FINE Fence

Fabulous!! Beyond expectations! Cannot commend highly enough! From first point of contact with Mr Charlie Frothingham, project manager and estimator, to the personal attention of the owner, Mr Mike Schaffer. Under quite unique/unusual circumstances, the gentlemen went above and beyond to help make my project come together beautifully and way ahead of schedule. Cannot thank them enough!

Great They were on time and finished when they said ! Very happy with the quality and the look!

I contracted with Fine Fence for the job in July 2017 and the job was done on September 11, 2017. Prior to the job, the owner (Mike Schaefer) was very responsive and attentive to my many questions and concerns via email. On September 11, his crew of three showed up on time and completed the job in one day, as I had been promised. Price-wise, the amount I was charged was in line with the amounts quoted to me by two other fence companies. But, in terms of the quality of some of the materials and some of the workmanship, plus the manner in which Mike handled post-installation issues, I wouldn't hire Fine Fence again nor would I recommend them to anyone (including one of my neighbors who was interested in getting an estimate from them for her backyard fence). A few weeks before the fence job, I had another company tear down and haul away our existing deck and steps and build a new deck and steps. Compared to the quality of the deck job, I think the fence job is second-best. Initially, I was very pleased with the fence job, other than the malfunctioning latch/lock mechanism on the gate, which I reported to Mike that same day, September 11, after his crew had left (without first checking with me to see whether I had any questions or concerns ... I've never had that happen before with any other workers). It wasn't until I had further closely inspected the job that I noticed fraying of the wood along the arched top of the gate and on the bottom of one of the boards of the gate (the bottom of the board was especially bad ... it looked as if an animal had gnawed at it), which I reported to Mike a couple of days later as soon as I had noticed it. Re: the latch, it's supposed to close automatically without fail but it did so only sometimes; the other times, we had to close it manually. The sliding bar that is used to lock the gate didn't budge and was totally useless. Mike's response was they've been using this particular latch/lock for eons, all fence companies use it, no other customers have ever complained, most of them don't even use the lock feature, we should have a second, separate lock installed ... period, the end ... which we took to mean he thought it was our responsibility to do so at our expense ... otherwise, he would have apologized and offered to return on such-and-such a date and time to take care of it at no extra cost to us, right? When I told him I thought he was being unfair and unreasonable, he asked me where I got the idea we were on our own for a new lock (from him!) and he said he'd be out "soon" to make it right. I had to ask him three times over almost two weeks specifically when "soon" would be before, finally, on September 21, he sent out two of the same crew who were here on September 11. They installed a second, separate lock elsewhere on the gate (this new lock works like a charm, totally happy with it) and they adjusted the hinges on the gate, which, they said, would make the latch work properly 100% of the time ... untrue ... the latch still doesn't always close automatically without fail, as it's supposed to do. Re: the fraying of the wood, Mike had said that was a normal variance in the wood, nothing he could do about it. The day before his crew returned to address the latch/lock issue, the owner of the company who built our new deck and steps was here. When I showed him the fraying, he took a piece of sandpaper and smoothed it out (why didn't Mike suggest this?). The arched top looks better, as does the bottom of that one board. But the bottom of that one board still doesn't look perfect and I think it's a bad piece of lumber and not a normal variance in the wood. The deck company owner tried to work the latch/lock when he was here and, in his opinion (mine, too), either that particular model is a piece of junk altogether or we got stuck with a lemon in the bunch. After the crew had left on September 21, I emailed Mike to tell him the latch still isn't working properly but we're going to live with it because dealing with him re: these post-installation issues has been so aggravating and I've had enough of it. His response was his crew had told him the latch was "banged up", which says to us he's implying we had abused it and that's the reason it doesn't close automatically 100% of the time. Bull! That latch looks as pristine as it did when it was first installed on September 11. The owner of the deck company observed as much when he saw it on September 20, the day before Mike's crew told him it was "banged up". We think Mike is just trying to wiggle out of making good on it by claiming we damaged it. Mike is a very poor businessman who doesn't know the right way to respond to customer complaints and who wants to wash his hands of any post-installation issues. He just wants to get the job done, collect his money, and, if the customer isn't 100% satisfied with the job, so sad, too bad. Think twice about hiring this company because they don't do a perfect job and then the owner gives you a big hassle about remedying any issues, including trying to blame you, even though it's not your fault. His one-year warranty on materials and labor per our contract turned out to be pretty much meaningless because we're stuck with a malfunctioning gate latch and a defective piece of lumber on the gate ... unless I choose to pursue it, which I don't because dealing with Mike over problems has been a very aggravating experience and I'm done. UPDATE 10-7-17 An addendum to my initial review posted on September 30, 2017, in response to the owner's message to the members ... The reason I deleted my earlier email and replaced it with an even more negative review on September 30 is, as time goes by, I'm growing even more angry re: the defective latch/lock mechanism on the gate and the owner's attitude when I complained. After shelling out over 3500.00, I now need to pay a real professional to replace this piece of crap with something that works properly. Also, as time goes by, I'm now noticing other issues that weren't noticeable at first. For example, now that the boards used to make the gate have shrunk and are no longer flush up against the post, whenever the gate is opened, I'm able to see the ends of all the boards and they're very badly shredded, giving the appearance an animal went to town gnawing on them. Only God knows what else I'm going to discover with time. I'm especially concerned about the March 2017 Yelp review by a customer who had half her Fine fence collapse in a windstorm and came to learn afterwards it was because Fine hadn't cemented all the posts (and, of course, she never heard back from the owner when she contacted him to complain). Our last fence was a handyman's special and it held up for 20 years. I'll be lucky if this fence holds up for half that time. We had another company build a new deck a few weeks before our new fence went up and the difference in the quality of the lumber and the workmanship between the deck and the fence is astounding. Just one of many examples ... every nail in the deck is aligned precisely whereas all the nails in the fence are all over the place and look as if a drunk put them in. I don't have one complaint re: the deck ... it's absolutely perfect and I can't say enough good about that company. Likewise, I've posted very positive reviews on Angie's List of several companies I've dealt with and that have earned positive reviews. I'm not a malcontent who complains about everything. Stay away from this company. The materials they use and their workmanship are substandard and the owner couldn't care less about making things right afterwards.

