We've seen a lot of fences over the years — some built beautifully, and some that were doomed from day one. The difference between a fence that lasts 25 years and one that fails in 5 almost always comes down to a handful of avoidable mistakes.
This is the most common — and most damaging — fence installation mistake. Posts that aren't deep enough will lean, shift, and eventually fail, especially in Colorado's freeze-thaw cycles. The frost line in Northern Colorado is approximately 30 inches, and posts need to be set below it.
How we avoid it: Every post we set goes a minimum of 30–36 inches deep, in a properly sized concrete footing. No shortcuts, no exceptions.
Hitting a buried gas line, fiber optic cable, or irrigation pipe is dangerous, expensive, and completely preventable. Colorado law requires calling 811 before any digging project.
How we avoid it: We schedule the 811 locate as part of every project. It's free, it takes a few days, and it eliminates the risk entirely.
Using untreated pine, undersized posts, or bargain hardware might save money upfront, but it costs far more in the long run when boards warp, posts rot, and gates sag.
How we avoid it: We use premium Western Red Cedar for all fence components and commercial-grade hardware rated for the weight and stress of real-world use. We don't stock cheap materials because we don't build cheap fences.
Very few yards in Northern Colorado are perfectly flat. A fence that doesn't account for slopes and grade changes will have uneven gaps at the bottom, panels that don't align, and an overall look that screams "amateur."
How we avoid it: We survey the grade of every fence line before we start and plan the layout to follow the terrain smoothly. Whether that means stepping the fence in sections or racking the panels to follow the slope, we make it look intentional and clean.
A gate without a diagonal brace will sag. It's not a question of if — it's a question of when. This is one of the most visible signs of amateur fence work.
How we avoid it: Every gate we build includes a structural diagonal brace. Every one. It's non-negotiable.
Building a fence even a few inches onto a neighbor's property can create legal disputes and force you to move or remove the fence entirely.
How we avoid it: We verify property lines before we start. If there's any ambiguity, we recommend a professional survey. The cost of a survey is tiny compared to the cost of building a fence in the wrong place.
Every one of these mistakes comes from rushing, cutting corners, or skipping steps. As a professional fence installation company, our process is designed to catch and prevent each of these issues before they become problems. That's the value of hiring experienced fence contractors who know what they're doing.
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