Who can build a fence in Yuba City
Before you compare board styles or colors, it helps to know the rule California applies to the people who do the work. California requires a Contractors State License Board license for construction work that needs a building permit or uses any additional worker, or whose combined labor, materials and other costs reach $1,000 or more. A larger job may not be split into pieces under $1,000 to get around the limit.
Put one question to every company that comes out to bid: "Does the job need a building permit, use any additional worker, or reach $1,000 in combined labor, materials and other costs, and if so, what is your CSLB license number?" Write the answer at the top of that company's quote, along with the name of the person who gave it, so you can look it up later.
Questions for the city before you choose a height
A fence plan can change once you learn what the city allows on your lot, so ask early. Useful questions for the city's permit counter:
- Does a fence of the height you have in mind need a permit, and what does the review look at?
- How close to the sidewalk, the street or a side lot line may the fence stand?
- Is the height allowed in a front yard different from the height allowed behind the house?
- On a corner lot, is there an area near the intersection that has to stay open so drivers can see?
- If the fence encloses a pool, what does the city ask of the barrier and its gates?
If your home is under a homeowners association, read its fence rules too, and ask whether its approval comes before the city's or after it. Then ask each contractor whether it will handle any application and whether the fee sits inside the price or on top of it.
Pin down the property line
A fence that wanders onto a neighbor's land can turn into a lasting dispute. Dig out your deed, plat or survey and look for the corner markers on the ground. If they are missing or you can't tell which is which, a land surveyor can locate and flag them.
Talk with the people on each side before any work starts. A neighbor who has seen the plan can raise questions before a crew is in the side yard, and some neighbors may want to split the cost of a fence on the shared line. Ask each contractor who stakes the line on install day and how far inside it the posts will sit.
Before the first hole is dug
Ask the contractor who will place the request with the state's one-call utility locating service, and how much notice that service wants. Ask whether the public locate covers anything on your side of the meter; private lines may not be marked. Sprinkler pipes, a line to a pool pump, low-voltage garden lights, a buried feed to a shed and an invisible pet fence can all be missed. Walk the planned line with the crew lead and point out anything you know of, and ask how the crew digs near a line it can't see.
Picking a material for the job
Start from what the fence has to do: hold a dog, screen a patio, keep children near a pool, or simply frame the front yard.
- Wood takes paint or stain and can be repaired a board at a time; ask about the species, the grade and how the boards are fastened.
- Vinyl comes in its own color; ask about the wall thickness of the rails and how panels attach to posts.
- Ornamental aluminum or steel keeps the view open; ask about the coating and how a scratch is touched up.
- Chain link is a plain way to contain pets; ask whether a coated finish or privacy slats are part of the quote.
Ask every company what the material will need from you over the years and what its own written warranty covers apart from the maker's.
Posts and gates deserve the hardest questions
Panels and pickets can be swapped later. Posts can be hard to correct once they are set, so ask:
- what the posts are made of and, for wood, whether they are rated for ground contact;
- whether they will be set in concrete, gravel or tamped soil, and how water drains away from the base;
- how deep the holes will go and why the contractor chose that depth;
- how far apart line posts stand, and whether corner, end and gate posts are heavier.
A gate swings every time someone uses it. Ask how wide each gate will be, whether a mower or trailer has to pass, which hinges and latch are included, and how the gate is braced so it does not sag.
Yuba City's water supply
Yuba City's primary water source is the Feather River. The city's water treatment plant, built in 1969, treats about 20 million gallons a day on average and was upgraded in 2005 from 24 to 36 million gallons a day, adding membrane filtration.
Coverage and the contract
Ask each company for proof of liability coverage and workers' compensation before work starts, and call your own insurer if you are unsure what your homeowner's policy covers during the job. Ask for the contract in writing, read the payment steps, and ask what happens to the price if the crew finds an old footing or a buried slab in a post hole.
What each written quote should show
Hold every quote to the same list:
- a sketch of the fence line with each gate marked and the total length;
- the height and the infill style: boards, pickets, panels, mesh or bars;
- what the posts are, how they are anchored and how far apart they stand;
- each gate's width, hinges, latch and bracing;
- whether tearing out an old fence and hauling it away is included;
- who applies for any permit or association approval;
- how soil from the holes and leftover material leave the yard;
- the written warranty for materials and for labor;
- the CSLB number the company gave you;
- the start date, the deposit and each payment step.
When one quote skips a line, ask that company to fill it in before you compare totals.