I hired All American Fence to replace an existing fence, ultimately selecting them because they…read morewere the lowest bidder and because I had a personal connection to their sales representative. Unfortunately, the overall experience left me disappointed.
The project took approximately a month and a half to complete, considerably longer than the six days that were quoted. More concerning than the schedule, however, was the number of issues identified after the initial installation. I documented more than 30 items requiring correction, including incomplete sections of fencing, uneven and poorly cut pickets and posts, damaged gate framing, nails that were not fully sunk, hardware and electrical items that were not properly reattached, construction materials and debris left on the property, and several areas where the fence was not properly finished.
To All American Fence's credit, their construction manager, Joseph, was responsive to my concerns and made multiple trips to the property to address the punch list. The company did make efforts to correct many of the issues, and I appreciate Joseph's willingness to work through them. Unfortunately, it took multiple return visits, and there are still workmanship concerns that I believe should have been addressed during the original installation.
One of my biggest concerns was cleanup. String, construction debris, and what appeared to be nails and other metal debris were left around the property. Because I have children, I specifically asked that the area around the fence be checked with a magnet. Joseph initially told me he would come by and do this, but later told me he had been instructed by the owner, Shawn Carter, not to return to the property. That was particularly disappointing given the potential safety concern.
There was also damage to three irrigation pipes during the installation. After notifying the company, Joseph initially indicated that he would address the issue. I was subsequently told that he had been instructed by the owner not to return to the property. The company cited contractual language stating that the "Owner is responsible for marking property lines and low voltage lines." I did not believe that provision addressed the irrigation damage, yet I was left to deal with the resulting repairs.
Another issue involved the company's sales representative, Tyler. I was told that his commission would not be paid unless I signed a certification of completion. This ultimately resulted in Tyler personally coming to my property and attempting to address items that remained unresolved after multiple previous visits by the installation crews. I found this unusual and disappointing, particularly given that the project was still not fully resolved.
The communication and handling of the final stage of the project also left me dissatisfied. Rather than feeling like the company was committed to making sure the job was completely finished and the property was left in good condition, the process ultimately became contentious. My communications with the owner unfortunately ended on a very negative note, including being described as the "most entitled customer" he had ever worked for.
I recognize that every construction project can have unforeseen issues, and I also recognize that All American Fence did make efforts to correct many of the problems I identified. My concern is that there were simply too many workmanship and completion issues for a project of this size, and it required far too much of my time and repeated follow-up to get the work to where it ultimately ended up.
I chose All American Fence because their price was competitive and I initially expected that I was getting a good value. Unfortunately, based on my experience, I would not use them again or recommend them to someone looking for a contractor where quality control, attention to detail, cleanup, and follow-through are priorities.
