Cerda Fencing LLC

Cerda Fencing built an absolutely spectacular privacy fence and gate for our neighbors across the street I stood and marveled at this fence while they were building it, and I was also impressed by their methodology and craftsmanship I'm a professional engineer and an amateur woodworker, so I like to think I know good design and craftsmanship Cerda Fencing works efficiently and cleanly using well-maintained equipment I was so impressed that I asked them to set the posts for a privacy fence and gate that I was just about to begin I already started accumulating materials and I came up with a design, but I was not looking forward to the post setting process Cerda was completely amenable to the idea of only setting the posts, and letting me construct the remainder of the fence As expected, they did a great job The posts are laser-perfect plumb and located according to the drawing I provided I couldn't be happier This is the only fencing contractor that I'll use or recommend

I’m sorry you feel that we provided poor customer service and installation We were hired to move your fence off of your neighbor’s property and onto your property We inform all customers that we get public utilities located prior to digging and we are not responsible for knowing where private utilities are located as they are owned by and the responsibility of the homeowner The heads of the sprinklers were marked, but the main underground line was not We hit the mainline on the first hole and informed/ showed your wife that the line was likely running the whole length of the area where the fence was to be installed, but that we could not know for sure as these lines are underground and unmarked She simply stated "I wish my husband was home" and DID NOT communicate to us that she would like the fence moved further into your yard nor that she wanted us to stop or modify the installation plan We would have been more than happy to delay installation so that you could make alternate arrangements for the fence placement Receiving no communication from your wife saying she wanted to delay the install or even talk to you before we proceeded, we continued with the installation Your original fence was installed incorrectly onto your neighbor’s property, and subsequently your sprinkler lines (the main line and the heads) were installed on your property line and needed to be moved further into your yard if you wanted a fence installed correctly on the property boundary As a small business, customer happiness is very important, BUT I WILL NOT BE FORCED TO PAY "X" AMOUNT OR RECIEVE A POOR REVIEW Though we did communicate with you about the sprinkler lines as soon as we damaged one and were not told to stop or modify the work plan, we attempted multiple times to find a mutually agreeable solution and gave you a courtesy discount for the inconvenience This should have more than covered the cost of the plant that the guys accidentally squashed Sometimes the corners of the yard are a tight squeeze and we do have to get a handheld auger into the area We would have happily stopped the installation of the fence so that you could hire a landscaping company to move your sprinkler lines This simply needed to be communicated to us when we notified you of the damage on the first hole Since we were not told to modify the installation plan or to even wait we proceeded as agreed in the original contract It is never our intention to damage a customer's property, but when you say you specifically want a fence located in spot "A" and we tell you there is a line under spot "A", there is no way to not damage the line Based on the lack of communication from the homeowner during installation, email communications threatening a poor review if we did not pay "X" amount (despite our efforts to find a solution multiple times), and the fact that your sprinkler's were installed in the incorrect area to begin with (because the fence to be removed was placed on the neighbor's property), it is my opinion that this complaint is unfounded We CLEARLY communicated with you the situation upon hitting the line in the FIRST hole We are hired to build your fence wherever you would like on your property We have no bias in placing it in place "X" vs"Y", so if you wanted to alter the placement, we would have done it You simply had to let us know to move it, or to wait, or really anything other than to proceed, and this all would have been avoided I believe our other multiple online reviews coupled with the fact that out of hundreds of fences and years in business we have NEVER had this problem, put this complaint from this homeowner into proper perspective -Cerda Fencing

Revdex.com:I would like my complaint ID [redacted] , to be handled through an Arbitration hearing with Revdex.com.Regards,

