FENCEWORKS INC

Nice experience, in fact getting ready to buy a fence from them

It went really well as anticipated. Brad was our salesperson (again) and just like the first time he was friendly and professional. He listened to what we wanted and then walked the property, took measurements and wrote the quote right at our dining room table. He paid particular attention to our neighbor's property line as one of their fenceposts - connected to a gate, was actually on our property. He said they would move this post (at no addtional charge) and that the neighbor's fence would look and work exactly like it did now, but allow us to sink our posts in the correct spot. He explained how/where we could obtain our permit and told us that as soon as we had that and our plat we could schedule the installation. We called on a Friday to set up an installation date. Because we both work full time we needed a Saturday and while the company was more than happy to do this, they were booked up for serveral consecutive Saturdays. The offered to send a project manager out that very next day to walk the yard, retrieve the plat and meet with one of us. They explained that we didn't need to be home during the acutal job as long as we met with them beforehand. So they came out the very next day - calling me before they came over and showing up exactly when they estimated they would the day before. The day of the job they called me when they arrivedat my home and again when they were finishing up . When I came home a note was left in my mailbox asking me to check the fence and let them know if I had any concerns, questions etc and the copy of my plat was returned. If I had any fence left to put up, I'd have them back a third time!

Job well done. No complaints. Was the best quote.

There was a problem with an accurate proposal. This was ultimately corrected by the owner after I complained. The work by the fence builder (carpenter) was superior! This fence was custom built and he worked quickly and competently. The end result is a well-built and attractive fence.

Since out garden was going to be featured in the Old Irving Park garden walk, we were concerned about damage to established flower beds and bushes. Minimal damage was done. The workers were considerate in checking on important little things like the swing of the three gates and positioning of the locking mechanisms. They were also considerate in working in the neighbor's property.

Back to Fenceworks, this time for an outdoor trampoline. It will make a great holiday gift for the grandkids, even though they won't be able to use it til Spring. Did my research. They carry Ally-Oop, which are considered the best and safest models in the market. And the Fenceworks people had their act together--they knew everything about trampolines. Nice people too. Everything went smooth and when the Spring comes, the kids will be jumping for joy. The Fenceworks people not only have great products but you can tell they really have a passion for them. What I didn't know about trampolines before, I know now.

We got approximately 6 estimates for a new fence. Fenceworks was not the cheapest, but had the most thorough and professional estimate. During installation, one of the crew had a family emergency, causing the job to go into a second day, but the remaining crew member worked so hard to get as much done as possible so that the second day would get done quickly. We were very impressed by his dedication. Our hostas got trampled a bit, but you can't really complain when the fence runs right through the middle of them. Otherwise, clean up was done well and the quality of the workmanship/materials was what we had hoped to receive.

When we started looking recently to put in two side fences and gates on the side of our house to "fence in" the backyard my first call was to Fenceworks because I've heard of them and always get their flyers in the mail- they had good reviews on Angie's List as well. I got an appt and Rob came out and spent about 20 minutes with us and scoped it out and we decided on aluminum fences and gates. He told me he'd have a proposal to me in 3 days - I was hoping for sooner because we were eager to get started. I got a sloppy handwritten proposal on lined, non-letterhead paper from them about 4-5 days later with a flippant email to the effect of if we're serious they'll do a real proposal. I didn't feel like spending the time or effort to check out another company and the price seemed OK even though Rob was unwilling to negotiate. So I told them we were going to move forward and I went to get the permit. Just before I was about to sign the contract my sis-in-law told me I should check out their biggest competitor because they had a good experience with this other company and they came in lower than Fenceworks. I was reluctant because of timing (Rob told us 3 week lead time on the materials and was unwilling to schedule install until they had the materials in hand), so I decided to place one call to the other company, explain the urgency and see how they responded. They were ultimately way more eager for the business than Fenceworks, were willing to give a committed install date much sooner than 3+ weeks, and came in a tad lower on price. Here is a shocking actual email exchange between me and Rob, the longtime salesman. Needless to say, I am SO GLAD we decided not to do business with a company like this and will never be calling them or recommending them! "Ms. Hilbert, Please do not consider us again and do not call us in the future. Rob" From: XXXXSent: Sunday, July 22, 2012 11:38 PMTo: tammy@theguyon41.com; fenceworks.rob@gmail.comSubject: RE: Fenceworks Proposal Rob-I saw you called a few times- my apologies for the lack of response as I was out of town most of last week. Ultimately, we decided to go with one of your competitors as we were not comfortable with the vague promise of an installation date. We were able to get a firm install date from another company that also was sooner than your estimate. Timing is important to us given we're already 1/2 way through Summer. We appreciate you coming out and will consider Fenceworks next year when we're ready to do our back fence. Regards,XXXX

Pass by Fenceworks on 41 all the time. Only have heard good things. Stopped in to get info on a swing set for grandkids. Lucked out. End of season display samples were on sale. Was treated like a good friend. They're so nice. And they are so completely knowledgeable. Bought it. Had it installed at their house. Kids are thrilled. I've seen a lot of different swingsets at stores, and most are pretty cheap and don't look they would last a season. This one fron Fenceworks is solid, sturdy and has tons of safety features. Very high quality. I know I could have shopped and found a less expensive model, but I like quality--it's always worth it in the long run. Couldn't say enough good things about the family that runs it. Will be back in a few years to buy a basketball system for my grandson.

