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Vent: I keep seeing guys set posts in concrete without checking for frost lines

Tbh, I was working on a job in Madison last week and had to fix a whole section of fence the crew before me put in. They set the posts in a full concrete collar, but only went down about 18 inches. We get real winter here, and the frost line is 42 inches. I know it takes more time and digging, but come spring, that whole line is going to heave and tilt. I've seen it happen three times just this year. It's a basic thing, but people skip it to save a couple hours. How do you guys handle explaining this extra cost and work to a customer who just wants the cheapest quote? Do you have a go-to way to show them why it matters?
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3 Comments
spencer_gonzalez1
Honestly, you're making a big deal out of a little frost. Not every fence needs to be a fortress. If a customer wants it done fast and cheap, who are we to tell them no? Maybe they just need it to look good for a few years before they sell the place. You ever think about that?
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ruby_wright
That's the same thinking that gets us cheap furniture and fast fashion. It all ends up in a landfill in a couple years. Like @hannahcraig said, a light rain took out her neighbor's fence. What's the point if it can't even do its basic job? Sure, maybe they're selling, but then the next person gets stuck with a problem. Why is doing something halfway okay now?
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hannahcraig
My neighbor's cheap fence fell over in a light rain.
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