Golden Fence

Golden Fence installed a cedar fence on 7/28/2014. The contract included a 2yr. workmanship warranty for unforeseen problems. After the 1st. Winter (2014), all the gates (3) would no longer "latch" due to shifting of the posts. It took several calls to get that corrected. We erroneously accepted that issue as an anomaly. After the second winter (2015), at least 9 posts lifted out of the ground (heaved). After over two months and several emails and calls, starting April 21st, Golden Fence has not responded to our request to fix the fence. Pictures are at the following Dropbox location: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/e7lyo18vq1ia24m/AADXE6fYl72uIPIkBJTmxcTWa?dl=0

The good: Our initial contact that came out to assess our property, and the work crew were friendly, and for the most part easy to deal with. They took care of getting the permit, which in Evanston here it's not a big deal to get the permit ourselves, but this was a nice little plus. Once work actually began, the crew arrived promptly, worked at a reasonable pace, and did a thorough job of cleaning up after themselves as they went along. The bad: While we understand installing a privacy fence of this sort is not fine cabinetry work and our fence was installed in the height of the busy season, overall we are not entirely pleased with the installation. They used nails, which I know is an industry standard, but in hindsight my recommendation would be to go with a company like Family Fences that uses screws and constructs their fences more carefully for the same price. A lot of the nailing on ours was haphazard, and entire sections had been skipped. They removed our chain link fence and its posts, but in a couple of places didn't bother to cut the posts low enough and thus the new cedar fence was resting directly on top of these (remedied on our own with a sawzall). The new cedar posts are anchored in concrete, but they did not fill to ground level, so the bottom 6 inches or so of post is sitting in dirt. Again, this seems to be an industry standard, and if you want the concrete to come up ground level, it must be requested (found out later). Little was done to level out the ground in places, and so in many areas the base of the fence panels are also sitting in dirt. Finally, after not hearing from them after making initial payment, called to get on the schedule to begin work. Twice they told me "crew will be there on X" only not to have them show. When they finally did, the crew person that showed up didn't have a clue as to what was being done to our yard, and thus instilled little confidence that things would be done properly. Along the back 30 ft. of yard, there was supposed to be no 1ft of lattice work, as there was on the rest of the fence. It's in our contract. This was not done, and lattice was installed along the back. Again, not a huge deal, but...details. A few weeks after installation we did reach out to them to see if they would be willing to come out to look over the fence. I wanted to give them a chance before leaving this review. After being told they would contact us on a specific day to do so, they never followed up. Final evaluation: They did an ok job. They're probably fine for smaller, off season jobs. In fact, they were recommended to us via a friend that had used them for just that. In hindsight would go with another company that uses screws and does cleaner construction.

I had made an appointment for 11am today to have a person come out to provide a quote. At 11:30am called to ask if their sales person is coming Eric said that they were out but could not find the house. The sales person never called, it took two more calls to Golden Fence speaking to Eric to have their sales person finally call me to reschedule. I declined to reschedule. If I have to keep calling to have someone come out that tells me everything I need to know about future dealings with a company.

The provider was very professional and responsive over the all duration of the project. All the details were taken care. The construction crew completed the installation up-to the spec. At the end the new fence changed completely the look of my property. Good job!

Eric and every member of his crew were polite and easy to work with. The quality of the materials and installation were top notch. They were a pleasure to work with, highly recommended.

The problem was they missed the appointment three times. Set up an appointment for a Friday but called to cancel because they couldn't make it and promised to come the next day. We set a tentative time and I was told a salesman would call to confirm time. I got no call or visit. I wore to them in Angie's list and they apologized and said someone would call me. No one called all week. I reached someone Saturday morning. (One week had passed) and they said I'd get a call soon and they'd get someone out . I got a call back and a time was set for 1. No one called or left a message. I tried calling them and reached no one. I left at 1:45. I never heard from them at all with any explanation. Glad they are so busy, as they don't seem to be interested in my business. As an aside, I contacted 10 firms supposedly in my area 8 days ago. Two firms contacted me immediately, set appointments and showed up on time and sent out estimates. Two sent emails saying they'd contact me within 2 days and it's going on 4 days now. 4 said they didn't service the area and 2 never responded. I'm very disappointed.

I found that emailing Eric was the best communication. His bid was complete and detailed the scope of the work. Due to the nice weather we were able to get the new fence in sooner than I thought. Eric let me know when the crew would be there and when I got home from work they were almost done. The fence is beautiful. i would definitely hire him again!

Two very nice young men came and installed a Bufftech vinyl fence and 2 gates. They worked all day into the dark and did an excellent job. They also took out 3 wooden posts that were already there. These guys were so polite and professional. I would definitely recommend them again.

The company was very professional. It took a bit longer than initially anticipated, but the final product is one to admire. Thank you for all your hard work!!

The entire crew showed up each day on time. Were very nice, worked hard, cleaned up each day. The job came up exactly to what we expected and more.

It went very well. Fair price, quality fencing and , good workmanship. Golden Fence followed through, and we are happy with the results.

Eric was professional, on time and was the cheapest by 25%. His crew also was professional, on time, cleaned up afterwards and were quite fast.