Mike was excellent to work with and he was able to squeeze my job in to accommodate our move with 6 dogs by having the fence completed before our move in date. The cost of the job was very reasonable and I will use and recommend Fine Fence in the future. The crew installing the fence was very courteous and did a fabulous job.

Mike and his team were wonderful. From the minute we contacted them through completion, they were responsive, friendly, helpful, gave us several quotes for several different types of fence. Our job unexpectedly ran into an unmarked gas line, which resulted in the Fire Department and Baltimore Gas and Electric coming to the property. Through the ordeal, everyone on the team was exceptionally professional, calm, and took the down time to play with our dog. They then finished the fence in a couple of hours. Mike is extremely responsive, very helpful, and his crew were some of the nicest people we've ever met. And now, we have a wonderful fence that allows us to let our dog run around our back yard without worrying. I would recommend Fine Fence to anyone who needs one.

The workmanship was excellent. Very clean, in and out with no issues with the tenant, and fence is very sturdy. I liked that they used 6x6 posts for the corners and next to the gates.

After 3 years this fence has exceeded expectations

Was done in a day looks amazing. So happy we chose him to do our service. Would recommend to anyone with any size fence.

Fine fence did a great job on our fence installation. Mike was very responsive and answered all the question I had. I highly recommend them!!

“I just wanted to thank Jamie ( Project Lead ) and the rest of the installation crew for the fantastic job they did on our fence. My wife and I both love it. The entire job exceeded our expectations. The fence looks great and your guys were fast and efficient. Also Iwould like to thank Mike Schaefer. For his professional, courteous, and quick response

