The installation itself usually takes 2 to 3 working days, spread across about a week so the concrete around the posts has time to set. Before that come the estimate, the city fence permit, any association approval, the utility locate and our schedule.
What happens, in order
- Free on-site estimate, measurements and a written quote.
- Saint Paul fence permit, or the approval your suburb or association requires.
- Gopher State One Call notice, at least 48 hours ahead not counting the day of notice, weekends or holidays.
- Post holes dug below frost depth and posts set in concrete.
- Rails, boards or panels and gates installed, then cleanup.
What slows a fence job down in Saint Paul?
- Frozen ground from roughly December to March, when digging is slow or not practical.
- Soft, wet yards during the spring thaw, and the rush of calls that comes with it.
- Permit review, and heritage preservation review where it applies.
- No alley or driveway access, so material is carried in by hand.
- Rock near the bluffs, tree roots and old footings.
- Special-order gates, colors and panels.
We are getting a dog in three weeks and have no fence. What is fastest?
With a dog in three weeks, schedule the estimate now. The permit and the utility notice use up part of that time before a hole is dug. Chain link and standard wood are stocked locally and go up quickest. If time runs short, we fence a small area off the back door first and finish the yard after.
We are putting in a pool. Fence before or after?
Do it in two parts. Design the fence with the pool, build what will not be in the way, and close the last run after the excavator leaves. The city inspects pool fences, and the barrier needs to be complete before the pool is used.
My association says fix the fallen panels by Monday and my contractor keeps delaying. Can a handyman patch it?
Yes. A temporary handyman patch on your own fence is your choice to make and usually satisfies a deadline. Read your contract first, and tell the contractor in writing what was done so it does not confuse the later repair.
The only firm number is a written quote for your own yard, and the estimate is free. Call (651) 362-2183 or text us a photo of the fence line.