Choosing a fence builder in Christchurch

A fence should stand for decades, so the builder matters as much as the timber.

Two fences can look the same on the day they go up. The difference shows up years later.

Here are the questions we would ask if we were the ones hiring, with our own answers.

1. Will I get a written, itemised quote?

You should see materials, labour and any extra work listed separately, not one number on a text message.

Ours break all of that down, so you know exactly what you are paying for. If it is a boundary fence, your neighbour can look at the same numbers.

2. Will someone look at the site first?

Slopes, old fence lines, trees and tight access all change the job.

For anything complex, or if you would rather, we come and look before we price it.

3. Who actually builds it?

Ask whether the team who quotes is the team who turns up.

Our fences are built on site by our own team. Nothing is flat-packed.

4. How are the posts set?

Posts are what hold a fence up in a Canterbury nor'wester, so this is the question that matters most.

• We set posts in concrete, for straightness and strength.
• We space them about 2.4 metres apart or less, so rails do not sag.
• Posts are H4 treated for ground contact. Palings are H3 treated for above ground.

5. What holds it together?

Cheap fixings are how a fence starts to rattle and lean.

• Rails go on with 14 gauge 125mm galvanised screws by default, so they do not work loose.
• Palings go on with 57mm ring shank nails, which resist pulling out.
• Rail joins are staggered across different posts, so there is no single weak point.

6. How will it look when it is finished?

A level top line unless your ground slopes and you would rather follow it, a consistent overlap on lapped palings, and about 50mm between the palings and the ground.

7. Will they look after my property?

A fence job happens in your garden, beside your car and your neighbour's.

We work carefully around gardens, vehicles and belongings, keep the site tidy as we go, and walk through the finished fence with you before we leave.

8. Can I read what other customers say?

Look for reviews you can check for yourself, on a site the builder does not control.

Our Google reviews are on our reviews page, pulled straight from Google.

A few things to sort before you start

• If it is a boundary fence, talk to your neighbour. The cost is usually shared under the Fencing Act 1978.
• In Christchurch, a fence over 2.5 metres needs a building consent.
• Pool fences have their own rules, and any new pool barrier needs a building consent.

Sharing a boundary fence · Pool fence rules · Residential fencing