Long Review Alert - But It's the Last One You'll Need…read more
If you're considering hiring Better Fence, owned by Ernesto Zacarias, let me save you some regret. This review is long because I want you to know exactly what you're signing up for. After using them twice, I can confidently say this is a 1-star operation.
Now, I get it--you're thinking, "If it was so bad the first time, why go back?" Fair question. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I thought I could manage them the second time around, thinking I'd get them to fix the issues they left behind the first time. Turns out, I was wrong. Here's what happened:
May 2023: Fence Section Replacement (7 Panels)
This job was supposed to be simple: replace a section of fence that had blown over. Here's how it went sideways:
1. Concrete Disaster: After pulling out the old posts, instead of removing the leftover concrete from the holes and reusing the exiting holes with fresh concrete, they left it buried under the new fence and dug news holes next to the old ones. It looks super sloppy. To top it off, they left a huge pile of dirt behind for me to clean up.
2. Wrong Fence Style: The existing style of my fences is louvered. Without consulting me, they started building a board-on-board style. I caught the mistake two panels in and had to stop them. They had to tear down those two panels and switched them to louvered before finishing the rest.
3. Gaps to the Neighbor's Property: They left significant gaps under the fence where our yard meets the neighbor's. I had to point this out and insist they come back to fix it.
4. Nails Everywhere: They left nails scattered across the fence line, in the rocks, and on my grass. A safety hazard for pets, kids, and anyone walking around.
5. Shoddy Trim Work: Most of the trim had noticeable gaps. After asking them to return, they came back out, cut new trim pieces to the correct length, and fixed all the gaps. While this was resolved, it should have been done right the first time.
6. Exposed Nails: Many nails weren't countersunk, leaving sharp edges sticking out. This wasn't addressed unless I pointed it out repeatedly.
7. Communication Problems: None of the workers onsite spoke English--not even a little. Every single interaction required Google Translate or a call to Ernesto.
8. No Follow-Up After Payment: Once I paid them, any additional issues I pointed out were ignored. They never came back despite multiple requests.
December 2024: Fence Leaning (4 Posts Replaced)
Fast forward to the second job. A different section of my fence was leaning, so I hired them again. Big mistake. This time, I thought I was prepared for their shortcomings. Instead, things were even worse:
Important Details Omitted by Ernesto: During the initial estimate, Ernesto never mentioned:
* "The fifth post is good but loose. If we don't fix the concrete at its base, the fence will be crooked."
* "We'll need to break part of the concrete on the side of your house, but we don't do professional sidewalk repairs, so it won't match."
* "Old trim and baseboards might split when screws are used."
1. Crooked Fence: When the job was done, the fence was visibly crooked. They had to come back to fix it, admitting the fifth post needed a proper concrete base after all.
2. Concrete Mess: The areas where they replaced concrete look terrible--uneven, rough, and amateurish.
3. Warped Post: One of the posts they installed is warped and twisted. It's visibly off and has remained that way because they refused to fix it.
4. Exposed Screws: This time, instead of nails, they used screws--but left most of them sticking out, without countersinking. Another safety hazard and an eyesore.
5. Debris Everywhere: They pulled up turf to work but didn't secure it back properly. I had to nail it down myself. On top of that, they left rocks and debris scattered all over the area. I had to point it out before they did any cleanup.
6. Old and New Concrete Combined: On review of my security footage, I saw that they threw old concrete chunks into the holes with new concrete. This is a major no-no, as new and old concrete will not chemically bond properly. This will likely cause instability in the future.
7. Broken Solar Light: Ernesto himself stepped on a solar light and broke it. Instead of mentioning it, he just popped the pieces back into place like nothing happened.
8. Miscommunication on Posts: I specifically wanted the old posts saved for firewood. Without asking, they took them to the dump. When I asked, Ernesto apologized but said it was too late to retrieve them and made no effort to compensate me for my personal property he took.
9. Hostile Response: After asking Ernesto (for the third time) to fix the concrete properly, he responded rudely with, "Pay for whatever you want, please don't call me again for a job. I hope I don't hear from you."