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because: the business owner is lying-- we were not notified that there was damage to our sprinkler system until after the post holes had already been dugThe existing lines are in good position and clearly on our property (there are still well within our fend lines)-- the damage was a result of Cerda being behind schedule and having to use a gas auger to quickly bore exceptionally large holes in our lawn despite having the sprinkler heads/lines clearly marked nearbyTheir attitude/customer service practices are exemplified by the other issues during installation: a sprinkler head buried in cement (despite being clearly marked), soil dumped directly our lawn and in a flower bed, trash left by employees on our premises, and angrily accusing us of lying and blackmail when we reached out to them via email to find mutually agreeable solution etcBusiness owner also made no attempt to resolve the issue with us other than initially offering a $credit to offset ~$1,in damagesWe think splitting total damages is charitable, despite their reckless behavior during the work on our property Regards, [redacted]

The homeowners seem to be under the impression that we were running behind schedule The City Of Fort Collins utility markers made a mistake on the Colorado ticket that was submitted for this address They thought work had been completed prior to the ticket due date The homeowners were informed of this two days before excavation was to take place - 6/with install occurring 6/ I spent a lot of time on the phone in order to get the city back out to the address to mark electrical lines Once these were marked we came to set posts This job was very small and only needed posts set This is in June when we routinely work until There was more than enough time to set these posts, so it was not a case of us showing up last minute and rushing the job as the homeowner would like to believe We also informed them long before installation that they were the second job on the installation dates Using a gas auger is standard practice, and I am not sure what experience the homeowner has in fencing, but using an 8" bit on an auger and setting posts feet deep is proper installation techniques Anything else does not allow enough concrete to be poured to securely hold the posts If the homeowner wanted the posts set another way, he should have informed us of that prior to install and we either would have modified our installation or excluded ourselves from the bidding process The auger we used was a two man auger so it is carried to the area to be dug - leaving the least amount of impact as possible The hole size would be the same even using the handheld post hole diggers The sprinkler heads were marked, but this does not tell us in any way where the main line is buried underground The heads can be any distance away from the mainline - attached with a flexible hose It is the mainline that we needed to know the location of This was NOT marked by the homeowner The homeowner had a survey completed and the mainline was on the property boundary, the heads may not have been in every instance I apologize for the banana peel and piece of rebar that was left in your wheelbarrow It is not our practice to leave a messy jobsite behind I also apologize that they added the dirt removed from the holes that were dug to the soil in the surrounding garden beds The main problem is that the sprinkler lines were hit I have explained multiple times via email and on the phone to the husband the situation as the husband was not home (the wife was) at the time of installation We communicated to the wife as soon as we hit the line in the first instance, the wife did not change the install plan or want us to wait We told you of the problem putting the fence along the property line, but that is where you wanted it to go, so we installed it there for you We would have rescheduled install if that is what the wife would have told us she wanted to do We also could have just left and billed you for our time that we spent there or moved the fence more inside your property boundary I received accidental emails from your wife to you on 4/25/in which she states the estimate was "much more than we were hoping for" If you wanted a fence on your property, the sprinkler line was going to have to be moved This entire situation leaves me with the impression that you committed to a fence that was maybe a stretch on your budget and intended to claim sprinkler damage all along You wanted the fence along the property boundary, we informed you that the line was hit on the first hole, you wanted to proceed with the work, we installed the fence damaging the line as we said would happen after digging the first hole, you complained that the damage was our fault even though we put the fence where you wanted after you were informed of what was below the fence line, we explained ourselves multiple times, you threatened us to either pay for your new line or leave us bad reviews Clearly my explanations are not enough for this homeowner so other consumers can review this interaction from both sides of the story and use other evidence (our other online reviews and recommendations) to make up their own minds It is unfortunate that this job went as it did as we do take great pride in providing quality customer service and installation and want our customers to love their new investment -Cerda Fencing

