MIDWEST FENCE & MANUFACTURING COMPANY

They were very dependable. They came when they said they would and were very polite. The fence is beautiful! They were very well versed and dug the fence poles individually by hand!

WE DO HAVE A VERY BEAUTIFUL FENCE! I AM DISAPPOINTED WITH THE TIME IT TOOK TO COMPLETE THE JOB. TOO BAD THE INSTALLATION DEPT DIDN'T LIVE UP TO THE CLAIMS MADE BY THE SALESMAN. DAN LARSON SHOULD GO WORK FOR A COMPANY WITH THE SAME AMOUNT OF ENTHUSIASM, PUNCTUALITY, AND PROFESSIONALISM.

THEY WERE VERY RESPONSIVE, SHOWED UP ON TIME, AND CAME IN WITH A BID PROMPTLY. THEY ALSO FOLLOWED UP TO SEE WHAT WE WERE GOING TO DO. UNFORTUNATELY, THEIR PRICE OF $2500 WAS AT THE HIGH END OF ALL OUR BIDS AND WE DID NOT CHOOSE THEM. WE HAVE A FENCE INSTALLED AND HAVE NO REGRETS THAT WE DID NOT CHOOSE MIDWEST FENCING.

WE HAD THIS DONE AT THE END OF THE YEAR IN 2004, I WAS GLAD THAT THEY COULD FIT US IN AT THE END OF THE YEAR WITH SHORT NOTICE. THE CEDAR WOOD IS O.K. BUT SEEMS ROUGH AND LOWER QUALITY BUT IT IS BUILT WELL AND THE GATE WORKS AND I LIKE THE STYLE OF THE DESIGN. WHEN I WANTED A WOODEN FENCE ON THE SIDE OF MY HOUSE WITH A GATE THEY SAID THAT THE 4' STYLE THAT MATCHES THE 6' STYLE I HAD CHOSEN DIDN'T LOOK GOOD AND I ENDED UP GETTING METAL FENCING. I AM STILL WISHING I HAD THE WOODEN FENCE BECAUSE IT WOULD PROVIDE SOME PRIVACY. I MIGHT HAVE IT REPLACED LATER ON. THIS IS A GOOD COMPANY IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT BUT THEY DIDN'T HELP ME MUCH WITH MAKING SURE ALL THE FENCING WAS PRIVACY FENCE. THE PRICE WAS HIGH FOR THE QUALITY OF WOOD. THAT SAID THE EXPERIENCE WAS O.K. AND WOULD HIRE THEM AGAIN.

VERY SLOW TO START... TOOK MY MONEY AND DIDN'T HEAR FROM ANYONE FOR OVER A MONTH. THE SALESPERSON SAID IT WOULD BE UP IN 3-4 WEEKS AND I HAD TO CALL AT 5 WEEKS AND THEY STILL DIDN'T HAVE ME SCHEDULED.

SALESMAN WAS VERY CURT. PROMISED FENCE WOULD BE DONE IN 3-4 WEEKS. IT TOOK 6 1/2 WKS AND THEN ONLY BECAUSE I CALLED & MADE A FUSS. SOME OF THE BOARDS THEY USED ARE UNSATISFACTORY -- BLACK MARKS AND DIRTY LOOKING. CALLED THEM TO COME OUT AND INSPECT - NOTHING THEY WILL DO ABOUT IT. THEIR PRICING WAS HIGH FOR WHAT WE HAD DONE. ONCE WHEN I CALLED ABOUT AN INSTALLATION DATE (IT WAS LONG OVERDUE), I WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE PUT UP ON SATURDAY. NO ONE SHOWED UP IN THE MORNING SO WHEN I CALLED ON SATURDAY I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO ONE SCHEDULED TO WORK THAT DAY. WE ARE EXTREMELY DISSATISFIED WITH THEIR WORK AND THEIR ATTITUDE. WE HAD A LOT OF WORK DONE TO OUR HOUSE AND OUT OF 7 VENDORS, THEY WERE THE ABSOLUTE WORST.

