Three conversations before a Traverse City fence
A new fence touches more people than the one who pays for it. The neighbors live with its back side, the city has a say in where it stands and how tall it gets, and the contractor turns your idea into posts and boards. Having those three conversations in order, before anyone digs, can save a fence from being moved, cut down or rebuilt. This page walks through each one, then lists what to put in front of every bidder.
What NOAA lists for the Traverse City station
NOAA's engineering weather data lists a station named Traverse City, at an elevation of 623 feet. For that station it gives a 1% summer design temperature of 86°F, with a mean coincident wet-bulb temperature of 70°F, and a 99% winter design temperature of 2°F.
First conversation: the people next door
Start with the neighbors whose yards meet yours. Show them a rough sketch: where the fence runs, how tall it will be and which side faces them. Some people care which way the finished face points; others want to know whether a gate will open toward their driveway. A neighbor may also want to share the cost of a fence on the common line, and that agreement belongs on paper.
The sketch only works if the line is right. Find your survey or plat, and look for the iron pins or other markers at the corners. If you can't find them, or they don't agree with what the neighbors believe, a land surveyor can locate and flag the corners before the fence is laid out. Ask each contractor how far inside the line it plans to set the posts and who checks the stakes on install day.
Second conversation: the city
Ask the city early, while the design can still change:
- Does a fence of this height and style need a permit or a zoning review?
- How far back from the sidewalk, the street and the side lot lines may it stand?
- Are front-yard and back-yard height limits different?
- On a corner lot, does a sight area near the intersection have to stay open?
- Which way must the finished side face, if the city has a rule about it?
- If the fence surrounds a pool, what does the city expect of the barrier and its gates?
Homeowners associations and condominium boards can have their own fence rules on top of the city's. If you have one, read its rules and ask whether its sign-off comes first.
Third conversation: the contractors
Ask every company the same questions, and write the answers on its bid.
- "What state license or registration, if any, covers this work, and what is the number?"
- Who will apply for any permit, and is the fee included?
- Who will place the request with the state's one-call utility locating service, and how much notice does it need?
- Can you show proof of liability coverage and workers' compensation?
- Will your own crew build the fence, or a subcontractor?
Ask whether the public locate reaches private lines as well, and walk the line with the crew lead to point out anything you know of: a lawn sprinkler loop, a cable to a garden light, a gas line to a grill or a buried dog fence. Call your own insurer if you have questions about how your policy treats work in the yard.
Details that separate one fence from another
Two bids that both say "privacy fence" can describe different fences, so ask about the parts underneath the label.
Posts. What are they made of, and for wood, are they rated for ground contact? Will they sit in concrete, gravel or compacted soil? How deep will each hole go, and why that depth? How far apart are line posts, and are the corner, end and gate posts heavier?
Rails and infill. How many rails per section, and what fastens them? Will the boards, pickets, vinyl panels, metal sections or chain-link fabric be the same on both faces?
Gates. How wide is each one, and does a mower, a wheelbarrow or a trailer have to pass through? Which hinges and latch come with it, and how is it braced so it stays square?
Finish. For wood, is stain or sealer included, and who decides when it goes on? For coated metal or vinyl, is a touch-up kit included?
Where Traverse City's tap water comes from
Traverse City's drinking water source is Lake Michigan. Its intake is a steel-and-wood crib about 15 feet across, lying about 40 feet below the surface, and a low-service pump station sends raw water from there to the filtration plant.
A bid sheet to hand out
Write one page and give a copy to each company you call. Ask them to fill in, or price, every line:
- the layout, with the total length, each corner and each gate marked;
- height, material and infill style;
- post size, material, depth, spacing and how each is anchored;
- the number of rails per section and the fasteners;
- gate widths, hardware and bracing;
- tearing out and hauling off an old fence, including old footings;
- clearing along the line, and what happens if a hole hits rock or roots;
- who handles the permit, any association approval and the utility locate;
- finishing, cleanup and what leaves the yard;
- warranty terms for materials and labor;
- deposit, payment steps and a start window.
When the sheets come back, compare them line against line. A missing line is a question for that company, not a saving.