We recently purchased a fence from Fine Fence. My husband and I are diligent about getting at least three quotes when deciding on a large purchase to improve our home. Our salesperson, Charlie, was very thoughtful about the layout of a fence around our pool, because our property lines are very unique. Fine Fence was the second company we met with and we were very specific with Charlie that we wanted a six foot fence to include lattice on the top. Charlie showed us a Fine Fence brochure of a six foot fence with lattice on top. We were pleased with the look of this fence design and indicated immediately to Charlie that, yes, this was exactly the style of fence we wanted for our yard. Charlie did ask us if we were interested in looking at any other styles of fence and we let him know that we were not. After collecting our three quotes, we decided on Fine Fence because Charlie proactively followed up with us several times and instilled confidence when he stated that our fence was a large job and they wanted to make sure they "got it right". The contract that Charlie put together was very detailed. I signed the contract for $12,000 and we paid Fine Fence in cash. I did not notice that the contract did not have lattice on top of the fence. I accept responsibility for my mistake. On the day of install, I noticed that the fence did not have lattice on top. I informed the workers that the fence was the wrong one. The lead installer seemed to have trouble understanding me. He told me that the fence wasn’t completed yet and there would be something going on top of the fence that would be installed last. Very early the next morning my husband and I made a call to Mike Fine, owner of Fine Fence. We were concerned that the lead installer was not understanding what was wrong with the fence materials and we wanted to elevate our problem. We left Mike a voicemail explaining what we thought was going wrong and that we were willing to pay to make it right. Mike called back explaining that our only option was to pay the full price for an entirely new fence. Mike was adamant that paying the full retail cost was the only way to resolve the problem and provide us with a fence with lattice on top. Mike was not empathic. Mike let us know he didn't care about the confusion over the type of fencing materials used, that his salesperson could not have overlooked this important detail. My husband and I pleaded with Mike to help us fix this mistake. We told Mike we would pay for the additional labor and effort to return the original fencing material. We were told no, Mike would not be willing to help in at all. Two days after install, one of the panels on the fence fell out. It took Fine Fence two days to fix. We asked Mike if there were any accessories we could add to the fence after it was constructed, that would soften the stark look. Mike sent me pictures of fence post tops. We told Mike we were interested in purchasing the Gothic Post Tops. Mike told us it would cost us $150 to replace the fence post tops. We were frustrated that Mike did not consider absorbing the $150 cost in order to satisfy a customer that had just spent $12,000 with him. We had Mike order the post tops and Mike instructed us that we were to pick them up and install them. We picked up the post tops at Fence and Deck Direct. This company was extremely efficient and friendly to work with. Once again, Fine Fence ordered incorrectly. Mike ordered 30 post tops when our fence required 70 tops. Even Fence and Deck was surprised that such a mistake could be made. Instead of costing us $150 to enhance our fence, it was $300. While I was at Fence and Deck I asked if they could return the tops I was removing from the fence. They said yes, they could take back the original post tops, but Fine Fence would have to refund the money. I let them know that Fine Fence was not working with us any longer. Fence and Deck returned the original post tops and refunded us their cost. It was a pleasure to work with a customer friendly business. It is too bad that Fine Fence was unwilling to work with us in the same manner, especially when we were willing to pay for any return fees or extra work. A few weeks after the fence install, one of our gates stopped working. I emailed Mike at Fine Fence and let him know about the malfunction. Mike told me that the next day his crew was going to be near me and he would send them over. The Fine Fence crew didn’t show up. Once I let Mike know, he emailed me to tell me he was disappointed in his crew and he would send them back. A few days later, the gate was fixed.

Did a very nice job all in one day. Highly recommended.

It went great! They showed me a bunch of possible options and I decided to put in a 6 foot tall black vinyl-coated chain-link fence with two gates around the backyard. Their staff expertly installed the fence around a couple of trees that couldn't be moved, cut out a bunch of bushes/foliage that was in the way and they hauled away the old rusty fence. The final result is gorgeous and now I can let my pup run around back there without fearing he'll leap over the fence after a squirrel. Thanks again Mike and Bob!

The entire process went very well and we are very happy with our final product, The fence is nice looking; the old fence was torn down and the new fence was replaced within 2 days; and the customer service was exceptional.

Mike was one of the only companies that even RESPONDED to us about our need for a fence. We knew it was a busy time of year, but couldn't believe no one else even bothered to call us back. Not only was Mike responsive, but also proactive. He helped us get the permit paperwork together and even filled it out for us. We had our beautiful fence completed the DAY AFTER we had a permit- amazing. Mike's team did an amazing job and finished our fence in a day. We couldn't believe it. They worked their butts off and our cedar fence looks amazing. We are so grateful for Fine Fence!