THE FENCING AND INSTALLATION IS OF HIGH QUALITY. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE IS AWFUL. QUOTATION TOOK ONE DAY TO GET, BUT FENCE WORK WOULD NOT START FOR 4 WEEKS (DUE TO SPRING SEASON). AT THE END OF 4 WEEKS, I CALLED TO FIND OUT THE SCHEDULED START DATE. REP SAID A CREW WOULD BE OUT NEXT WEEK. ON TUESDAY OF THE NEXT WEEK POST CREW SHOWED UP, NO PHONE CALL PRIOR. THE OFFICE SCHEDULER HAD CREW DOWN FOR ONE DAY WORK ALTHOUGH IT WAS OBVIOUSLY A TWO DAY JOB. CREW HAD TO COME BACK LATER IN THE WEEK. THEN HAD TO WAIT FOR CONCRETE TO SET, BUT WAS TOLD WORK WOULD BE COMPLETED ON A SPECIFIC DATE. WHEN THAT DAY ARRIVED, I CALLED AND WAS TOLD THAT A CREW WOULD BE OUT THAT WEEK. AGAIN NO CALL PRIOR TO ARRIVAL. AGAIN SCHEDULED FOR ONE DAY WHEN TWO WERE NEEDED. CREW DID NOT HAVE CORRECT MATERIALS FOR ENTIRE JOB, REQUIRED A RETURN VISIT. IN THE END THEY OVERCHARGED A FEW HUNDRED AND I HAD TO GET A CREDIT. COMPANY NEEDS A PROJECT MANAGER BADLY.

VERY POLITE AND PROFESSIONAL. LOTS OF INFORMATION PROVIDED UPFRONT AND THE COMPANY'S TELEPHONE CONTACT THROUGHOUT PROCESS (REGARDING SCHEDULING) WAS GOOD. FENCE LOOKS GREAT.

SALESPERSON ''STATE'' WAS POLITE AND PROFESSIONAL. WORK CREW WAS SAME. SELF-CLOSING GATES NEEDED ADJUSTMENTS TWICE AND COMPLAINTS TO ''AL'' ABOUT KEYS ONLY WORKING FROM THE INSIDE FELL ON DEAF EARS. CONTINUED DIFFICULTIES WITH LOCKS RESULTED IN SERVICE PERSON ''AL'' RETURNING TO PROPERTY IN OCTOBER. I HAD ASKED THAT A SERVICE PERSON ONLY COME WHEN WE WERE HERE. ''AL'' LEFT AN ACID TONGUED NOTE ON OUR FRONT DOOR REFERRING US TO THE ''LIMITED WARRANTY.'' TO DATE WE ARE STILL UNABLE TO OPEN THE LOCKS FROM OUTSIDE THE FENCE AND MUST REACH OVER THE TOP. ''AL'S'' VISITS TO THE PROPERTY JUNE AND JULY OF 2004 WERE UNCOMFORTABLE DUE TO HIS NASTY ATTITUDE. HIS NOTE TO US IN OCTOBER WAS JUST MORE OF THE SAME. WE ARE DISMAYED THAT WE HAVE A HORRIBLY EXPENSIVE FENCE WITH LOCKS THAT DON'T WORK PROPERLY. CUSTOMER SERVICE WITH THIS COMPANY IS SUB-STANDARD.

OUR APPT WAS AT 6:30P. AT THE LAST MINUTE, THE SALES REP. CALLED, SAID HE WAS RUNNING LATE, & ASKED TO SLIDE OUR MEETING 45MIN. THEN HE CALLED 15MIN BEFORE THAT MEETING, SAID HE COULD NOT MAKE IT, LET'S RESCHEDULE-OKAY. HOWEVER, HE SHOWED UP ANYWAY AT 7:40P. AT THAT TIME, I HAD ANOTHER COMPANY AT MY HOME. THE FIRST QUOTE WAS $6060. AFTER REALIZING HE GAVE THE EST. ON A LATTICE TOP B/B FENCE, HE CHANGED THE QUOTE TO $5500. HE THEN SAW THE OTHER QUOTE I HAD GOTTEN THE DAY BEFORE AND DROPPED THE PRICE ANOTHER $600. I WOULD SAY HE WAS OVERPRICED AND NOT RELIABLE. I AM NOT GOING TO CHOSE THIS COMPANY TO HAVE MY FENCE BUILT.

