As cooler fall weather prompts Denver-area homeowners to replace aging fences and add new ones, MH Fence Co is reminding property owners that every fence project starts below ground, with a call to Colorado 811 before the first post hole is dug. The Littleton-based littleton fence company, which serves residential and commercial properties across the Denver metro area, said fence work is one of the most common reasons homeowners dig deeper than they realize.
The reminder carries legal weight. According to Colorado 811, anyone digging in Colorado is legally required to contact the notification center at least three business days before digging, regardless of the size of the project. The service is free and covers public underground utilities such as gas, electricity, water, sewer and internet lines, though privately owned utilities are not included. Once lines are marked with paint or flags, Colorado 811 advises digging with hand tools when working within 18 inches of a mark.
"A fence looks like a simple project from the surface, but every post is a hole in the ground, and along a backyard property line those add up quickly," said Mark Green of MH Fence Co. "We won't put a shovel in the ground until the locates are back, and I'd tell any neighbor doing it themselves to wait for the marks too."
The locate request is the first step for new projects, including the fence installation littleton co homeowners schedule in wood, vinyl, composite, chain link, aluminum and wrought iron. The same step applies when an old fence comes out, because pulling and resetting posts disturbs the ground again. The company handles Fence Replacement Littleton CO projects from removal of the existing fence through installation of the new one. For smaller projects, such as resetting a leaning post or replacing a damaged section after a storm, the company provides fence repair littleton co property owners can schedule without replacing the full line.
MH Fence Co said its installations use steel posts, a standard intended to hold up against frost heave and Colorado's freeze-thaw cycles. "Colorado ground moves through the winter, so how the posts go in matters as much as the fence itself," Green said. "Getting the locates done and setting the posts right the first time saves a lot of trouble later."
The guidance matters beyond one company's job sites. Unmarked utility lines struck during digging can cause injuries, service outages and expensive repairs, and the three-day waiting period exists to give utility operators time to mark public lines before work begins. For homeowners comparing fence contractors littleton co, MH Fence Co suggests asking whether a company requests utility locates before digging. The company offers complimentary estimates and serves Littleton and the Denver metro area, including Arvada, Aurora, Castle Rock, Centennial, Denver, Englewood, Golden, Highlands Ranch, Lakewood and Parker.
