Before hiring anyone, collect three documents: the California contractor licence number, an insurance certificate and an estimate that lists every item. Checking the licence is quick and free at cslb.ca.gov, the Contractors State License Board website.
The San Jose Fence Company is licensed and insured. Ask for the licence number and an insurance certificate when you receive your estimate.
What should I ask a fence contractor before hiring?
- Which CSLB licence do you hold, and what is the number?
- Does my address need a permit or planning approval, who applies, and is the fee in your price?
- Who contacts USA North 811?
- How deep will the posts be in this clay, and what goes around them?
- Exactly which lumber species and grade, or which brand of vinyl or metal, and how thick are the posts?
- Does the price cover removing the old fence and its concrete?
- How many gates, how wide, and with what hinges and latches?
- What is your start date and how many working days is the job?
- What do you do when a hole hits a root, a pipe or rock?
How do I check that a contractor is licensed and insured?
Enter the name or number in Check a License at cslb.ca.gov. A CSLB licence is required in California for work of $1,000 or more counting labor and materials. The threshold rose from $500 on January 1, 2025. Below it, the exemption is lost if the job needs a permit or the person has employees. Fence contractors are licensed under class C-13, Fencing. The record lists the bond and workers' compensation status. Liability insurance is separate, so have the insurer send you a certificate.
What should a fence estimate include?
Total footage, fence height, material and grade, post dimensions and depth, every gate and its width, removal of the old fence, permit handling, cleanup, the payment schedule and a start date. If two estimates differ, one of them is usually missing an item the other has. The CSLB says a home improvement job over $500 needs a written contract.
Should I get three quotes?
Yes, when you are replacing a full fence. Three written bids tell you the going price and show which contractor actually measured. Compare what each bid includes before comparing totals.
What deposit is normal?
California caps it. A down payment on a home improvement contract may not exceed $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less, under Business and Professions Code section 7159 as the CSLB explains it. Later payments are not supposed to get ahead of completed work. Use a check or a card and hold on to receipts.
The cheapest quote wants half up front and will not show insurance. Is that a problem?
It is. Asking for half up front goes well past the legal down payment limit for home improvement work in California. Declining to show insurance on top of that is how unlicensed operators usually look. If their worker is injured or they break something in your yard, the cost can fall on you. Search the name at cslb.ca.gov before signing anything.
I paid a deposit and the contractor stopped showing up. What can I do?
Send a dated written message asking for a definite date to start or finish. With no answer, file a complaint with the Contractors State License Board, the agency that licenses and disciplines California contractors. Save the contract, payment records and every text and email.
The crew cut my internet line or sprinkler pipe. Who pays?
That depends on whether the line had been marked and on the contract terms. The 811 process has utility companies mark their own lines. Anything the homeowner installed, such as irrigation, pool lines or low-voltage lighting, does not get marked. Point those out ahead of time and have them noted on the estimate.
My HOA approved the fence in writing and now wants it moved. What now?
Keep that approval letter safe and leave the fence where it is for now. The dispute is between you and the association, and nothing is wrong with the fence itself. An attorney who handles California homeowner association matters can advise you.
Can I install a fence myself?
Yes. A short, straight fence on flat ground is a reasonable weekend project. Gates, long runs and slopes are harder, and digging to full depth in dry adobe by hand is the step most people underestimate. USA North 811 still has to be notified before you dig, and city height and permit rules still apply.
We only give a firm price after measuring the line in person. The visit is free and you get the quote in writing. Call (408) 217-2790 or text a photo of the fence.