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:First and foremost, it is important to note that the Cerda business owner has not once disputed the actual damage to our property, the extent of those damages, or the $1,200 cost of the damage to us as the homeowners. Cerda LLC admitted that “the main problem is that the sprinkler lines were hit” and even admitted fault and gave us a $50 credit for those damages. Therefore we still feel the restitution of a more substantial credit to cover the cost is necessary; we are not seeking full coverage for damages, but would be content to “split” the final cost with Cerda; this feels more than fair.To address Cerda’s replies to our claim: when Lindsey Cerda first contacted us to reschedule she said first that they were overbooked and could not complete our job on the scheduled day. Lindsey then went on to say that Fort Collins Utilities had not been out to flag utility line locations, and so Cerda would not have been able to complete work anyway. Fort Collins Utility marked our lines within the same hour of Lindsey’s call, so work technically could have been completed two days later as scheduled if Cerda had been available. We know what we were told, and that was that first and foremost that Cerda was behind schedule.The business owner also suggested that a crew arriving for work at 4pm is commonplace, and is no indication of being overbooked. They mention that it’s typical for their crew to work into the evening. Personally, I would find the notion of contractors doing work on our property until 8pm at night a terrible inconvenience, and would hope that this is not actually commonplace.Lindsey Cerda also claimed that using a two man gas auger is standard practice for this “small job”, and says she is “not sure what experience the homeowner has” in installing fencing, thereby implying that we cannot infer right from wrong in this matter. I do know that I grew up on a ranch and dug more than a few fence holes with a posthole digger and never left a 1.5 by 1.5 foot hole in the ground—that would have been a waste of energy. I also know that that when we had our side fences put in, that particular fencing company (different than Cerda) used hand shovels because they were aware that irrigation and utility lines were nearby. I also know that when we had our irrigation lines repaired, the landscaping company carefully used a short, three-foot shovel to dig to our lines and repair them. This is by way of saying that Cerda did what was easiest, but not what was best, given the situation.At this moment, all of the heads and the entirety of the line are well within our property lines, as they always have been. Again the issue is that Cerda improperly used a gas auger and rushed through the work, damaging our irrigation line in the process.The business owner claims that her husband overseeing the job onsite notified my wife “as soon as [Cerda] hit the line in the first instance.” Lindsey was not on-site, so she is speaking secondhand, and this is simply not the case. We were notified only after my wife happened to go outside, at which point Alex Cerda said, “you are not going to be happy with us, but we hit the line in three places.” At this point, Cerda was already in the process of digging the final hole. I came home a few minutes later and approached Alex who gave me the same bad news. It was not until later when the irrigation company repaired our line that we learned the true extent of the damage, and that there were actually six breaks (cemented over), one head buried in cement, and a cracked backflow at the house from the resulting pressure.Lindsey mentions that they would have been happy to reschedule the install and find a more reasonable solution. YES!—we completely agree: that would have been by far the best solution. I wish with all my heart that Cerda had told us initially that the line placement would be an obstacle, or had told us after they hit the line the first time. I would have loved to reschedule and dig the lines myself by hand or pay Cerda for the extra time to do the job right. But those solutions necessitate Cerda having notified us that they were going to bore through our line throughout the entirety of the process. They were in a rush—so they did not. They made an executive decision that impacted our property without consulting us. As a result we were left with what was probably the worst possible solution for both parties.It is totally unprofessional and underhanded of Cerda to suggest that we could not afford the fence and so we concocted some elaborate scheme to reduce the cost. This ignores the plain fact that this was dependent on Cerda destroying our irrigation line. Again, Cerda admits to this, and even acknowledged fault to the extent that they gave us a $50 damage credit—this is why we still believe the damage is Cerda’s fault. The $50 in no way comes close to covering the extent of the damages, and we just want things to be made right.As for Lindsey’s claim that we threatened Cerda to either pay us for the new line or that we would leave a bad review, the original e-mail exchange went like this:Me: “This is frustrating as your reviews online are positive. I am not sure what happened, but I cannot shake the unhappy realization that the stress of this project and the additional money to fix our line may not have occurred had we chosen another company. I told Alex that I do not want to be a bad review on yelp/Google/Revdex.com or have to elevate the issue to small claims court, and I really mean that”Lindsey: “While we would of course like to add positive reviews to our online profile, it is unfair of a customer to use their ability to leave a negative review in exchange for money or a discount.  I honestly don’t know if it is illegal, but it is unethical.  I will not buy our reviews to improve our social identity online.”I fail to see where we threatened Cerda. I am sure that similar exchanges occur daily, and that they are far from “unethical” or “illegal”.  If a contractor damages your property, but then works earnestly to resolve the issue to your liking, I am of the belief that the contractor deserves a second chance and a positive review. If, however, the contractor damages your property and subsequently absolves themselves of responsibility and levels accusations of dishonesty and “cheapness” at the homeowner, then I do not anticipate how anyone would leave them a positive review. Positive reviews are earned through hard work and good customer service. We wanted to give Cerda an opportunity to make things right and provide a high level of customer service that they claim, thereby proving that they are worthy of the financial investment. Instead, they fell far short, and I would urge other property owners to avoid them, in the future.
Regards,
[redacted]