ALTHOUGH THE QUALITY OF WORK WAS GOOD, THE WORKERS WERE MESSY, LEAVING CIGARETTE BUTTS AND TRASH IN THE YARD. ALSO THEY FAILED TO FOLLOW PART OF THE FENCE LINE WE HAD MARKED OUT, BUT WE DIDN'T WANT TO GO THROUGH THE HASSLE OF HAVING THEM DIG UP THE POSTS, SO IT WAS LEFT AS IS. I WOULD NOT USE THEM IN THE FUTURE, OR AT LEAST BE HOME TO MONITOR THE JOB.

I NOW HAVE A REALLY NICE LOOKING FENCE ALONG THE SIDE OF MY PROPERTY. I BELIEVE THE INSTALLATION WAS VERY GOOD WITH QUALITY WORKMANSHIP AND MATERIALS. THE PROBLEM WITH THIS COMPANY IS CUSTOMER SERVICES. THEY WERE TO HAVE INSTALLED THE FENCE IN 4-6 WEEKS AND IT TOOK THEM 3 1/2 MONTHS. (AFTER I CALLED THEM, THEY WERE READY TO INSTALL 6 WEEKS AFTER THE FENCE SHOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN INSTALLED, BUT I HAD A TWO WEEK VACATION PLANNED, SO 2 WEEKS OF THE DELAY WAS DUE TO ME.) THE STAFF THAT I SPOKE TO WERE NOT COURTEOUS WHEN I INQUIRED ABOUT THE DELAY IN INSTALLATION. I WAS SUBJECTED TO A LONG EXPLANATION ABOUT HOW MANY HOURS PER WEEK THE EMPLOYEES WERE WORKING. SO NO APOLOGY FOR THE DELAY AND VERY LIMITED COMMUNICATION DURING THE COMPLETE INSTALLATION PERIOD, MEANING FOOTINGS ONE WEEK, SOME FENCE THE NEXT WEEK AND THEN A MYSTERIOUS INSTALLATION OF THE REST A COUPLE WEEKS LATER.

THE CREW THAT CAME TO THE HOUSE WAS GREAT. THEY DID THE JOB IN 90 MINUTES. THE JOB WAS ESTIMATED IN MAY, BUT NOT COMPLETED UNTIL AUGUST.

WE ACTUALLY USED A LOCAL HOME IMPROVEMENT STORES INSTALLATION SERVICES TO PURCHASE AND INSTALL THE FENCE, BUT EVERYONE MAY NOT KNOW THAT THEY CONTRACT THROUGH MIDWEST FENCE. THE CREW WORKED QUICKLY, DIGGING HOLES AND INSTALLING THE POSTS IN 2.5 HOURS ONE MORNING. THERE WAS A SCHEDULING PROBLEM THAT OCCURRED WHEN THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO COME BACK 7-10 DAYS LATER TO INSTALL THE FENCING. THEY FORGOT TO NOTE WHEN WE WOULD BE ON VACATION (WHICH WE TOLD THEM WEEKS IN ADVANCE) AND TRIED TWICE WHILE WE WERE GONE TO FINISH THE JOB (MORE THAN 12 DAYS AFTER THE POSTS INSTALLED). THEY CAME INSTEAD THE DAY AFTER WE RETURNED AND VERY QUICKLY INSTALLED THE FENCING. ONLY PROBLEM IS THEY DON'T HAUL AWAY THE DIRT FROM THE POST HOLES (WHICH MOST COMPANIES DON'T) SO WE HAD A RATHER BIG PILE TO DISPOSE OF. WE HIRED THEM THROUGH THE HOME IMPROVEMENT STORE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEIR FINANCING, ALSO GOT A SLIGHTLY CHEAPER RATE ON THE FENCE.

