Details of a Fence Project

Q... How do I determine my property lines? 

A... On the curb on either side of the home there is usually a concrete peg driven into the curbing. This however is not always the case. Sometimes, when no peg is present there will be a line of spray paint with a lot number on either side. In the back yard, there is usually a piece of rebar sticking out of the ground with an orange cap. Other times, home builders use a wood stake with an orange ribbon attached or oftentimes use a green t-post.  

Q... If those visual markers are not there, how do I determine my property line?

A... Zion Fence is not responsible for property lines that are not marked or that are misplaced. You will need to call your homebuilder to have them come out and mark it again or call the city to which you live and get a surveyor out to mark it for you. In some cases you can get a plot map from your city and using one existing property marker you can determine the location of the other side. Lastly, if having a surveyor is not an option than an agreement between two neighbors is sufficient. As long as you both agree where the property line should be and can mark it for us, we can use that for the location of the fence. 

Q... Do we need to contact Blue Stakes?

A... Zion Fence will contact Blue Stakes and have them locate the utilities on your property if we are doing the installation. If you are installing your own fence or doing any work such as digging trenches for sprinklers, or planting a tree you will want to contact Blue Stakes directly by dialing 811.

Q... There is spray paint on my grass that is Orange, Red, and Yellow, what is this?

A... Before you, Zion Fence, or anyone digs in your yard Blue Stakes should be called. Blue Stakes is a free service that will mark the underground utilities. The only exception to this is any utilities added by the homeowner such as running an extra gas line to heat a spa or pool or for a bbq. If you have a line that you have run please notify Zion Fence so we can locate these utilities and keep the environment safe for our employees and your family. The spray paint will fade and with time will disappear. This is why the locate request from Blue Stakes will only be good for a specified time. If you are installing your own fence and need to go past the specified time, please contact Blue Stakes again and have them re mark the utilities. As for the colors, Orange is a phone line, Red is power and Yellow is a gas line. Zion Fence will contact Blue Stakes to mark your property before we begin. If you are installing your own fence, remember that you must hand dig any hole that is within 24" of a marked utility. The phone number for Blue Stakes is 1-800-662-4111 or dial 811.

Q... What is your turn around time?

A... This question can mean one of two things so we will address them both. First, if your question was referring to how quickly we can start your project, it truly depends on the time of year. Spring and Summer (after taxes) are our busiest times and we can be 4-12 weeks out. Early Spring, Fall and Winter we can be as little as 7 days out.

If your question was referring to how quickly we can have your fence installed the answer is 7 days. If we start on a Monday we typically finish the following Monday. The reason for this is, concrete is a compressive strength material. Meaning when you drive or walk on it the concrete is at its absolute strongest. When concrete is around a fence post this would be referred to as tensile strength and this is where concrete is its absolute weakest. If we install the fence panels too quickly the concrete will not have the opportunity to fully cure and the strength will never be at its max. If you place a load on concrete too early the concrete will never achieve more strength than it was the day the load was first applied. However, after about the 4th to 5th day the concrete is cured, the strength is at its peak and the fence panels can be installed thus placing a significant load on the posts/concrete. Zion Fence usually will wait one or two extra days (depending on time of year... Temp, humidity, amount of water in the soil) and feels that 7 days is a perfect amount of time.

Q... Can you only build the fence during the warm months?

A...No. We can build a fence for you anytime you like, the winter is just an obvious time that people assume we do not do any work. We can dig holes and set a fence while there is snow on the ground, and the same timelines apply as mentioned above. We do not usually work in a blizzard or a rainstorm for obvious reasons, so as long as there are clear skies we can handle the project! 

Q... What liabilities does Zion Fence have?

A...We hold a general liability insurance policy as all licensed contractors should. We will go over all of the finite details of the work when we do your pre-construction walk-through to make sure that all of your questions are answered before we start the project.