78 Backyard Concepts

Their estimate was too high, so I chose to use a different company.

What was at first a simple fence replacement turned out to be a difficult and pricely experience. 78 Fence is an unprofessional company. They started late. They didn't check local city codes for the fence or gate until after they tore down the old ones. They didn't even get the permit with the city until after the project was already started. But what bothered us the most is that in the process of their work, they cut a gas line. When they tried to "fix it," they at first didn't consult a certified gas plumber. Luckily another workman working on the pool intervened and made sure that a certified gas repairman would fix the leak. 78 Fence didn't keep to their schedule and we could never get a straight answer from them. The finished product looks good, but it wasn't worth the unnecessary hassle and lies.

Took 3 weeks to schedule the installation but the quality is excellent

We were totally happy because the work was great. They showed up on time and did the work they quoted to do. Their quality was good and they got the job done on schedule. Their price was competitive. I’m not sure how they would compare with other providers but I know that they were in the ballpark with everybody else. I would use them again in the future if necessary.

After the owners came by to view the site, we received a detailed proposal the same day that included the price, the materials to be used, and construction specifications (diameter, depth, spacing of posts, time estimation, etc). The job was started and finished ahead of schedule, and the quality was excellent. The crew was friendly, and worked extremely hard and efficiently despite difficult conditions (heat, rain). The entire process was great for us, and I highly recommend them.

The only detail we provided to three perspective bidders to build our fence and patio was the dimensions and the concept of extending the existing gabled roof over the window of the master bedroom with a roof to match the existing roof line and composition with a pergola adjacent to the covered patio. Mike Hook was the first to come to the house to provide the estimate. He was articulate, punctual professional and friendly. 78fence submitted the proposal in a timely fashion and the content of the proposal had good detail. They were the only bidders to actually submit a "formal" proposal and they effectively used email to answer all questions regarding the bid. As soon as they broke ground in June it began to rain. Just my luck, North Texas has years of drought and it rains on my job but the construction group prevailed and got the slab poured. Then I delayed the project for personal reasons. When I called Robert to delay the project he accepted the delay without question and set a new date to begin again. I tell this b/c normally a contractor will baulk and claim losses. 78 Fence was very understanding and professional regarding the delay. When the carpentry work began they worked hard but not so fast that they overlooked or cut corners. All the work that 78 did was of premium quality and workmanship. I am a retired mechanical engineer with 27 yrs of experience. I say this because I was on this job continuously. Each time the lead worker had a question he would stop and ask how I would like to have it done or he would contact Robert prior to proceeding. When I saw something I had a question about I would talked to Miguel (lead worker) and between Robert, Miguel and myself the answer would be arrived at and work would proceed. I felt the product that 78 Fence delivered and what I wanted was the same. It is good to work with people that respond to questions, have good ideas and want to give the customer the best product possible. No job that I have been associated with has ever gone without disagreements and this one was no different. We had a couple of different perspectives but each time we talked through them and arrived at solution that were technically sound and equitable. I asked for a couple of items that were not comprehended in the original scope of work. Miguel listened to my request then discussed with Robert and the work proceeded without delay. The cost of the add-ons seemed reasonably priced. I have been associated with other projects that the contractor would really stick it too you if you changed the work. 78fence did not do this Additionally, there were things that needed to be done that should have been part of the scope that were not included in the proposal and 78fence did the work the way it should have been done without additional cost to me. It was a pleasure working with them.

78 Fence did an outstanding job. They transformed my back yard and I am very please with the outcome. It was a very large project, and they kept the yard clean, all workers were professional and I would highly recommend them to others.

78 fence was one of several companies we had invited to our property to get an estimate for the project. Mike arrived roughly on time, and the meeting started off well. We needed a 6 ft fence with a retaining wall and explained the particulars of the project to him. At the end, instead of giving us an estimate he asked us (in a mildly aggressive manner) how much we thought it would cost. We gently reminded him that that was what we wanted to hear from him. He gave us a ball-park number, and inquired if that was what we were willing to spend. I told him it was high (as it was much higher than the other estimates I had received), but that I would like to see the detailed cost break-down across the various aspects of the project. He essentially refused. He retorted that he can write down his rough, ball-park figures on a sheet of paper and hand it to me. Very patiently, I explained that I would like to have a professional written estimate (the kind I had in my folder from 3 other fence companies) so that I can make an informed decision regarding what parts of the project I wanted to do now and what I could defer, etc. He was just not interested in doing that. I can only imagine that at some point he decided that we were not going to be able to afford the immaculate, high-end workmanship of the world's best fence company, and he was wasting his time talking to us. In an effort to make something out of the meeting, I asked about what kind of fence (wood, finish, style, etc.) was part of his ball-park number. He told me (almost sarcastically) that he could write anything down based on what I wanted. Ok, so I tried again. I listed out a few wood-types and finishes that I knew and asked him which of these, in his "professional" opinion, would be best suited for my project. "Have you seen our website?", came the brusque response. Again, in an effort to salvage the wasted time, I gave him a description of the wood, the style, and the finish of the fence (based on my interactions with other companies) and requested an estimate. He repeated his ball-park number. Fine, I said, and repeated my request for a written estimate with a break-up of the costs, and a description of the product that I was getting for the money. No way... that was something Mike was just not willing to do. We were explained something about going to a car dealership and choosing between a Volkswagen Beetle and a Mercedes Benz (his exact analogy). By that point, my patience had worn thin, and the conversation was over.

