Amish-built fence: what to look for before you hire

Why people search for an Amish fence builder

Many buyers in Ohio and Pennsylvania look for Amish builders because they have seen the work on barns, sheds and outbuildings and they trust the care that went into it. Amish America's barn pages show how established "Amish-built" is as a buying category for outbuildings. That trust is understandable, and for a fence it is a reasonable starting point.

It is only a starting point. A fence has to survive frost, mud, livestock and mowing equipment for years, and the build quality of one crew can differ a great deal from another, whatever the background of the people on it. The rest of this page is about how to tell, for any builder.

What the label can and cannot tell you

Amish communities are not all alike. Amish America notes that some firms are Amish Mennonite or Beachy, and that practices differ between settlements. Its writers also point out that non-Amish dealers sometimes sell "Amish" barns, and that one reader describes Old Order craftsmen employed by non-Amish owners. So the word on a sign can mean several different things.

That is a reason to ask plain questions. Who owns the business? Who will actually be on your property? Who stands behind the work if a gate sags next spring? A good builder answers these directly, whatever the background.

Verify licensing and insurance for any builder

This applies to every contractor. Ask for a certificate of insurance and call the insurer to confirm the policy is active. Contractor licensing rules differ by state, city and township, so ask your local building or zoning office what applies to fence work at your address. Do the same check for an Amish crew, a national installer and a neighbor with a trailer, and do it before you pay anything.

Our post on questions to ask a fence contractor lists ten checks worth making, including who calls 811 and what the quote should list.

How to reach a builder who does not use the internet

Some Amish builders have no website, no email and sometimes no cell phone. Amish America reports that cell phones are common in some settlements and not in others, and that Amish businesses wanting a web presence often work through a third party. In practice you may have a phone number, a voicemail and a callback on a working day.

That is workable, with a few steps. Ask how you will get a written quote, since a handshake is not a contract you can show a lender or an insurer. Ask how change orders and delays will be communicated. Ask how you will contact the builder after the job, if a gate needs adjusting. A builder who is hard to reach before the sale may be hard to reach after it, whatever their culture.

Look at the posts, because the posts are the fence

If you only inspect one thing on a finished fence, look at what holds it up. Penn State Extension gives a typical line post depth of 36 inches, with corner and gate posts about 25 percent larger in diameter and set about 48 inches deep. University of Wisconsin Extension says a 40 to 48 inch livestock fence ideally has posts buried 4 feet deep. Local frost depth in the Ohio and Pennsylvania places we checked runs from about 30 to 42 inches, and your township sets the number that applies.

Ask any builder how deep the posts go and why. A good answer refers to the soil, the fence height and local frost depth. Ask whether the posts are rated for ground contact. The American Wood Protection Association calls for Use Category 4A or higher for posts in ground contact, and the Forest Products Laboratory warns that lumber marked for above-ground use only should not go in the soil.

Look at the corners and the gates

University of Georgia Extension says a corner or end post may carry about 3,000 pounds of pull when wire is first stretched, and about 4,500 pounds in winter cold. Corners and ends need bracing that fits that load. Gates add their own twisting force on the hinge post, which is why gate posts are larger and deeper than line posts. Our post on why gates sag explains the failure in detail.

• Sight down the line from one end. It should run straight or curve smoothly, without wobble.
• Check the corner posts for lean, and look at the brace.
• Swing the gate. It should clear the ground, latch without lifting and hang level with the fence.
• Look at the gap between the gate and the post. Hooves and heads should not be able to catch there.
• Look at the ground line of old posts, if you can find a fence the builder set a few winters ago.

Ask about materials and what they last

Post material decides how long the fence stands before the first big repair. Penn State says a pressure-treated post can last 10 to 25 years. Kentucky Extension says properly treated and installed pine posts can last 20 to 35 years, while untreated pine may last 3 to 7. The Forest Products Laboratory adds that decay is most severe at the ground line. These are ranges from tests and extension guides, and no builder can promise one for your soil. What you can ask is what the posts are made of, how they are treated, and how the bottom of the post is kept from sitting in water.

Ask the same about rails, boards and wire. Wood species and treatment, board thickness, wire gauge and galvanizing all change cost and wear. A builder who can say why they chose each one is thinking about your fence. One who says "it's all good" is not.

Spend the first visit on the ground

Before the quote, a good builder walks the line with you. Expect them to look at slope, wet spots, rock, existing trees and where gates need to go. University of Missouri Extension says each added corner, anchor, gate or stream crossing adds time and expense, so the layout affects price as much as the length does. If the visit is five minutes at the truck window and a number, the number is a guess.

Get the whole job in writing

A written quote should name the fence type, height, length, post size and material, gates and widths, and what happens to spoil and old fence. University of Missouri Extension says cost moves with fence type, materials, terrain, labor and the number of corners, braces and gates, so a quote that lumps those together tells you little. Keep a copy of anything promised after the job, including a warranty if one is offered. Do not assume one exists. Ask what it covers and for how long.

Where Solid Rock Fencing fits

The owner of Solid Rock Fencing was raised Amish. He chose fencing to bring the quality Amish builders are known for to fence and gate work in Ohio and Pennsylvania. That is background, and it is fair to be curious about it. It is not a substitute for checking. Ask us for the same proof and the same written quote you would ask of anyone.

Solid Rock Fencing is locally owned and operated, family owned, and offers FREE estimates. You can call (440) 241-4312, read the about page, or see the photos of our work. Look at fences we have built, ask your questions, and compare us with other builders on the same terms.

Questions we hear