JULIE will NOT mark your private utilities. Private utilities must be marked and called out prior to installation as we have no knowledge of where these are located and damage may occur.


GET YOUR LANDSCAPING READY

If there is landscaping near where the fence is going to be put up, please either cut back or move any plants, trees, shrubs, or flowers that could get hurt during the installation before we get there. We don't have the right tools to do this without damaging your landscaping. We will do our best to preserve vegetation but often it is unpreventable if it is within 12" of the fence installation zone.


We can also take care of small bush and tree removal as well as branch trimming for an extra fee.


NOTIFY YOUR FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS

The people who live next door should be told when you're having your fence put up if you haven't already. Its a good practice so they won't be shocked when they see our crew working in your yard.


DAY OF THE INSTALLATION

For installation, you or someone else who owns the land and makes decisions must be home. Our customers are happiest with their fence projects when they are home and can answer any questions our crew may have during the day. You do not have to be home during the entire installation, but it is a good practice to be there when we start and periodically throughout the install process.


Here's what you can usually expect to happen after our crew gets there to put up your new fence.


Before they start installing, our crew will need to have access to water (for the concrete post footings) and power (for any power tools that are used).


You will need to give our team about 15 minutes to go over the job scope and layout when we arrive. You will also need to make sure that any gates are in the right place and swing in the right direction.


If we have been hired to take down an old fence, we will do so before we start any new work. We will also take it away when we're done installing your new fence if that's part of the scope of the project.


When they start working on your fence, our crew will bring all of the items into your yard.


HOW TO INSTALL

When they put up your fence, our crew will follow the drawn plans on your contract and your plat of survey. They will also pay attention to the lines that show where public and private services are and do their best not to hit them during the installation.


You shouldn't freak out if something gets hit during installation. If you call our office at 630-349-4420, we'll work with the power company to fix the problem.


When it's done

The team will go with you around the job site and go over the installation. At this point, you need to let them know about any worries or questions you have. The crew will take care of your worries while they are there, or they will let you know if they need to come back. You can call our office at 630-349-4420 if you find something later that worries you. We will look into your worries and work with you to find a solution.


After that, the crew will want you to sign off on the job. Payment is due when the job is complete. Payment is automatically charged upon completion unless other arrangements have been approved.


Always remember this: You will be able to tell that work was recently done in your yard, just like when you build something outside. In your yard, there will likely be dirt from the post holes and tangled grass from the materials and the crew. If the gardening wasn't moved away from the fence area, it may also be damaged. If it has recently rained, the ground near your placement will be muddy as well. We do our best to leave each place as clean as we found it, but sometimes we can't help but make a mess.


Worry Free Guarantee

You can enjoy your new fence without worrying about it! Don't forget that most of our fences need to be registered with our suppliers so that the material warranty on them will cover it. All warranties must be registered and follow our procedure in order to qualify. Please read more about our Worry Free Guarantee here. Most go-backs that we do are for gate adjustments. All that takes is a quick call or email to our office and we will get it on the go-back list. Please note that go-backs are not immediate and are often accommodated in between other projects as time allows.

76 Fence offers its residential and commercial customers additional resources. Learn more about our company's products, services and warranties; find out how to finance your fence; and discover the best way to maintain your fence so it looks good for many years to come. Our service areas include the greater Chicagoland area, please visit our service area page for more information.

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