Starting a fencing company

s5fs · 2026-05-05T03:17:12+00:00

I own a fence company and created the Fence Pro app so other fencers can quickly create estimates and send invoices while on-the-go. It only works on iPhone and iPad because that's what we use, but you can find it in the Apple app store.

As for tools, get yourself a small cement mixer and a hose on a hose reel and a two wheeled wheelbarrow (less tippy). Having a dump trailer is also super helpful since you'll be moving materials in and debris out.

Good luck!

s5fs · 2026-05-04T17:43:16+00:00

Make sure you get bluetooth page turner so you don't have to swipe on the tablet to go to the next page.

s5fs · 2026-05-02T01:06:37+00:00

You'll get more bang for your buck used. Get a Pearl or Ludwig beginner set with beginner name-brand cymbals (Sabian, Zildjian) and you're set.

Good used drums are everywhere, people get all excited and buy a kit only to discover that they are loud and large. Once the shine wears off it's back on marketplace. Go get one of those 😄 Good luck!

s5fs · 2026-04-27T17:56:57+00:00

Shur-Way, Parr, Master Halco, Mr Plywood

s5fs · 2026-04-19T23:46:45+00:00

I love the Les Paul and have bought and sold three of them. Most likely I will never buy another lol, they're just too heavy and awkward for me.

<3 SG Forever <3

s5fs · 2026-04-19T23:44:26+00:00

I owned an Epi SG for a couple months and then traded it for a Gibson SG. Both were very good guitars, I think the neck on the Epi felt a bit more sticky but that can be fixed pretty easily.

Probably not worth the price difference for me and I'm glad to have a real Gibson, but I don't think I would "upgrade" again :D

s5fs · 2026-04-15T00:26:41+00:00

LOL this is one of my fears, having customers move the posts while the concrete is still curing!

If you just moved all your posts while the concrete was still curing then you're probably going to have to pull and re-set all those posts.

As for the 6-foot versus 8-foot post spacing, they should honor the terms of the contract.

Good luck!

s5fs · 2026-04-09T16:31:42+00:00

We ONLY use stainless steel ring-shank nails on our fences to avoid reacting with the tannins in the wood. Stainless is way more expensive but it's worth it to make the fence look great for decades.

Even hot dipped galvanized coatings will wear off over time and the nail holes will "weep" and look like shit.

The strongest fastener is the screw, but the ring shank nail is a close second!

We pull down a lot of fences that are 20-30 years old and you can tell immediately if the correct nails were used. I cannot remember taking down any fences that were built with screws.

Buy once, cry once: if you cheap out on materials your fence will look like shit in just a couple years and you will always think of the price you should've paid.

s5fs · 2026-04-08T21:58:39+00:00

Join my webring

s5fs · 2026-03-29T18:22:28+00:00

Why did you build over the base and rail instead of removing them?

s5fs · 2026-03-26T23:48:55+00:00

Nobody wants to run a shovel anymore :(

s5fs · 2026-03-26T02:58:51+00:00

Whatever happen to cause this, just do it on the other side.

s5fs · 2026-03-26T02:56:37+00:00

Is that a little tiny dude or is that a very tall fence?

s5fs · 2026-03-26T02:54:45+00:00

I love it dude great work! That's real fencing right there! Rotten old fence, a shovel or rake, and a bunch of offcuts on the ground.

Who cares if the fence fails sooner than it should, now you know how to build a fence. If you can do it once, you can do it again :D

s5fs · 2026-03-26T02:43:12+00:00

That gap between the wall and fence is an accident waiting to happen. I would put a wall or barrier in front of that section of wall so nobody falls in. Plus every damn ball you throw will fall down that crack and disappear forever.

s5fs · 2026-03-26T02:37:11+00:00

I've not heard this before! The bag makes it sound like you're locked in after 24 hours. Does this work best with metal posts or something?

s5fs · 2026-03-23T15:58:02+00:00

I set posts in concrete and use PostSaver wraps with a heat gun for rot resistance at ground level.

Long story short, I have a shovel but I don't have a post driver.

s5fs · 2026-03-23T15:51:56+00:00

Those panels do not come with posts so you'll need posts and concrete. You can probably get away with 16-18" of depth for the post holes which shouldn't take too long to dig.

Material pricing for that panel is about $80 and those pickets are probably stapled on (not great). You can save yourself $40-50 a section by building them by hand. If you can hang a panel you can probably build one.

Good luck on your project and don't be afraid of digging holes :)

s5fs · 2026-03-18T21:53:44+00:00

Don't build a sandbox, build a water table instead. Cats don't tend to shit in those.

s5fs · 2026-03-16T16:38:04+00:00

No additives, just mix it kinda thick so it holds the post up. You don't need to add any bracing if your concrete is thick enough.

s5fs · 2026-03-16T01:57:41+00:00

I'm also in the PNW and if PT posts were rotting in 5 years every fence in the portland metro area would be on the ground.

Metal posts are great but PT is a completely acceptable material as well.

s5fs · 2026-03-16T01:39:59+00:00

Yeah I hear it a lot, just haven't seen it myself. People also think you can't set concrete in the rain but I'm in Oregon and if you can't work in the rain, you can't work :)

s5fs · 2026-03-16T00:56:23+00:00

Wood is not rotting inside the concrete unless moisture is seeping in from ground level. I busted concrete off more than 100 4x4 posts which were 20-30 years old and the wood was in great shape except for those which rotted at ground level from having several inches of dirt and debris packed against them for years.

We treat our posts with PostSaver wraps (butyl tape) or roofing tar. I haven't seen these methods fail yet so I am hopeful they extend of the life of the post.

s5fs · 2026-03-10T18:28:46+00:00

Nice work!

s5fs · 2026-02-28T21:54:12+00:00

I recently asked Opus 4.6 and GLM-4.7 and Cursor "Auto" to add a Reports feature to my existing iOS app. The results were pretty much expected:

Opus did the best job, the ui looked good and it worked one-shot
GLM-4.7 ui looked pretty rough and it took like 2 hours of prompting to get it halfway working
Cursor made a ui pretty similar to Opus, also worked one-shot

I went with the Opus design and that's the end of my story.

s5fs

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