MIDWEST FENCES BID WAS A THIRD HIGHER THAN OUR FINAL BID. THEY WERE NOT PROMPT AT RETURNING PHONE CALLS.

AFTER LEAVING AN INITIAL MESSAGE, IT TOOK SEVERAL DAYS FOR A SALESPERSON TO CALL. HE WAS RIGHT ON TIME FOR OUR MEETING AND FOLLOWED UP WITH ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS. ULTIMATELY, THEIR ESTIMATE WAS $1000 MORE THAN OUR NEXT HIGHEST ESTIMATE.

THE SALESMAN WAS GREAT, THE WORKMANSHIP WAS ADEQUATE, BUT PHONE CUSTOMER SERVICE IS NOT GOOD. IT'S ALL VOICE MAIL AND THEY ARE SLOW TO RETURN CALLS. ALTHOUGH THE WORK WAS COMPLETED ACCORDING TO CONTRACT SPECIFICATIONS, THE FENCE WAS NEVERTHELESS SLAPPED TOGETHER IN A REAL HURRY AND IF ONE LOOKS CLOSELY, IT SHOWS. IF I WERE DOING THIS AGAIN WITH 20/20 HINDSIGHT, I'D GO WITH A DIFFERENT FENCE COMPANY.

OVERALL VERY HAPPY WITH HOW THE FENCE TURNED OUT. ONLY ISSUE WAS I HAD ASKED FOR 1 GATE TO OPEN INWARDS AND ONLY AFTERWARDS WAS IT REALIZED THE GATE WOULDN'T OPEN DUE TO THE ANGLE AT THAT CORNER OF THE FENCE. I THINK THE INSTALLER SHOULD HAVE REALIZED THERE WOULD BE A PROBLEM. THE HINGES WERE MOVED TO THE OUTSIDE, BUT THAT LEFT HOLES ON THE INSIDE OF MY FENCE FROM THE SCREWS. OTHERWISE EVERYTHING ELSE WENT VERY GOOD, THEY EVEN TOOK CARE TO WATCH FOR THE SPRINKLER LINES AND HAULED THE DIRT FROM THE HOLES TO A TARP I PUT ON THE DRIVEWAY.

THEY DID A REALLY NICE JOB. I ONLY HAD TO BE HERE THE FIRST DAY WHEN THEY SET THE POSTS, TO MAKE SURE THEY WERE PUTTING THEM WHERE I WANTED. THEN I DIDN'T NEED TO BE HERE FOR THE REST OF THE WORK. IT WAS GREAT! THEY DID A BEAUTIFUL JOB. AFTER THE WORK WAS COMPLETE, THEY SENT SOMEONE OVER TO MAKE SURE I WAS COMPLETELY SATISFIED BEFORE THEY WOULD ACCEPT FINAL PAYMENT. THEY ALSO HAVE A WARRANTY FOR MATERIAL AND LABOR ON ALL INSTALLED PRODUCTS. I HAD BEEN REFERRED TO THEM BY A FRIEND WHO WAS VERY SATISFIED. I WOULD DEFINITELY USE THEM AGAIN AND HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEM. THE FENCE IS NICE AND STRAIGHT, AND EXACTLY WHERE I WANTED IT PUT.

