What the City of Erie says about height and placement
Two measurements and one boundary rule frame a fence plan in Erie before anyone talks about boards or panels. The City of Erie says the maximum fence height is 6'6" in a residential district and 8'6" in a non-residential district, and that a fence may be placed up to, but not past, the property line. The city points to Article 2, section 204.19 of its Zoning Ordinance.
Ask the city's Zoning Office which district your parcel sits in, and ask each company to write the height it plans on its proposal so you can compare the figure with the city's answer.
Zoning approval and the permit counter
The City of Erie says all building permits require zoning approval, including those for interior renovations, though only some need a plot plan; the Zoning Office can be reached at (814) 870-1265.
The city also says building permit applications are submitted at the Code Enforcement office in Room 407 of the City of Erie Municipal Building, and that for minor projects a permit will often be granted at the time of application.
Questions to carry from those two passages:
- Ask the Zoning Office whether your fence application calls for a plot plan, and what it should show.
- Ask each bidder whether it prepares and submits the application, or expects you to.
- Ask the Code Enforcement office whether your fence would be handled as a minor project.
How tall is "tall" on your lot?
A height on paper can be measured more than one way in a yard. A fence on a slope may be taller on its downhill side than at its uphill end, and decorative caps or a lattice band can sit above the top rail. Ask the Zoning Office where it takes the measurement from, and ask each company how it measures the height it quotes: from the soil, from the bottom rail, to the top of the boards or to the top of the posts. If the two answers differ, settle the question before the order goes in.
Pinning down the boundary
Knowing where your property line sits is worth an afternoon before anyone drives a stake. Look through your closing papers for a survey or plat drawing, then go looking for the iron pins or monuments it describes; a metal detector can help find pins buried under turf. If none turn up, or a neighbor's idea of the line differs from yours, a land surveyor can set or flag the corners. Ask every bidder how far inside the line it intends to place the posts, and who will check its stakes against the corners before any hole is dug.
Which side faces out
Many fence styles have a framed side and a smooth side. Ask the city whether its rules say anything about which side faces the neighbors or the street, and ask your neighbors what they would like to look at. A style that looks finished on both faces can sidestep the question, though it may use more material.
Choosing a material with the next decade in mind
Put the same few questions to each company about the material it priced:
- Wood: which species and grade, whether the posts are rated for burial, and whether stain or sealer is part of the job or left to you.
- Vinyl: the wall thickness of the posts and rails, whether the posts carry an internal stiffener, and what the panel warranty leaves out.
- Aluminum or steel: the coating, how a chip is touched up, and how the panels follow a slope.
- Chain link: the wire gauge, the top rail, and whether coated fabric or slats are in the price.
Gates that suit the way you use the yard
Count the openings you need and what passes through each one: a lawn tractor, a wheelbarrow, bins on collection day, a dog on a leash. Ask for each gate's width, the direction it swings, the latch and whether it locks, how the frame is braced against sagging, and the size of the posts that carry it.
Questions about digging
Ask each company who requests the utility marks before work starts and how far ahead that request goes in. Then jot down whatever you know runs underground between the house and the planned route, perhaps an irrigation pipe, wiring to a shed or a pet containment wire, and show the crew that list before digging begins.
The Pennsylvania registration question
Pennsylvania's Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act requires every contractor who performs at least $5,000 of home improvements a year to register with the state Attorney General's Office.
Ask each company: "Are you registered with the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office as a home improvement contractor, and what is the registration number?" Note the answer, the date and the name of the person who gave it on that company's proposal.
Ask, as well, for proof of liability coverage and workers' compensation, and call your own insurer with any question about how your homeowner's policy treats a crew working on your property.
What each bidder should hand back
Before comparing totals, check that every proposal names:
- the route and its length, drawn on a sketch with each gate marked;
- the planned height, and how that height was measured;
- the material, the post size and spacing, and how the posts are set;
- every gate with its width and hardware;
- who prepares the application and who carries it to Room 407;
- removal of any old fence, hauling and cleanup;
- the material warranty and the workmanship warranty, each in writing;
- the deposit, later payments and a start window;
- the registration answer and the proof of coverage.
A proposal that skips an item is a question for that company before you weigh its price against the others.