I recently had my fence replaced by Cerda Fencing. I found them to be professional and easy to work with from the first time that I called for a quote until the job was completed. Their price was fair and their work was on time and well done. I would highly recommend them to anyone.

Cerda Fencing built an absolutely spectacular privacy fence and gate for our neighbors across the street. I stood and marveled at this fence while they were building it, and I was also impressed by their methodology and craftsmanship. I'm a professional engineer and an amateur woodworker, so I like to think I know good design and craftsmanship. Cerda Fencing works efficiently and cleanly using well-maintained equipment. I was so impressed that I asked them to set the posts for a privacy fence and gate that I was just about to begin. I already started accumulating materials and I came up with a design, but I was not looking forward to the post setting process. Cerda was completely amenable to the idea of only setting the posts, and letting me construct the remainder of the fence. As expected, they did a great job. The posts are laser-perfect plumb and located according to the drawing I provided. I couldn't be happier. This is the only fencing contractor that I'll use or recommend.

I’m sorry you feel that we provided poor customer service and installation.  We were hired to move your fence off of your neighbor’s property and onto your property.  We inform all customers that we...

get public utilities located prior to digging and we are not responsible for knowing where private utilities are located as they are owned by and the responsibility of the homeowner.  The heads of the sprinklers were marked, but the main underground line was not.  We hit the mainline on the first hole and informed/ showed your wife that the line was likely running the whole length of the area where the fence was to be installed, but that we could not know for sure as these lines are underground and unmarked.  She simply stated "I wish my husband was home" and DID NOT communicate to us that she would like the fence moved further into your yard nor that she wanted us to stop or modify the installation plan.  We would have been more than happy to delay installation so that you could make alternate arrangements for the fence placement.  Receiving no communication from your wife saying she wanted to delay the install or even talk to you before we proceeded, we continued with the installation.  Your original fence was installed incorrectly onto your neighbor’s property, and subsequently your sprinkler lines (the main line and the heads) were installed on your property line and needed to be moved further into your yard if you wanted a fence installed correctly on the property boundary.  As a small business, customer happiness is very important, BUT I WILL NOT BE FORCED TO PAY "X" AMOUNT OR RECIEVE A POOR REVIEW.   Though we did communicate with you about the sprinkler lines as soon as we damaged one and were not told to stop or modify the work plan, we attempted multiple times to find a mutually agreeable solution and gave you a courtesy discount for the inconvenience.  This should have more than covered the cost of the plant that the guys accidentally squashed.  Sometimes the corners of the yard are a tight squeeze and we do have to get a handheld auger into the area.  We would have happily stopped the installation of the fence so that you could hire a landscaping company to move your sprinkler lines.  This simply needed to be communicated to us when we notified you of the damage on the first hole.  Since we were not told to modify the installation plan or to even wait we proceeded as agreed in the original contract.  It is never our intention to damage a customer's property, but when you say you specifically want a fence located in spot "A" and we tell you there is a line under spot "A", there is no way to not damage the line.  Based on the lack of communication from the homeowner during installation, email communications threatening a poor review if we did not pay "X" amount (despite our efforts to find a solution multiple times), and the fact that your sprinkler's were installed in the incorrect area to begin with (because the fence to be removed was placed on the neighbor's property), it is my opinion that this complaint is unfounded.  We CLEARLY communicated with you the situation upon hitting the line in the FIRST hole.  We are hired to build your fence wherever you would like on your property.  We have no bias in placing it in place "X" vs. "Y", so if you wanted to alter the placement, we would have done it.  You simply had to let us know to move it, or to wait, or really anything other than to proceed, and this all would have been avoided.  I believe our other multiple online reviews coupled with the fact that out of hundreds of fences and 6 years in business we have NEVER had this problem, put this complaint from this homeowner into proper perspective.     -Cerda Fencing