Great. Prompt. Willing to negotiate. Gave the best price and serivce

Initially, everything was good... they came out on time, provided a quote, spent time with us on the process/negotiating...everything was good until the contract. The issue with them is the lack of professionalism. We had questions/asked for clarification on 3 things on the contract... one of which was about a release of liability for damage done on sight. We were not comfortable with the verbiage used, as asked them to restate. Once questioned about this, they shut down. I then received a text from our salesman stating that they "could not meet our requirements & expectations and must respectfully to decline the project." I responded to this initially with a text, then later a call.... then later an email asking for someone ( the owner included) to call to discuss what the issue was. Nothing! They never responded to us in any way. Here is the bottom line: as a homeowner... if you can't have a conversation with a contractor about work to be done to your home without them "clamming up"...there is a problem.

I provided a picture of what I wanted and they delivered it. Other companies tried to sell us things we didn't need (and even things that would have overwhelmed the space) to come up with their minimum payment. Mike showed up twice before the installation just to make sure he got what we wanted after some changes to our original ideas. We applied a stain/seal immediately after install and we love it. It will keep our daughter from leaving our backyard and our little dog inside as well. He also modified some things to address my concern about a tree.

We worked with Mike and Robert to design a fence that would look great in our yard and would also keep our three dogs contained (we have a husky who can be a bit of an escape artist and they were very in-tune with what we were needing). They were very easy to work with, responsive, and knowledgeable difference fence/gate designs as well as materials that could be used and the pros/cons of each. Unfortunately we had to put the project on hold before we could get things started, but given the high level of expertise and responsiveness we received throughout the quote process I would guess that their workmanship would follow suit. I would certainly not hesitate to recommend them if you need a fence built to your needs!

Work was completely quickly. All questions were answered very quickly. I wanted a different height on different parts of the fence because of a hill, and they were very flexible.

We were thrilled with Fine Fence! Mike, Robert, and the crew were amazing. Mike helped us navigate the city and historic commission's requirements and helped the process go much quicker than we anticipated. The crew worked to install the fence in a single day. Their prices are competitive and much better than a couple of other places we looked into. I highly recommend them.

I called and spoke to the owner, Mike, and he came out and within a day or two for the estimate. He gave me a ballpark of $1400, but he noted that the cost per sq foot would be lowered considerably if I was doing the whole fence, which is about 6 times the size of that one section. He was not trying to up-sell me for a whole new fence, just pointing out that that the cost to send out a crew for a small section is more expensive. Makes complete sense and that principle is true to for lot of services. The fence was completed about two days later after my initial call to him! it looks absolutely amazing and solid as a rock. I wish I had the money to complete the whole fence, but when I do, I will call him back without hesitation. Thanks, Mike!

I met with about 10 different companies before ultimately deciding on Fine Fence. Mike, the owner, came out to do the proposal and showed a level of knowledge superior to his competitors. He walked me through the various options and how to maximize the space in my back yard. When it came time for installation, Mike was responsive, prompt and helped work through a few minor issues. During the installation a PVC pipe was punctured that led to an outdoor spout. Mike had his team fix the issue without me having to ask. Although the fix had to be redone, Mike sent his team out the very next day to make sure everything was taken care of correctly. While its great for someone to be "perfect" it shows a lot more about one's character how they respond when things aren't perfect. Mike kept in constant communication throughout the process to make sure i was satisfied. The fence looks absolutely incredible and Mike came up with creative ideas to make the property look even better. He even moved a plant that was close to the fence door to another location in my yard without charging extra. One of the initial reason I wanted to work with Fine Fence is because it wasn't a salesman who showed up to give me an estimate, but Mike himself. He was also at the job site and this provided a high level of comfort. I highly recommend Mike and his company.

I hired FINE Fence to replace an existing split rail fence. I have a 1/4 acre property with a neighbor that has his own fence, so I only needed 3/4 of the back yard redone. My existing split rail fence was 25 years old and needed to go. I reached out to FINE Fence through Angie's List and they immediately scheduled an estimate for me to replace the old fence and add a gate. I had the best communication I ever had with their entire team. Charlie worked with me on the estimate and agreed upon changes, Mike verified the work prior to install, and the install team put up the new fence as requested. I was very happy with the results and would highly recommend FINE Fence.

Fine Fence provided an estimate with drawings for submission to the homeowners association for approval. The cost for the fence and installation was competitive. The work was performed in a professional manner. The quality of the work was outstanding. There were minor problems with the installation of the gate on a slope, but that was resolved in a satisfactory manner. The owner is most responsive and is committed to making sure the customer is satisfied. Outstanding customer service!!