Find an iron fence professional near Washington, DC

You can find the best fence installer in Washington, D.C. through an online search. Begin by viewing the pros’ ratings and customer reviews. Top Pro badges are also a plus, as they indicate consistently high ratings. Also, look for reviews that include photos of the pro’s work. 

Be sure that the pro you end up hiring has credentials. For example, you can visit the Board of Industrial Trades website to verify a license. The final step is to compare quotes and estimates from several pros to make your decision.

The average cost of fence repairs is around $250, with most homeowners paying anywhere between $200 and $300. Fence repairs have a wide range of potential costs, however, ranging from $50 to as much as $1,443. The cost of your fence repair project depends on multiple factors, including where you live, what type of repair you need, the terrain and the fence materials used.

Contact several fence repair professionals near you to get an accurate cost estimate for your fence.

A gate can sag for a number of reasons. One common reason is that the screws holding the hinges in the wood or other post material have come loose, causing gravity to pull the fence down. Another common problem is the gate post’s lack of stability. Posts can become loose and start to lean, or if they are wooden, they can even rot at the point where they meet the ground.

Fence repair is better for common problems that only affect small areas, such as a broken picket or a shifting fence post. However, there is a rule of thumb to follow: If the repair project requires replacing 20% or more of your fence, it’s probably time to replace the whole fence. The exception to this rule is if the fence is fairly new and just part of it is damaged. 

Gates can be more expensive to fix than other parts of a fence, and there are several reasons for this. The first is that gates are the only moving parts on a fence — hence they have more components that can wear out, as well as friction and the potential for rusting and sagging. Fixing a gate may require a total replacement or simply replacing certain components like hinges. Sometimes, the repair may involve fixing the surrounding fence.

Contact several gate repair professionals near you to get an accurate cost estimate for your gate.

The most common fence repairs are aimed at fixing:

• Missing boards or slats. This is a common problem with wood fences.
• Fence material corrosion. This occurs on metal fences like chain link and iron.
• A sagging gate. This could result from a tilting fence post or loose hinges.
• Post movement. Typically, this is caused by frost, corrosion or water.
• Stains. Moisture and other elements can stain fencing, which may require a professional to remove it.
• Warping. Warped, curled, cupped or bent boards are unsightly and less effective and need to be replaced.

If you notice any of the above issues with your fence, reach out to fence repair professionals near you to start getting cost estimates and schedule an appointment.

Fencing contractors are the best choice when you want to have a fence installed on your property. While there are several types of professionals who can likely handle this service — including handymen, landscapers and general contractors — a fencing contractor has the experience to know what could cause potential problems in the long run. This might include wet spots, vegetation or other issues with the land. 

When choosing a professional to install a fence on your property, make sure they have credentials and experience.

Help define your property line, protect your home and yard, and boost your curb appeal with a new wood fence. The national average for wood fence installation cost is $3,250. Wood fence installation costs will vary based on your geographic location, the type of wood you select, the height and style of wood fence you desire, and the condition of your property. Pressure-treated pine is a common and attractive choice that is usually resilient against rot and bugs. Cedar is another budget-friendly option that, although more expensive than pressure-treated pine, can be more affordable than redwood or teak. A wood fence requires maintenance to ensure its long-term health and beauty, so keep future staining and painting costs in mind when you’re calculating fence installation costs. Here are some examples of how height and material affect the approximate cost of wood fences:

• 6-foot-high, pressure-treated pine fence: $15-$17 per linear foot.
• 4-foot-high, pressure-treated pine fence: $13-$20 per linear foot.
• Cedar fence: $18-$25 per linear foot.
• 6-foot-high, double-sided (meaning both sides are uniform), pressure-treated pine fence with 6x6 posts: $25 per linear foot.
• 12-foot-high, pressure-treated pine fence with custom detailing: $75 per linear foot.
• 6-foot-high, pressure-treated pine fence with a custom lattice top: $30-$50 per linear foot.

Because there are different paths to learning to weld, there’s no single timeline for welding training. Some people attend school part-time while working their current job, while others can focus full-time on their welding training courses. People interested in learning how to weld as a hobby can also take classes from professional welders, such as at KCMA & Services in Waterloo, Indiana.

Expect to take at least two years to go from welding newbie to American Welding Society Certified Welder. A junior college Certificate of Completion welding course is two semesters full-time, or 10 units of coursework. With this certificate, students are qualified for an apprenticeship or internship, rather than a full-time entry-level job. Welding apprenticeships range from 6,000 to 8,000 hours long, equalling three to four years at 2,000 hours per year. Some junior colleges, such as Cerritos College in the Los Angeles area, offer more in-depth welding programs that lead to different welding certifications, such as arc welding and tungsten gas arc welding. These take three to four semesters to complete, so you could be qualified for an entry-level job in about two years of full-time study. Alternatively, you can prepare for employment more quickly through an intensive vocational program at a trade school. For instance, Ohio’s Lincoln Electric Company offers a comprehensive program that prepares people for a welding career in just 20 weeks and 600 hours of hands-on instruction.

The cost of welding training depends on where you take your classes and how quickly you want to complete the program. In general, junior college welding classes are the least expensive, but may take longer; trade schools offer intensive classes that lead to certification more quickly, but are more expensive. For example, Cerritos College, a junior college in Los Angeles that offers a welding training course, charges an average of $46 per unit; most of their welding certificate programs require 19 units of coursework, so cost about $875 each to complete. Pro-Weld, an on-site welding school in Idaho, offers three different welding courses. The 36-week welder fabrication and the 24-week gas tungsten arc welding courses each cost an average of $3,300, while pipe welding costs an average of $2,500 for a 24-week session or an average of $4,500 for a 52-week session. The 20-week comprehensive program at the Lincoln Electric Company in Ohio costs an average of $9,500. Many programs require students to purchase approximately $120-$200 worth of personal welding equipment in addition to textbooks or other class material fees.