Found 78 Fence on Angie's List. They were prompt in scheduling our initial appointment for an estimate. Mike was on time for our appointment, very pleasant and easy to work with in selecting and designing our gate. He was very consultative offering suggestions re: design and installation. 78 Fence was more expensive than their competition, but it is a high-quality product and well-installed. The time from order to installation was longer than expected (by 2 weeks), but at the end of the day the gate is beautiful with no issues re: operation. The installers were also neat and tidy while working at our house. When we did reach out to express our concerns, they were very responsive.

They did a great job with the work, and very helpful, and completed the work in a timely manner.

Their estimate was way too high. I wasn't impressed with them and it seems like they operate under several different names.

It all went exceedingly well, overall. Scheduled promptly and came as promised. Completed quickly with excellent quality. They even provided a 9ft fence in front to match the neighbor's fence just because it looked great (they had quoted only 6ft). There were a few very minor issues afterward which they noted after installation and returned a few days later to address. A very painless experience.

I requested competitive bids from two companies. Both were responsive and very consultative, educating me in addition to selling to me. I chose 78 Fence because their quote was specific, professionally done, and I had confidence that they would do what they said they would do. I was not given unrealistic expectations about a completion date, they worked with my homeowner's association to ensure that we were in spec with requirements, and the subcontractor's work (electrician for the fan), was high quality and thorough. We have a lovely, sturdy pergola that is admired and coveted by all of our neighbors. I would recommend 78 Fence for this type of work without reservation.

I do not want to give this company a bad report, as I only called for an estimate and they were responsive. Just wanted to share information to fellow list members. I have a few rental properties and had a damaged fence at one of them. I was looking for a repair and a replacement estimate from wind damage. I left a message and they responded promptly, within an hour. He did politely inform me that an estimate was a $50 charge (If they got the job it would be deducted from the job amount). My only complaint is that I read everything on them and didn't see anywhere that they charged for estimates, unless I missed it. I have never had a fence company charge for an estimate before, so I was just a little surprised because I don't think most of us who are looking to spend a couple thousand dollars wouldn't do our homework first and get multiple estimates. I was a little disappointed because they have great reviews and I was hopeful this would be a great resource to find, as I had another big fencing job coming up also. I just think it would have saved some of my time if this information was provided upfront, somewhere on their website. Just a suggestion.

While I have no hard feelings about this company, my experience was different than others. I met with Mike on July 20 and hired 78 Fence on the spot, however I said we?d have to schedule a date to install a new side fence after I submitted plans to my HOA. Within a week, there were flags for underground digging locations in my front and back yard. I had no idea the purpose of this and assumed it was the city who was doing work and blocking the street in front of my driveway. After about 3 days, I called a number on one of the flags and they said it was the fence company. I left a message on Mike?s voicemail, saying that it was too early for this as we were several weeks out, I hadn?t received HOA approval, and needed to mow my yard. I never received a call back. Was my call rude? I sent an e-mail of apology in case I was too harsh. I made subsequent calls to the office and was told Robert had taken over this project: I called to schedule an August installation date and to confirm the dates. Neither call was returned so I sent e-mails. I had planned vacation days but decided to work around 78 Fence?s schedule and gave them their choice of days. We decided upon Sat. Aug. 22. I called to see what time they would be coming out, I was told Robert wasn?t there, but he?d be back because he forgot his cell phone. Called again ? they would be out between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. At noon on the scheduled day, I called the office as well as Mike?s cell phone to see if we were on target for the crew to start by 1. I had plans later that evening; I needed an updated timeline. Didn?t receive a call back and the crew didn?t show until 3:30 because they had been delayed by another project. It happens; projects get delayed all the time, but I would have appreciated the courtesy of a phone call to let me know. It was a wasted day as I told them it was too late in the day to start installing a fence. On Monday, I saw Robert had e-mailed me instead of calling me, saying the fencework wouldn?t start until around 2. I replied that I?d like my deposit back and would move on to another company. He responded by refunding my deposit and said that I should have been more specific in my e-mails if I wanted them to show up at a specific time/day or I would send them away. I?m sure my situation wasn?t the norm and I want to be fair, 78 Fence has received great reviews from others, but it ended badly. And I?m still looking for someone to build my fence.