The company communicated well as we had all the rain and there was an issue getting the permit. They arrived on time and completed the project in a timely manner. We asked for additional support on the bottom and they added it right in . Both employees were friendly and cleaned up after the project. The fence looks great.

Honestly, this process was a nightmare. Eric made a good first impression, appeared to listen carefully during his visit, and addressed each of my concerns. I was surprised then, that his estimate (which I had to ask for over a week after visit), had nothing to do with what I had requested. This should have been a warning sign. I had to repeatedly ask about scheduling the work, there were many different phone numbers so it was difficult to get in touch. To add to the confusion, during the course of the process I got multiple calls and emails that were supposed to be sent to other clients!! When the crew finally arrived, they had incorrect instructions about how we wanted the fence constructed, and then proceeded to cut through a root of a tree on our property which was exactly what I told them I wanted to avoid. In the end the fence looks good, but I don't know how the tree will fare. Perhaps worst of all, we had requested an all pressure treated fence, and I didn't notice until the fence was complete that they had used cedar posts which will surely rot in just a few years. However, I did not make sure that the contact specifically mentioned the material for the posts, so I don't feel that I have any recourse. Based on the many positive reviews on Angie's list, I hope that this is an unusual situation, but I would not risk the stress of using Golden Fence again.

Did a great job. Was prompt in providing the estimate and came in the lowest. Took care of all the county work permits and the work was performed promptly and to our satisfaction. Would use them again.

Golden fence put in a pretty nice backyard cedar fence for me. there was a slight delay I believe due to weather issues pushing other jobs back. But when they came they worked quickly and did an excellent job. Price was reasonable as well. Also once it got cold a couple weeks ago, my back gate started getting stuck and was impossible to open more than half way. I called Eric and he said he'd get it fixed. I didnt expect it to happen soon but it was done in less than a week. Awesome and unexpectedly great service.

I emailed vendor through Angies List and user responded and came out for an estimate in July. After I finalized my list of estimates I chose this vendor in August and emailed my Plat A Survey. The Vendor replied to the email and stated he would apply for the permit. After several weeks, there was no contact and I had to reach out to the vendor. They stated they would get back to me and after several more weeks passed I reached out to them again. With no response I then sent a message on Angie's List and they Vendor finally replied and stated they had issues with their trucks but did not state that he wanted to keep the job but only stated he understood if I wanted to go with another company.

The two-man crew arrived with boards, posts and caps and built the fence on site. They were careful with the existing landscaping. They were both courteous and professional and executed the job in a timely fashion. They removed the old fence and took it with them when they left. I cannot speak to the quality of the western red cedar but it smelled very nice and the boards are fitted tightly together. Only time will tell as to the amount of shrinkage. The ground next to the fence was left neatly raked. I would recommend Golden Fence.

Let me just say first -- my fence is beautiful. It is everything I had hoped it would be and more. I know I have the happiest puppy dog on planet earth... love it. However the process was very fustrating... the only phone call or any communication inniated by Eric the Owner was to confirm what color I wanted the fence, black or brown. To find out when the fence was being installed, I had to call. Eric said he would be there that next Monday, I took work off and called that morning -- he said they were not coming today he would be there Wednesday, I called Wednesday before I went to work to see if I had to take it off, he said his crew was coming in 15 minutes. 45 minutes later they came. Come to find out I don't have my property stakes in the ground, which was not Eric's fault, but his crew -- everyday they came took almost a 2 hour lunch, Eric said he could get my fence done in 2 days. Not with this crew. The last day they were took an almost 3 hour lunch, I could have gotten my fence done it 2 days. Both Eric and the head crew guy told me they were coming back on Sunday to finish, I was so excited that I could grill that night with the dogs out in the backyard. In my eyes Eric and his crew were redeeming themselves by putting in Sunday time. Yeah that didn't happen, I called Eric at about 11:00am, he did not call me back. I did get a call from the head crew guy at about 4:00pm -- they werent coming today -- yeah no kidding. This is not my first rodeo, I've had plenty of companies do work on my house, I've never had this happen before, I have had wonderful sucess with Angies List with all the great reviews for Golden Fence, I was looking forward to a great experience not so much. But like I said my fence is awesome. I did however have a discussion with Eric about all of this before I wrote this review, Eric is a very nice man, he is a very honest man, he apologized for the lack of communication and his behavior of his crew. He did give me additional money off for my inconvenience, he said he made mistakes and he will try to correct them in the future, he made me feel better. I do believe him when he told me he wants to make sure I am happy, he did all he could afterward to make that happen. He is a good guy. The big picture to me is I would rather have a beautiful fence then a great communicator. So if you're up for staying in touch with Eric yourself and not expecting phone calls from him and keeping him updated on the long lunches of the crew (it that's the case) then this is the company for you... There were other issues not Eric's fault, the village inspector has a lot to be desired - but that is another story.

