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Fence replacement - contractor cleanup

auntiebling

auntiebling

megalomaniacal troglodyte
Super Moderator
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Apr 27, 2004
Location
atop the parapet
Moto(s)
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Well I'm here channeling my inner dubbington seeking help from the barf brain trust
today looks to be the last day my fencing contractor will be on site, 4 day job started 8 working days ago but whatever.

They're supposed to clean up the demolished fence and they did that. Today there is 1 guy here daintily putting scraps of lattice in a wheelbarrow and my concern is they're planning to leave all the dirt excavated from the post holes that with rain and their foot traffic during construction has piled up against the bottom board of the fence. The neighbor had decorative rocks against their side of the fence and many of them have migrated to my side mixed with post-hole-dirt so there is no question they just left the extra dirt

The fences look good, their attention to detail has concerns... How "grumpy old man" do I go here?
 
Full Grump.

They need to leave the yard in the same condition as it was before they started their job.
 
I am certain most homeowners don’t execute a written contract with contractors. Did you contractor provide a written scope of work? If not, if you’re happy with his work then discuss the matter with him on a friendly basis.
 
I'd say grump ahead 2/3 unless they argue against cleaning those things up, and then grump ahead full if they do. Part of any project is cleaning up after the work is completed.
 
a metal Bow rake / good for moving heavy debris, soil, and gravel/ used along the bottom edge of the fence to level the soil could be done in short order. A 1 foot diameter x 2 foot deep post hole dirt can be spread level in a minutes time; assuming you did a really nice fence using 6 foot centers: 140 feet divided by six is approximately 24. One labor; 24 minutes to spread the dirt out.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002Z8N7S...27-1e4b8c744aec[ofsxid|button_poc[ofsvid|lt_t
 
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Go grumpy.
I had white rocks on the slope up to the fence and they buried them under the dirt where they dug holes. No way to get them back. They put in 140 feet in 2 days.
 
Your contractor should leave your property in the same condition it was prior to construction. In this case, no rubble, debris, concrete lumps, or construction debris should be present. That's part of the job.

Certainly no pebbles from neighbor or so on. Absolutely no dirt of any form touching the fence or fence poles.
 
Withold final payment until you've reached an agreement with the contractor.
 
My fencing contractor charged extra to remove post hole dirt...
 
Get your concerns across by asking innocent questions;
- Will you have enough time to get everything cleaned up today?
- A lot to do- are others coming to help?
- How big of a truck are they bringing for all that dirt?
- Care for an iced tea/snack?
He'll be on his phone in no time.
 
I recently had a similar experience with my cement patio contractor. When he said he was done I made the final payment, minus $200, and told him I'd settle up with him after he cleans up. He came back the next morning and finished. I have no doubt I would not have seen him again if I had paid in full.
 
"Will you also be removing and hauling away the extra post hole dirt?"

"No? Could you?"
 
well it's been an enlightening weekend of shoveling mud and reading fine print.

there is indeed a contract that i didn't completely read because my better half has been handling this. in said contract it doesn't explicitly state what they will clean up, and explicitly states they won't be disposing of excavated dirt nor will they be pulling the old fence post stumps out of the ground (which would have been a great place to dump that excavated dirt but...eh.)

so i went ahead and started clearing the post hole tailings, and dug out the base of the fence where applicable. i've also seen significant portions of the neighbor's yards after install (4 properties total participated) and mysteriously they don't have any new mounds of dirt. i'm feeling like recess in 4th grade, choosing football teams.... but this isn't really a place for childhood trauma is it?

the installer is coming back at 4 today, i'll be happy if he sweeps up the staples strewn across the driveway and collects the concrete chunks they left behind

as far as the suggestions to talk to them on site... i work. i'm not there, also the on site crew don't admit to speaking english and the lead guy that organizes them is like a fart in the wind (according to my wife, whom i completely believe)

the install company itself i am pretty happy with. the quote is all online, pretty clear as to what will be installed. it's always the little details though that make it a good or bad experience and that's where we are and i'm leaning toward bad.

Final signoff is online, and we've been in communication with the neighbors about our issues and there is significantly more than $200 being held up till we are happy. i suspect they wouldn't bother coming back if we only held $200 back. that would round down to 0% on the project cost in total
 
I have yet to work with a contractor that actually thought that cleaning up after themselves was in the job description. Getting any of them to do it is always like pulling teeth. Of course this isn't really a new problem, the crawl space of my house had all sorts of shit left by the builders and various crews, and I am sure that a few modelo cans are probably in the walls of just about every home.

Also, legally discarding dirt is expensive, they will probably do the labor part if you provide the dumpster. If you have some open space nearby and a wheel barrow, it might be faster and cheaper to just spread the dirt there.
 
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the dirt is waiting on the curb in front of my house. i'll be shoveling it into my garbage can a little at a time over the next several weeks.

dirt is actually Clay. and when it rains, it turns into black gooey tar. I cold spreadit out but then it would still be in my yard making a mess

i need to get a tarp to put over it now that i think about it.
 
the dirt is waiting on the curb in front of my house. i'll be shoveling it into my garbage can a little at a time over the next several weeks.

dirt is actually Clay. and when it rains, it turns into black gooey tar. I cold spreadit out but then it would still be in my yard making a mess

i need to get a tarp to put over it now that i think about it.
 
Usually your local garbage service has a clause against disposing of dirt in your trash.

Also be sure the concrete is poured above ground level with run-off slope.
 
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