We were initially impressed with Mike, who came out to survey the site and provide an estimate. He was prompt, professional and gave us confidence that they would do a good job. (We had an estimate from another company that we weren't quite as pleased with, even though the price was a little less.) Once we gave the word to proceed with the job, we were told that Robert would call us in a few days to schedule it. After waiting a few days and not hearing anything, we called to inquire and were told that they would be out on Friday or Saturday of that week. Not a huge issue, but it would have been nice to have been called further in advance. At any rate, they came out Friday and started the job. There was some hesitation by the foreman to build the fence where we had specified due to it being in an easement, but we got that resolved and the job proceeded. Work was completed at a little after noon on Saturday. The fence was built by hand (no pre-contrstructed sections) and it was a very quality job. All-in-all, we were very pleased and would use 78 Fence again.

I had a very specific design in mind and met with Mike several times to discuss; our wish was for a modern, horizontal fence - something not common in Dallas and almost impossible to find. After showing them several pictures, he confirmed they could do it; I was quite nervous about a company understanding what we wanted, so I met with him a few times and even laid out boards on the ground to mock-up the design and discuss exactly what would happen. They showed up on time on the appointed day, removed and hauled away the old fence and old landscaping. All wood was pre-stained cedar. On the first day of actual construction, I came home and was unsure about something they were doing and I left them a message. They called in the am and asked that I come to the house. When I arrived, they had already mocked-up a solution to the problem and it was perfect. The whole project took about 6 days (1 more than I think they thought it would). The finished fence was perfect and is now the envy of the neighborhood. The quality is excellent: very solid posts and gates. My only wish was that the fence was a bit darker. We went with the darkest finish they had but it looks darker on a sample vs. a total fence. We are very pleased at the design and the overall experience.

Excellent installation, workmanship and site clean up. Price as quoted. Very prompt start date and finished exactly as estimated. Install team quiet, efficient, neat and courteous. Not the cheapest, but overall very pleased. Would definitely use them again for future needs.

Our electric gate would open but not close. A representative was sent to repair, but could not get into the control box because I did not have a key to it. For an extra $15, they drilled out the lock and replaced it with a new one, and repaired the gate.

Did everything as stated. Came on time, completed on time, and the fence looks great. Cost was higher than first estimate due to unknown requirements for panic bars on the gates to meet fire codes.

I called 78 Fence and talked to Robert who came out, checked the property line, and gave an estimate. The fencing crew showed up exactly when we scheduled it and replaced the fence in one day. ONE DAY. They removed the old fence, dug post holes, set the posts, and built the fence with nice gate. They left the yard so clean a crime scene team wouldn't have been able to tell they'd been there. Okay, now you're wondering how cement could set up long enough for them to build on it in a few hours, right? Call Robert and let him explain. I'm just a simple man.

They came out to bid the job at exactly the agreed upon time. While we were reviewing the various components of the job, Robert quickly fixed a problem with our motorized gate that had prevented the use of the gate for several months, putting it back in operation, and increasing the security of our house. He bid the remaining parts of the job, with a clear written bid, which we accepted. The crew came back a few days later and completed the rest of the job in a few hours. There was one misunderstanding by the crew who executed the job on the proper size of the new access gate, but we got that worked out and corrected before that part had proceeded too far. The foreman quickly adjusted the size, and the end product works great and looks great. They cleaned up the job-site and were very professional.

The fence was built quickly when the team was able to start. Took a while to get a solid start date. The stain sample board was old and did not seem accurate to the final stain color but by the time it was finished it was hard to remember. The fence is a bit more red/orange than I explained I wanted. I plan on re-staining in the future but wish I could have gotten a more accurate representation when making a decision. The fence itself is very well built and I believe it will last for many years as they promise on their website. When complete there were some nails sticking through the fence door that I asked them to fix which they did. The problem I had was the crew left several of the old fence post concrete bases in the ground which I noticed when I went out to do some yard work. One of them is directly under the new fence line that still has wood in it where the post broke off in an area we are going to flagstone. I called to ask them to remove the concrete bases for the old posts and was told it would happen but it never did. They're still there and I'll probably end up having to remove them myself. For a company with such a reputation I was surprised to see this sort of oversight. Part of the cost of the fence includes removal of the old fence and I consider the old concrete bases part of that and expected them to be removed, especially after my calling them about it. You've certainly go to notice a concrete base with wood sticking out of it when you're building the new fence directly over it.

The quality of work was good. We were told we were the first job of the day and someone would be there early that morning. At 11:15 they arrived after two other jobs.

I did not use 78 Fence for the job. I contacted another fence company that listened to what I wanted. They were also more than $5000 less. I used the second company. I was disappointed with Robert's attitude/response when I told him I would be using someone else.