RELATIVELY STRAIGHTFORWARD PROJECT WAS POORLY MANAGED AND CONSTRUCTED. 4 WEEKS LATE ON INSTALL. TEAM MADE UP OF YOUNG, CARELESS CREW WHO MADE SEVERAL SIGNIFICANT MISTAKES INCLUDING INSTALLING ONE LARGE SECTION OF FENCE BACKWARDS, AND INCORRECTLY INSTALLING GATE. IN ADDITION, FENCE HAS VERY LARGE GAPS NEAR HOUSE AND IS NOT LEVEL ACROSS TOP. INSTALLATION CREW DID NOT NOTIFY HOMEOWNER OF ANY POTENTIAL PROJECT CONCERNS DURING INSTALL. INSTALLATION MANAGER FINALLY RETURNED MY CALL, BUT WAS UNWILLING TO LISTEN TO COMPLAINTS AND HAS NOT ACTED TO RESOLVE ISSUES AS PROMISED. SENT A LETTER TO THE COMPANY WHICH HAS NOT YET BEEN RESPONDED TO (AFTER 6 WEEKS). IN ADDITION, COMPANY INVOICE FOR SERVICES WAS $400 MORE THAN PROMISED IN CONTRACT DESPITE NO CHANGES IN SERVICES.

THE ENTIRE TEAM, FROM ESTIMATOR TO PHONE OPERATOR TO THE TEAMS THAT INSTALLED THE POSTS AND FENCING, WERE ALL FRIENDLY, PROFESSIONAL AND PERFORMED AT LEVELS THAT EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS.

ALTHOUGH WE HEARD GOOD THINGS ABOUT MIDWEST, WE WERE SOMEWHAT DISAPPOINTED WITH OUR OWN EXPERIENCE. IT TOOK TWO MONTHS TO GET THE FENCE PUT IN WHEN WE WERE ORIGINALLY TOLD IT WOULD BE ABOUT 4 WEEKS. WE FELT THAT SINCE THIS WAS A SMALL PROJECT, THEY DIDN'T GIVE IT MUCH ATTENTION. ONLY WHEN WE CALLED DID THINGS HAPPEN. AND BOB, OUR CONTACT THERE, DID NOT RETURN OUR CALLS OR ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS. WE ASKED ABOUT HAVING THE FENCE BE FILLED IN CLOSER TO OUR HOUSE AND HE SAID HE'D HAVE THE CREW DO THAT. AND WE ALSO ASKED ABOUT SOME HELP REMOVING AN EXISTING FENCE. ALTHOUGH HE WAS PLEASANT ON THE PHONE, WE GOT NO RESPONSE AT ALL TO EITHER QUERY. ALTHOUGH WE ARE HAPPY ENOUGH WITH THE FENCE ITSELF, IT DOES HAVE GOUGES IN IT FROM WHERE THEY PUT IT IN (IN CLEARLY VISIBLE SPOTS).

WE HAVE A FENCE BUT W/O ENDCAPS ON ANY POSTS. ONE GATE IS HUNG BACKWARDS. WE HAVE ONE ARBOR AND CRACKED PIECES. WE SIGNED THE CONTRACT ON APRIL 30TH SO IT'S BEEN 3 MONTHS NOW, AND THEY WON'T RETURN ANY CALLS. WE WROTE A LETTER THAT HAS NOT BEEN RESPONDED TO.

I HAD CALLED FOR AN ESTIMATE ON A TUESDAY EARLY MORNING. AS OF THE NEXT MONDAY AFTERNOON, MIDWEST HAD STILL NOT HAD A SALESMAN RETURN MY CALL.

THE INITIAL SALESMAN WAS WONDERFUL AND HELPED ME SET THE FENCE LINE. WHEN THE CREW SHOWED UP, THOUGH, I MADE A CHANGE. I REALIZED MY MISTAKE AND ASKED THE CREW TO GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL PLAN. THEY HAD TO REFILL FIVE HOLES, THEN RE-DIG THE HOLES ALONG THE ORIGINAL FENCE LINE. THEY HADN'T PUT UP ANY FENCING YET - THEY WERE ONLY DIGGING THE HOLES. TOOK THE BOYS LESS THAN 10 MINUTES. I WAS CHARGED $300. FOR THE CHANGE - WHICH I FOUND TO BE EXCESSIVE. LESSON: DON'T CHANGE THE PLANS AFTER THEY'VE BEEN SET; OR AT LEAST ASK HOW MUCH CHANGES WILL COST.