Well. Professional, prompt, straightforward. Work and materials were high quality. Price was a little higher than nearest competitor, but job quality and service were worth the price.

He came out and actually told us not to go through with the work! We were needing $2000-$3000 worth of work so I didn't understand why he chose to walk away! He said to call him in 2 years when we were ready for a replacement.

The process to get the estimate didn't take long - the estimate was thorough. It did take a little bit longer than expected to get the installation scheduled and the communication about installation date could have been more proactive. The installers were very dedicated - even working through the front end of a bad storm. The entire job took a little bit over a day. The finished fence looks good - a few loose boards but not a big deal to fix. The clean-up was just OK.

These guys were very good and they fixed it in one day. Their price was very expensive. They removed the old posts and the concrete, put in the new posts and poured the concrete on that. They hauled all the old stuff away and it looked neat and tidy. I would grade them high across all categories.

The company representative measured and provided an estimate immediately. On the day of installation, the fence was installed by a crew almost before I knew it. They worked quickly, carefully, and diligently. The only problem, and it wasn't serious since I was home, was that no one called to let me know that the fence was going to be installed that day. It didn't matter, because I was anxious to have it finished, but I was surprised they hadn't called to confirm the fact that I was there, especially because the crew checked with me to verify some details, and if I wouldn't have been there, that wouldn't have been possible. Otherwise, it was an entirely professional group of people to deal with.

Next time you buy a house that has a Basketball Standard, find out who installed it. It would have been less money if Fenceworks has been the original installer.

(See beginning of story above) When I called to complain to the company, I spoke to the owner who did the estimate, and I've never experienced a service person so rude. Basically, he yelled at me, talked over me, and kept repeating that it wasn't his fault that the estimate wasn't anywhere near the ballpark of what he originally gave-- that sometimes these things happen. I explained that I knew that sometimes this happened, in situations where the company HONESTLY DOESN'T KNOW how long a repair will take, but in this instance, the company knew full well what was involved prior to the work being started (see above). He did not care, and continued to yell at me. I then pointed out the second issue-- which was that I received a voicemail message after the work was completed, indicating that the company had charged my credit card upon which I had put a deposit, the remainder of the cost of the repair. This was done WITHOUT MY APPROVAL. They did not call to confirm that this was the credit card upon which I'd like the balance to be charged. I explained to the owner that this was ILLEGAL and as a result of the company's actions, I was going to incur fees from my credit card company b/c the charge would exceed my the limit on the card (I had intended to use a different card). When I explained this to the owner, he said he'd have to "check on it" and that it was "my fault" that I gave them a card in which I was close to my limit (not acknowledging the fact that he had not gotten my approval, which would have avoided the limit issue). So, the owner asked how much I'd like refunded. I said 1/3 of the cost (b/c of the amount of time it actually took and the credit card issue). He yelled "absolutely not" and offered me $50 as a ?gesture?, yet this alone would only cover the credit card fee. I told him that I was going to take it to the next level. *Oh-- and the best offer of his was when he said that "he could come over to dig up the fence and refund us our money." I think that sentence just about sums up the quality of this company.

It went well. Other companies I had contacted did obtain the permit. With Fenceworks, I had to go to the village and obtain the permit. They finished the installation in less than 5 hours, the installers were very nice and professional.

Fenceworks were quick to give an estimate, responsive to all calls, arrived on the date scheduled, completed work in one day, and left the area very clean.

They called back right away. They were very prompt and professional. They were a little expensive, but the work was excellent and fast.

Since they sent me a mailer but don't do business in my town, they wasted my time and trees mailing brochures to zip codes they don't do business in.

There were no problems and they did a great job. I would recommend them to other people any time. They are hard working and very professional. The quality of the fence is amazing and they are easy to work with on the price as well. I was pleased.

Overall, not a good experience. The communication was poor to nonexistent. We weren't told we needed a permit, then were told we were holding up the work because we didn't have one. We got a permit right away, and called in the information, but they kept telling the neighbor we didn't have a permit, so he became frustrated with us. We weren't home the day they did the work. The fence itself was fine, except for it was higher than the rest of the fence, so we had to call to get them to come back to fix (apparently the salesman wrote put the wrong height on the order). We were never given a contract or an invoice for our portion of the work, they billed the neighbor, so he wasn't happy about that either. They trampled several plants, which I would have transplanted had I known they weren't going to work around them. They were completely unwilling to admit the plant damage and told me they'll come back fine next year (which I highly doubt).

The original fence was covered in ivy and we paid our landscaper to remove and pull back the ivy, so the fence could be torn down and rebuilt. However, Fenceworks then cut down the staked back ivy and removed it without asking us or even our neighbor(the crew chief Lucas admitted to us "I made a mistake.") We followed up with Fenceworks and they have refused to take responsibility for their actions and pay for replacement ivy. In addition, they (more than one person) have been verbally abusive and rude to us. When we showed them before pictures (with ivy) and after (without ivy) they told us we were lying, or that our landscaping service had "somehow" destroyed the ivy. After numerous conversations, we are frustrated and disappointed and have no ivy. We would never hire Fenceworks or recommend them.

They sent a guy out to measure the yard, never heard from them again.

Very helpful when I called. Timely.