Considerations

Questions to ask when choosing a fence company.

We want you to be happy with your fence, so here are some questions we would ask if we were investing in our property.

How long have they been in business?

While we understand that every company has a starting point, you may be surprised to learn how many fence companies come under different names every few years due to poor customer service, quality issues- the list goes on and on. For example, if you search “fence co” under Corporation Entities on the Oklahoma Secretary of State’s website, you will find over 200 registered entities.

Red River Fence has been in business since March 2012, and this can be verified through the Oklahoma Secretary of State’s website.

Is their fence company licensed, bonded, and insured?

This is a critical question- not all fence companies are licensed, bonded, and insured, and the last thing you need as a homeowner is an uninsured contractor getting injured on your property. As a homeowner, you are legally liable for any person who may get injured on your property. Red River Fence provides our license, insurance, and bond information with every estimate we send to our customers.

Do they have a physical business address/location for their business? Or are they working out of the back of their truck?

If they do not have their physical address listed and are using a PO Box, these are red flags for concern. How will you find them when you have a problem with your fence? What happens if they change their phone number? Our address and phone number are listed on all documents, as well as on our websites. We want you to be able to find us! Red River Fence, LLC is located at 100 North Falcon Drive in Oklahoma City 73127, one block west of the Outlet Mall at Reno and Council. 12 years same location!

Do they provide references?

Red River Fence can and will provide dozens of references upon request. We encourage you to contact as many of our customers as possible to feel comfortable with your decision. We have a spreadsheet ready and waiting of current customers who have volunteered to tell you about their experience with our company.

Do they have reviews on Google/Angie’s List/Facebook?

Research is significant! Check out what other people say about their experiences with the companies you’re considering. In addition to our references, we encourage you to check our reviews on Google, Angie’s List, Yelp and Facebook.

Do they have knowledgeable staff?

Do they clarify the types of materials available, the process from start to finish, your role as the homeowner, and their role as the fence contractor? Red River Fence believes that you, as our valued customer, should know what to expect, and we pride ourselves on our level of communication and transparency throughout the process. We are available and more than happy to answer all of your questions!

How quickly will they get back to you?

This is one frustrating concern that we hear from many of our customers. They will contact a fence company, only to be shunned for days, weeks, or sometimes months waiting to hear back from them. This is a potential problem: if they won’t return your phone calls, and you have to chase them down for an estimate, what will it be like after the installation, and you’ve run into problems with the fence?

Red River Fence is located at 100 N Falcon Dr, and our office hours are Monday-Friday, 8 am-4:30 pm. If you call during business hours and reach our answering service, we are assisting another customer, and if you leave your contact information, we will immediately call you back. Likewise, if you leave a message outside operating hours, one of our owners will return your phone call on the next business day. We value you as our customer!

Has your estimate been hand-written on a piece of notepaper?

This is a common practice; however, Red River Fence uses state-of-the-art software to provide you with a quote within minutes of an inquiry. Should you choose Red River Fence for your fence installation, our contract spells out the materials, hardware, gates, locations, and an accurate satellite measurement of your property. We are very transparent.

Do they specify the type of wood they are using in their estimate?

“Whitewood” is not a type of wood. Therefore, red River Fence only installs Selkirk Kiln dried Canadian cedar and USA Western Red cedar, which is a true 7/8” picket and will always specify this on our estimates and contracts, explain the difference, and give you a choice. Click here to learn more about Selkirk and USA Western Red Cedar.

Are they asking for money upfront to purchase materials?

This is another red flag. Please do not pay money upfront. Red River Fence does not require money upfront. The fencing process is stressful enough without you worrying about whether or not we will take your money and run, so payment is not due until the job is complete. Please beware of any company or contractor asking for any money upfront. This signifies that they may be using your money to buy materials for their other customers due to cash flow problems. We would strongly recommend that you never give the company money upfront.

Do they offer to finance?

We are proud to offer local financing through Tinker Federal Credit Union. TFCU provides loans as high as $25,000 and as low as $500 to even the most credit-challenged people. In addition, interest rates are as low as 9.9%. You can apply here.

Will they schedule your job and arrive when they say they will be there?

Communication is very important to us. Once you sign a contract, we’ll let you know what days we have available and schedule your fence installation on the first available date unless you have a specific request. The afternoon before your scheduled installation, you will receive an email and a text at 2 pm reminding you of your fence installation appointment. Red River Fence is usually booked two weeks out. If we need to reschedule your installation (due to weather, for example), our office will contact you as soon as possible to discuss new dates.

Do they use sub-contractors?

This is very important. Most fence companies and big box home improvement stores will sell you a fence, then sub-contract the job out to uninsured subcontractors who get paid by the foot and do not necessarily care about you or the quality of their installation. Their main goal is to get to the next job. Red River Fence does not use subcontractors; Our crew consists of one of the owners of our company. We are very hands-on from start to finish of your project.

How long will the actual fence installation take?

This is another big question. Most fence companies will schedule multiple same-day jobs; they’ll come and tear out your old fence at the beginning of the week, set your new posts, leave your backyard open for days, and then come back and hang your panels on Thursday or Friday of that week. This is a problem- what about your dogs? What about your neighbor’s dogs? Suppose it rains? This is unacceptable for Red River Fence. All of our jobs are one-day installations. Depending on the complexity, some may run into two days, but we consider all these possible issues when installing your fence. We realize that you want your fence installed properly and efficiently.

Where do they purchase their materials?

All materials are not created equal! Although most fence companies purchase some of their materials from the same suppliers that Red River Fence uses, many will go to the big box home centers and buy sub-standard materials to save money, which in turn compromises the quality of the fence they install, which will cost you money in the long run. Cheap is cheap for a reason! Red River Fence purchases our Fencing pickets directly from Blu Linx, a nationwide building material wholesaler specializing in top-of-the-line Selkirk Canadian inland Cedar and USA Western Red Cedar 7/8” thick pickets, and other reputable suppliers. All of the cedar we purchase by semi truckload directly coming from the lumber mills located in the USA or Canada. Beware of the low-quality Japanese cedar fence material imported from Japan being peddled as prime cedar. This is not a quality product whatsoever, and if you have it installed, you will quickly find this out and have buyer’s remorse.

What gauge steel posts are they using?

Red River Fence uses commercial-grade schedule 20 steel 9’posts on all of our 6’ wood installations. We are made in the USA!

Are they “eyeballing” the post-placement, or are they using string lines, levels, and measuring tapes?

Red River Fence uses string lines, post levels, and measuring tapes for accuracy when setting up our posts. Unfortunately, “Close enough” is not good enough!

Do they install a Gate Brace and drop rod on each gate they install?

Most companies will install a 2x4 or a picket as a brace and offer a metal gate kit as an up-sell option. However, Red River Fence installs the Gate Brace, a metal anti-sag gate kit, and a 4’ metal drop rod on every gate we install.

Do they have a warranty? Will they stand behind it?

Red River Fence has a standard one-year warranty on labor and materials installed by us; however, we cannot be held responsible for damages caused by acts of God and customer neglect. Normal wood split and or knot holes are not covered under our warranty. This is the main reason we use Canadian Selkirk kiln dried cedar as our primary fence picket. This product is far superior to any product on the market.

Do they make you feel valued as a customer?

We feel this is very important. Red River Fence does not want only to build your fence- we want to build relationships. You will tell friends and acquaintances about your experience with our company if you feel valued. Our goal is to continually be the #1 fence company in Oklahoma through our 2nd to none customer service and quality materials. So if you choose Red River Fence, we promise you will not be disappointed.