The homeowners seem to be under the impression that we were running behind schedule.  The City Of Fort Collins utility markers made a mistake on the Colorado 811 ticket that was submitted for this address.  They thought work had been completed prior to the ticket due date.  The homeowners were informed of this two days before excavation was to take place - 6/15 with install occurring 6/17.  I spent a lot of time on the phone in order to get the city back out to the address to mark electrical lines.  Once these were marked we came to set posts.  This job was very small and only needed 10 posts set.  This is in June when we routinely work until 8.  There was more than enough time to set these posts, so it was not a case of us showing up last minute and rushing the job as the homeowner would like to believe.  We also informed them long before installation that they were the second job on the installation dates.  Using a gas auger is standard practice, and I am not sure what experience the homeowner has in fencing, but using an 8" bit on an auger and setting posts 2 feet deep is proper installation techniques.  Anything else does not allow enough concrete to be poured to securely hold the posts.  If the homeowner wanted the posts set another way, he should have informed us of that prior to install and we either would have modified our installation or excluded ourselves from the bidding process.  The auger we used was a two man auger so it is carried to the area to be dug - leaving the least amount of impact as possible.  The hole size would be the same even using the handheld post hole diggers.  
The sprinkler heads were marked, but this does not tell us in any way where the main line is buried underground.  The heads can be any distance away from the mainline - attached with a flexible hose.  It is the mainline that we needed to know the location of.  This was NOT marked by the homeowner.  The homeowner had a survey completed and the mainline was on the property boundary, the heads may not have been in every instance.  
I apologize for the banana peel and piece of rebar that was left in your wheelbarrow.  It is not our practice to leave a messy jobsite behind.  I also apologize that they added the dirt removed from the holes that were dug to the soil in the surrounding garden beds.  
The main problem is that the sprinkler lines were hit.  I have explained multiple times via email and on the phone to the husband the situation as the husband was not home (the wife was) at the time of installation.  We communicated to the wife as soon as we hit the line in the first instance, the wife did not change the install plan or want us to wait.  We told you of the problem putting the fence along the property line, but that is where you wanted it to go, so we installed it there for you.  We would have rescheduled install if that is what the wife would have told us she wanted to do.  We also could have just left and billed you for our time that we spent there or moved the fence more inside your property boundary.  I received accidental emails from your wife to you on 4/25/16 in which she states the estimate was "much more than we were hoping for".  If you wanted a fence on your property, the sprinkler line was going to have to be moved.  This entire situation leaves me with the impression that you committed to a fence that was maybe a stretch on your budget and intended to claim sprinkler damage all along.  You wanted the fence along the property boundary, we informed you that the line was hit on the first hole, you wanted to proceed with the work, we installed the fence damaging the line as we said would happen after digging the first hole, you complained that the damage was our fault even though we put the fence where you wanted after you were informed of what was below the fence line, we explained ourselves multiple times, you threatened us to either pay for your new line or leave us bad reviews.  Clearly my explanations are not enough for this homeowner so other consumers can review this interaction from both sides of the story and use other evidence (our other online reviews and recommendations) to make up their own minds.  It is unfortunate that this job went as it did as we do take great pride in providing quality customer service and installation and want our customers to love their new investment.     
-Cerda Fencing