I was impressed with Eric/Golden Fence from the getgo. I got bids from four different fence companies, and their price came in in the middle of the range. However, his bid explicitly included the permit fees (Evanston is super hardcore about licensing and permits) as well as utility surveying so that they weren't digging into any gas or water lines. None of the other companies even mentioned utility surveys, even though they would all presumably be sinking deep holes for the posts. On the permits, the other companies either didn't mention them at all, or expected us to get them "if we really wanted them," which seemed shady since I was the one on the hook for any permit violations (and pulling the permit myself also would have required taking additional time off work to go to city hall). After we agreed to start work, it took longer than expected to get underway because of the rainy spring, and the crews needed at least three dry days in a row before they could dig without fear of the posts shifting in the wet soil. So even though we signed off in April, it took till late May to get going. I appreciate this care, but just don't expect a guaranteed turnaround. Once the crew was there, it took one day to take down the old fence and sink most of the posts, and by the end of the second day the fence was completely done. (We have a corner property and were working on three sides of our yard.) We didn't realize it during the estimate, but there was a big old vine that had grown all the way through the old fence and had to come down along with the fence. This definitely added some time to the work but they didn't charge me extra for the work or the haul-away. They were also willing to improvise a structure to preserve the vine if we desired, but that wasn't really practical in the long term. The fence itself is very well constructed and looks great. Many neighbors have stopped by to compliment the workmanship. A second crew had to come back a few days later to remove a grade difference that was exposed by moving the fenceline 18" back from the old one, and to build a retaining structure to hold back the grade difference (and moved 40' x 18" x 8" worth of earth to a different part of the property). They also took out two tree stumps and a shrub. Overall, a great experience. An owner who knows what he's doing and is very mindful of doing it right, and hard working, very capable (and friendly) crews.

I found Golden Fence on Angie's List about two months ago and contacted Eric, the owner, who came out that week to give me an estimate. Since I thought the pricing was good, I began the process of securing a permit from my Village (which Eric picked up and paid for) as well as completing the variance paperwork from my town home association. Once that was done I was able to schedule a date that worked for both of us. It took about a day and a half to complete the process, mostly because my prior fence posts (still very stable in cement) took a bit to remove. Once that was completed, the work moved along quickly and efficiently. The two-man crew was hard working, professional and did terrific work and, most importantly, I'm very pleased with my new fence. A couple of my neighbors have already asked for Golden Fence's contact information.

Contact was made with Eric approx a month ago for replacing a fence. Due to scheduling conflicts on both sides, most correspondence took place via email. Everything that was controllable went as planned and very smoothly. Plans were changed about 2 weeks into the process and Golden Fence was very accommodating with providing a new estimate. Overall, the experience from start to finish was better than expected.

Eric came to my home to give me the estimate. I wanted to extend the fence along the side of my home but after discussing it decided that it probably wasn't the best thing to do. Eric discussed my needs, I have two dogs, and let me know how the fence would be put together to make sure it would be strong enough to keep them in and what could be done to prevent digging. He also talked me through the permit process and what I would need to do for the association. The team from Golden Fence was very responsive through the whole process up to completion. The workmanship was exceptional and completed in one day, the team was friendly and professional. I went to work and came back to a fantastic new cedar fence and the other fence had been hauled away. The yard was completely clean and safe for my dogs. I couldn't be more pleased.

Everything went well, We were delayed due to rain the 1st week that they were going to come, but that's understandable. They can't control the weather. The crew was fast and friendly. They did a perfect job. I love my fence.

We contracted to have a freestanding gate installed that would traverse the pathway between our house and the neighbors fence. The gate was installed in August 2013 and everything worked fine until late fall. During that time we noticed that the gate did not move freely on its hinges and the hinges were actually pulling away from the pole. We contacted the owner who came out and said that the work that was done was not acceptable and he would have someone come out and repair it when the weather was better. Someone did come out however instead of replacing the hinges or the screws or whatever needed to be done, they drilled new holes in the post by the house so that the slot where the latch goes no longer meets. Basically they shifted the locking mechanism down without shifting the other side as well. So now in order to shut the gate you have to push down on the top of it, force it into the latch and the whole pole next to the neighbors fence Bends to accommodate this. Since the freestanding pole was not cemented into the ground, it appears to be coming up out of the ground. Both polls are uneven. I contacted the owner at least twice since this happened and the most recently was the day after Memorial Day when he said that he personally would come out this Saturday morning to look at it. We waited all morning and left a voicemail to ask when he thought he would be in with no response from him and he never showed up. At this point we basically have an usable gate that I believe will eventually get to the point where we cannot latch it. If the owner wishes to refutes this, I welcome open dialogue with him. 7/17/14 - I read the response from the provider and although I am glad that he responded, it wasn't directly to me and it is inaccurate. The gate was not misused, in fact it was not used at all after the hinges seized up in the early winter. It was not abused. The owner came out after the initial problem and said it had not been installed correctly and he would have it repaired. The reason the gate does not latch now is that the "repair" that was done to it was incorrect. The latch was moved on the gate (or on the post - not sure which) and now they no longer in alignment. The gate is still under warranty and will be until the end of July (although since it hasn't worked since April, it should be extended). I have attempted since April to get this fixed and as stated above, the owner made an appointment with me in May to come and look at the gate. He never showed up and never called. There was no courtesy visit at all.