"anna" wrote in message
om...
I plan to add a fence to my backyard, and am thinking to go to Home
Depot to get them to install the fence as well as purchasing the fence
from there.

If I get Home Depot to install the fence, are the installer or
contractor?
What values does a fence contractor add to the work?

Normally how do people go about adding a fence to their backyard? I
had already contacted the town to get a permit, but how do I find (or
decide on) a contractor and where to buy the fence.

Thanks

I would definitely get three bids. You might find that HD is not the
cheapest, the fastest, the best, or has the best terms. Also, there are
some issues to consider when you have places like HD install things like
fences. My mother had a kitchen install by Lowe's. They subcontract things
to independent contractors. They might have several on a list and THEY
choose who will do the job. You will probably have to pay HD IN FULL before
the job starts. If you have a problem like my mother did with her kitchen,
you are pretty much shit out of luck. The contractor is working for HD, not
you. You paid IN FULL prior to the start of the job. There is very little
leverage you can use to get problems resolved. If you do decide to have HD
install the fence, make sure you pay by credit card. That will give you a
little more leverage as you can contest the transaction under the term of
your credit card agreement.

If you hire a contractor, they will be working directly for YOU. You get to
pick who does the work. You can arrange to pay part of the fee in advance
and the balance on satisfactory completion of the job. If there is a
problem, the contactor will be more inclined to fix it if you haven't yet
made the final payment. It is more likely that your fence will get
installed in a timely manner if the contractor is waiting on his check.
Otherwise, he/she could start it and then spend a few hours here and there
on the job, juggling dozens of jobs simultaneously - after all, you already
paid. What should be a two day project could stretch into several weeks.
If you think I'm kidding, I'm not. I had a contractor take six weeks to
satisfactorily complete a paint job on my great room!

Installing a fence isn't rocket science, but it does take some basic skills.
You might be able to do it yourself with a friend, but if you have never
done any home improvment project that require use of power tools, I wouldn't
recommend that you start with the installation of a fence. If you want to
get an idea of what's involved, go to the library or buy a book on the
subject. You can find such books for a few dollars on the rack at HD.