In article .com,
"phaeton" wrote:

Is it ever a better idea to install the fence yourself, or is this one
of those things that you can do yourself, but usually turns out being
more trouble than it's worth unless you've already done it 100 times?
I might just have it professionally done.

A friend and I installed my chainlink fence at our old house. I got what I
paid for: Cheap, now-rusted, 11-1/2-gauge fencing. I drove by the place a
while back. The ~23-year-old fence is still there and appears to be doing its
job.

After we moved into this place in 1991, I had a much higher-quality chainlink
fence installed professionally. It was WORTH IT!

The previous fence job was a LOT of work, but certainly not beyond my common,
handyman skills.

Being familiar with more backyards than ANYONE except a meter reader, I
wouldn't install a wooden fence UNLESS it was mounted on STEEL line posts set
in concrete. I'm not sure I would want to tackle such a fence myself.

*IF* you hire a good, reputable contractor, you get what you pay for. Fence
installation is not high tech but it IS a lot of work.

Good luck!
--

JR