Revdex.com:I would like my complaint ID [redacted], to be handled through an Arbitration hearing with Revdex.com.Regards,

Revdex.com:
I would like my complaint ID [redacted], to be handled through an Arbitration hearing with Revdex.com.
Regards,

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: the business owner is lying-- we were not notified that there was damage to our sprinkler system until after the post holes had already been dug. The existing lines are in good position and clearly on our property (there are still well within our fend lines)-- the damage was a result of Cerda being behind schedule and having to use a gas auger to quickly bore exceptionally large holes in our lawn despite having the sprinkler heads/lines clearly marked nearby. Their attitude/customer service practices are exemplified by the other issues during installation: a sprinkler head buried in cement (despite being clearly marked), soil dumped directly our lawn and in a flower bed, trash left by employees on our premises, and angrily accusing us of lying and blackmail when we reached out to them via email to find mutually agreeable solution etc. Business owner also made no attempt to resolve the issue with us other than initially offering a $50 credit to offset ~$1,200 in damages. We think splitting total damages is charitable, despite their reckless behavior during the work on our property. 
Regards,
[redacted]

I’m sorry you feel that we provided poor customer service and installation.  We were hired to move your fence off of your neighbor’s property and onto your property.  We inform all customers that we get public utilities located prior to digging and we are not responsible for knowing where...

private utilities are located as they are owned by and the responsibility of the homeowner.  The heads of the sprinklers were marked, but the main underground line was not.  We hit the mainline on the first hole and informed/ showed your wife that the line was likely running the whole length of the area where the fence was to be installed, but that we could not know for sure as these lines are underground and unmarked.  She simply stated "I wish my husband was home" and DID NOT communicate to us that she would like the fence moved further into your yard nor that she wanted us to stop or modify the installation plan.  We would have been more than happy to delay installation so that you could make alternate arrangements for the fence placement.  Receiving no communication from your wife saying she wanted to delay the install or even talk to you before we proceeded, we continued with the installation.  Your original fence was installed incorrectly onto your neighbor’s property, and subsequently your sprinkler lines (the main line and the heads) were installed on your property line and needed to be moved further into your yard if you wanted a fence installed correctly on the property boundary.  As a small business, customer happiness is very important, BUT I WILL NOT BE FORCED TO PAY "X" AMOUNT OR RECIEVE A POOR REVIEW.   Though we did communicate with you about the sprinkler lines as soon as we damaged one and were not told to stop or modify the work plan, we attempted multiple times to find a mutually agreeable solution and gave you a courtesy discount for the inconvenience.  This should have more than covered the cost of the plant that the guys accidentally squashed.  Sometimes the corners of the yard are a tight squeeze and we do have to get a handheld auger into the area.  We would have happily stopped the installation of the fence so that you could hire a landscaping company to move your sprinkler lines.  This simply needed to be communicated to us when we notified you of the damage on the first hole.  Since we were not told to modify the installation plan or to even wait we proceeded as agreed in the original contract.  It is never our intention to damage a customer's property, but when you say you specifically want a fence located in spot "A" and we tell you there is a line under spot "A", there is no way to not damage the line.  Based on the lack of communication from the homeowner during installation, email communications threatening a poor review if we did not pay "X" amount (despite our efforts to find a solution multiple times), and the fact that your sprinkler's were installed in the incorrect area to begin with (because the fence to be removed was placed on the neighbor's property), it is my opinion that this complaint is unfounded.  We CLEARLY communicated with you the situation upon hitting the line in the FIRST hole.  We are hired to build your fence wherever you would like on your property.  We have no bias in placing it in place "X" vs. "Y", so if you wanted to alter the placement, we would have done it.  You simply had to let us know to move it, or to wait, or really anything other than to proceed, and this all would have been avoided.  I believe our other multiple online reviews coupled with the fact that out of hundreds of fences and 6 years in business we have NEVER had this problem, put this complaint from this homeowner into proper perspective.     -Cerda Fencing