FAQ

Cox Fence has a current Home Improvement Contractor License from the State of Connecticut as well a comprehensive insurance policy including worker’s compensation coverage. Certificate of Insurance available upon request.

Here at Cox Fence we know that nothing is more valuable to our success, both present and future, than meeting and exceeding customer expectations. With this philosophy at heart, we are proud to offer our very own Three Year “Sure Start” Labor Warranty on all fences we install. This warranty protects you against any defects in the installation integrity of your fence sand gates for the first three years. We feel confident in offering this to you, the customer, knowing that we take the proper steps to ensure a long lasting, beautiful fence. We want you to feel comfortable in knowing that you are choosing a company you can trust; a local company that is there to address your concerns both now and in the future.

In our dedication to providing the highest quality products and services, installations are completed solely by employees of Cox Fence; we do not use any subcontractors.

If possible, we encourage you to be present at the commencement of your project in order to do a final walkthrough of the job with our installation Foreman. Other than that, we generally do not need you to be present while installation occurs. We do ask that you provide us with a good contact number so that we may reach you should any questions or issues arise.

We require a 40% deposit with the signed proposal in order to begin processing your project. The balance is due upon completion.

Certain towns require you to obtain a permit for a new fence. The customer is responsible for obtaining said permit. Our sales associates can advise you, to the best of our knowledge, as to whether or not you may need a permit, as well as how you might obtain one. The process is the same as if you were to get a permit for a shed in most towns (Note: Since fences are not regulated by progress inspections for adherence to building codes, we feel confident in leaving this responsibility to the customer.)

Cox Fence will help you to design a layout that is both functionally proficient and aesthetically pleasing. However, we leave it to you, the homeowner, to determine the boundaries of your property. (Note: Our sales representatives may be able to help you find property markers; however, we take no responsibility for the accuracy of these markings.)

There are numerous ways to determine the property line. We advise that the best way to go about this process is to have an official plot survey completed. While it will cost you upwards of $600 or more to have an independent firm come in to complete the survey, you then know with confidence that you are installing the fence within your property boundaries. Not to mention, for the rest of the time that you own said property, you will know what is rightfully yours, and what is not.

Cox Fence will submit a Call Before You Dig request for utility notification prior to the start of the work. This will help us to know where underground utilities such as water, gas, sewer and electrical are located. Sprinkler Lines and dog fences are very hard to mark, but we will do our best to avoid them. Per our contract, Cox Fence is not responsible for damage to underground pipes or wires. If damage is to occur, we will do our best to minimize damages and work with you to get the proper certified professionals out to fix the damaged item(s).

We will do our best to avoid damaging underground sprinkler lines, dog fences, etc.. However, given the nature of how the systems are installed, it is very hard for us to know the exact location of pipes and wires. If you can mark sprinkler heads that is always helpful! Per our contract, Cox Fence is not responsible for damage to underground pipes or wires. If damage is to occur, we will do our best to minimize damages (i.e. turn off water supply to sprinkler system) and work with you to get the proper certified professionals out to fix the damaged item(s). By State Statute, sprinkler lines and electrical wires must be repaired by certified professionals who are licensed in their trade.

In most cases, our jobs run on budget. However, there are certain cases where the final project total may be greater than the original proposal. If the layout changes (i.e. longer lineal feet than originally laid out, adding gates, etc…) additional material and labor fees may be added to the final invoice. When we run into obstructions in the terrain (i.e. Ledge, Boulders, Large Tree Stumps/Roots, etc…) there may be additional labor fees. We must ensure that your fence is installed to last despite these challenges. Doing so will come at a cost. We are not out to make more money off these challenges, rather, we simply must be properly compensated for the additional time in excess of what was budgeted for the project.

The customer is responsible for clearing the fence line of all debris, brush, etc… We ask that you make sure you also make your neighbors aware of the installation ahead of time so that they may more any debris away on their side. If our installers must spend a significant amount of time clearing the fence line, there may be additional labor fees associated.

We use only the highest quality northern white cedar fence components harvested and milled in Northern Maine and Canada. Cedar is the most naturally rot and insect resistant natural wooden product available.

We use only stainless steel nails and screws to build our custom cedar fence and gate products. Stainless steel nails will not rust like a galvanized nail, which leaves unsightly streaking on the fence over time. Stainless steel nails also are far superior in strength and durability to the aluminum nails used by other manufacturers of cedar fence products.

We take pride in saying that our fences are beautiful from both sides! Our sales staff can provide you with photos of actual cedar fence projects built, and installed, by our professional team.

All of our cedar posts are a minimum nominal 5”x5” for a square post and 5” diameter on a round post. We do not use any 4”x4” posts as they rot quicker and do not provide the necessary structure. Our posts are typically installed 33-36” in the ground, depending on the job. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!

The majority of our fences are built and installed using a dowel construction method. This means that the dowel end of the horizontal rails is installed into holes that are drilled out in the cedar post (also known as mortise and tenon construction.) This is a far superior method to the nail-on alternative in both structure and aesthetics.

Our posts are installed using a dirt tamp installation method. This means that the dirt which is removed when digging the hole is then filled back into the hole and compacted with a tamp using a progressive fill and tamp method. Again, our target depth for installation is around 33” – 36” in ground.

