The installation itself usually takes 2 to 3 working days, spread over about a week so the concrete around the posts can set. Before that come the estimate, the permit, the MISS DIG 811 notice and our schedule. In Lincoln Park there is one more step in the middle: the city inspects the post holes before concrete goes in.
What happens, in order
- Free visit to measure, then a written quote.
- Permit application with a mortgage survey or plot plan.
- MISS DIG 811 request, at least 3 business days before digging.
- Old fence out and holes dug. In Lincoln Park, the city inspects the holes at 42 inches before posts are set in concrete.
- Concrete sets. Then rails, boards or fabric, and the gates.
- Final inspection by the city, clean-up and a walk along the fence with you.
What slows a fence job down in Lincoln Park?
- Spring, when the ground thaws and everyone calls at once.
- Waiting on the city: permit review and the post hole inspection, which the city schedules on weekdays.
- Old chain link on the line that cannot come out until the neighbors consent.
- Frozen ground in the depth of winter.
- Wet clay after heavy rain, which makes holes cave in.
- Roots, buried slabs and old footings.
- Custom gates or materials that are not in stock.
We are getting a dog in three weeks and have no fence. What is fastest?
Call today. Some of those three weeks go to the permit and the MISS DIG notice. In-stock materials such as chain link and standard wood panels go up fastest. If the whole yard cannot be done in time, we can fence a smaller dog area first and finish the rest after.
We are putting in a pool. Fence before or after?
Both, in stages. The pool builder needs a wide opening for equipment, so that side of the fence waits until the digging is done. The full barrier then has to be up and pass the city's inspection before the pool can be used.
My association says fix the fallen panels by Monday and my contractor keeps delaying. Can a handyman patch it?
Yes, a handyman patch on your own fence is your call, and it usually meets the deadline. Read your contract first, then tell the contractor in writing what was patched and why. That keeps the later repair and the bill clear.
The only real price is one measured on your lot. Call (313) 723-2710 for a free on-site estimate, or text a photo of the fence line to the same number.