Ask for three things in writing: a California contractor licence number, proof of insurance and an itemized estimate. The licence takes a minute to check on the Contractors State License Board website, cslb.ca.gov.
The Los Angeles Fence Company is licensed and insured. Ask us for the licence number and an insurance certificate when we give you your estimate.
What should I ask a fence contractor before hiring?
- What is your CSLB licence number, and what class is it?
- Will you check the city height limit for my address, and who handles a permit if one is needed?
- Who opens the DigAlert 811 ticket?
- How deep will the posts go and what will they be set in?
- What wood species and grade, or which vinyl or metal product, and what size posts?
- Does the price include removing and hauling the old fence?
- How many gates, what width, what hinges and latches?
- What is the start date and how many working days?
- How will you build the hillside part, or the part next to the block wall?
How do I check that a contractor is licensed and insured?
Search the name or number under Check a License at cslb.ca.gov. A California contractor licence is required for any job that totals $1,000 or more in labor and materials. The CSLB announced that the figure rose from $500 on January 1, 2025, and that the exemption for smaller jobs is lost if the work needs a building permit or the person hires workers. Fence work falls under the C-13 Fencing class. The licence record lists the bond and the workers' compensation status. For liability cover, have the insurer send the certificate straight to you.
What should a fence estimate include?
Footage, height, material and grade, post size and depth, every gate with its width, tear-out of the old fence, permits, cleanup, the payment schedule and a start date. If two estimates differ by a lot, find the line that one has and the other lacks. The CSLB says a written contract is required in California for home improvement projects over $500.
Should I get three quotes?
Yes, for a full fence. Three bids tell you the market price and show which contractor measured the yard properly. Compare the scope of each before the totals.
What deposit is normal?
California sets a legal cap. For a home improvement job the down payment cannot be more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less, according to the CSLB (Business and Professions Code section 7159). Later payments cannot exceed the value of work already done. Use a check or a card and keep every receipt.
The cheapest quote wants half up front and will not show insurance. Is that a problem?
It is. Asking for half up front breaks California's down payment limit for home improvement work. Refusing to show insurance on top of that is the pattern of an unlicensed operator. If a worker is injured or property is damaged on your lot, the bill may land on you. Check the name at cslb.ca.gov before another conversation.
I paid a deposit and the contractor stopped showing up. What can I do?
Send a dated written message asking for a firm date to start or finish. If you hear nothing, file a complaint with the Contractors State License Board, the state agency that licenses and disciplines contractors. Hold on to the contract, your payment records and every text and email.
The crew cut my internet line or sprinkler pipe. Who pays?
That depends on whether the line was marked and on the contract terms. A DigAlert ticket only gets utility-owned lines marked. Sprinkler pipe, low-voltage lighting, pool wiring and other lines an owner put in are not marked. Point them out before work starts and get them noted on the estimate.
My HOA approved the fence in writing and now wants it moved. What now?
Keep the approval letter and leave the fence where it is for now. The question is between you and the association and is not about how the fence was built. Take it to a lawyer who handles California homeowner association matters.
Can I install a fence myself?
Yes, and a short straight run on flat ground is a reasonable project for a handy owner. Hillsides, gates and long runs are harder, and that is where owner-built fences usually give out, at the posts. You still have to contact DigAlert 811 before digging and stay within the city's height rules.
We can only give a real price after seeing the fence line. The estimate is free. Call (310) 361-5119 or text us a photo of the yard.