We try to avoid the use of cement with the cedar products. When a cement ball hardens around a post below grade, it creates a solid ledge for the water to sit on. Gravity causes the water to penetrate the post in looking for a way to drain, which thus will advance the rotting process. In certain cases, cement may be used for gate posts that need additional strength.

We pride ourselves on the quality of our installation services. In installing the fence, we work with the contour of your yard to determine how the fence will be best installed both functionally and aesthetically. While we generally follow the grade, we work hard to ensure the cedar fence “flows” well with changes in grade. If there are pets involved, we are sure to install the fence in a way that will best fit your needs.

Due to our ability to build custom products, we are very capable of addressing any steep grade changes. In certain situations we can build a custom panel on site to accommodate these challenges.

One of the most overlooked values in a cedar fence is how well a gate is built. Many companies simply hang a modified fence panel with improper hardware. All of our gates are built using a miter framed construction, with glue and screws at every junction. In addition, we add a tight fit bracing system to prevent sagging. This all ensures that your gates will last for years to come. Note: Upon initial installation, there can be instances where there is a slight adjustment in the alignment due to the weight of the gate. If this occurs, we encourage you to contact our office so we may come out to address the concern.

We can always add on to your fence should you choose to just do a portion of the project now!

This is regulated on a town by town basis. Check with your local municipality for regulations on fences. Note: Typically, it is considered “common courtesy” to face the flat side of the fence away from you. People may call it the “nice side out,” but again with our fences, both sides are equally beautiful!

Our primary vinyl supplier is Interstate Visions out of Long Island, New York. Interstate is a leader in American made vinyl extrusions. We also supply and install Bufftech vinyl products, which is manufactured by CertainTeed (a leader in the building industry.) Bufftech has some astonishing higher end finishes to their vinyl products. Our sales associates can walk you through our products and help you decide what product works best to fit your needs.

We work only with suppliers who manufacture a 100% American Made products. These products are built to superior standards and have a proven track record for quality and durability. In today’s society, where cheaper import products are common place, it is important to consider the impact of choosing products that are manufactured here on American soil and help to create American jobs.

The vinyl fences we supply and install are manufactured with a higher level of UV-Inhibitors that the competitors offerings. This is extremely important when considering the longevity of your fences appearance. These UV-Inhibitors are what preserves the color fastness of the product over time as it is exposed to the sun and other elements. Without these higher levels of UV-Inhibitors, the fence would soon lose its color fastness, and even become translucent over time.

The Interstate vinyl fence system has a substantial wall thickness of the vinyl as well as internal support systems (aluminum / steel support channels in the bottom rail) which help to ensure longevity of the product.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: NUMBER 3 AND 4 ABOVE ARE IMPERATIVE TO UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCES IN VINYL FENCES CURRENTLY ON THE MARKET. MANY VINYL PRODUCTS MAY LOOK SIMILAR UPON FIRST GLANCE, AND EVEN RIGHT AFTER INSTALLATION. HOWEVER, IF YOU ARE INVESTING IN A FENCE THAT WILL, IN THEORY, LAST INDEFINETLY, YOU MUST CONSIDER CHOOSING THE PRODUCT THAT WILL LOOK GOOD NOT ONLY NOW, BUT IN THE FUTURE AS WELL!

Question #3 answered Part 1 of how our products help to create Lasting Value. The answer to this question is Part 2. All of our vinyl fence posts are installed in concrete. Holes are dug to have a belled-bottom so that they are wider at the bottom that they are at the top. The post is placed in the hole, the section is inserted, and then cement is poured around. IMPORTANT: WE DRILL A 3” WIDE ROUND HOLE CENTERED ON THE 5”X5” POST APPROXIMATELY 12” FROM THE BOTTOM. THIS ALLOWS THE CEMENT TO POUR INSIDE THE POST AS WELL AS WRAPPING THE OUTSIDE. WITH A CEMENT BALL THAT HAS A BELLED BOTTOM AND IS WRAPPED AROUND THE OUTSIDE AND CONNECTING THROUGH TO CEMENT INSIDE THE POST, IT ELIMINATES CONCERNS OF FROST HEAVING.

We pride ourselves on the quality of our installation services. In installing the fence, we work with the contour of your yard to determine how the fence will be best installed both functionally and aesthetically. While we generally follow the grade, we work hard to ensure the fence “flows” well with changes in grade. If there are pets involved, we are sure to install the fence in a way that will best fit your needs.

The Interstate gate systems are built using a structural miter welded frame that is heat fused. Unlike a pocketed post design, these welded frames cannot sag over time. The gates are then fastened to a vinyl post with an internal aluminum post stiffener to ensure long lasting durability. Many competitors will just use a heavy wall post, but we have found that over time that simply is not enough. The hollow nature of the vinyl fence post must be structurally supported inside by the aluminum insert. We do use a heavy wall post for the latch post to ensure a sturdy close.

The Interstate product is offered in four primary colors: White, Tan, Stone, and Clay. They also have a wide variety of wood toned colors, just ask your sales representation for more information!

The Bufftech product has an extensive color collection, including their patented “Certa-Grain” products that have the appeal of natural wood with riveted texture. Contact our office or stop by to learn more about these selections.

YES! The vinyl fence from Interstate comes with a manufacturer’s 20 year Limited Warranty. It is with their dedication quality standards that they offer this product. In addition, all of the vinyl fences installed by Cox Fence come with our exclusive Three Year “Sure-Start” Limited Warranty. We offer this as a sign of our commitment to you, the customer.