GET A QUOTE

We have compiled below a FAQ section about our company, along with FAQ sections for the five major product lines we carry.  Feel free to call us regarding any issues that may not be covered in the information below.

CertainTeed’s Bufftech Vinyl Fencing
TimberTech Composite Decking, Railing, and Related Products
SimTek's Simulated Stone Fence
CertainTeed’s EverNew Vinyl Decking, Railing, and Related Products
Elite Aluminum Fence Products

Q:  How long has MFOS been in business?

A:  We incorporated in 1994, and opened our doors for business in January of 1995.  We are licensed to do business in Missouri and Illinois.

Q:  Do you use sub-contractors to install your products?

A:  No.  In order to have better quality control, we hire and train our own employees for all of the installations we perform.

Q:  Do you offer installation for all of the products you sell?

A:  We offer installation for all fence products we sell as well as for vinyl railing installations on concrete.  We don't offer decking or deck rail installations, but we can recommend a number of reliable and qualified contractors experienced with our products to install the deck or deck rail for you.

Q:  Are you competitively priced compared to your competition?

A:  In two words ABSOLUTELY YES.  It has always been our philosophy to offer the best quality products at the lowest possible prices.  Due to this philosophy, often times we will have a lower price than the competition.  However, since there are some companies that offer lower quality products and/or use less expensive installation methods, we may not always have the lowest price.  When you compare our products to our competitors, it will become apparent that any difference in price will be eliminated by the superior quality of our products.  Also, if you choose for MFOS to professionally install your product, once again you will see the differences between ours and our competitor's installation methods, and this again will more than wash away any price difference.

Q:  What is your track record with the Better Business Bureau?

A:  We encourage all of our prospective customers to call the Better Business Bureau (BBB) on all companies that they’re seriously considering to do business with.  This is a step you can take to make sure you’re dealing with a company of high integrity.  The phone number for the BBB is 314/645-3300.  You will need the ten digit phone number of each business you want to obtain a report on.  Our main phone number is 636/464-1144.  The BBB’s report will indicate that we haven’t had a customer complaint in the past three years.  Their policy is to report only on the three most current years each company has been in business.  As a matter of record, MFOS has never had a BBB complaint registered against our company since our business began in 1994.  Our history includes thousands of installation and material only transactions. 

Q:  Do you have references you can provide me?

A:  Each year a few of our customers ask us for references.  At MFOS we’ve made a conscious decision to NOT offer references because we don’t want any of our past customers to be inconvenienced with our new prospective customers calling them and taking up their valuable time.  In other words, even if we did an excellent installation for you to where you had nothing but kind words to say about us, we still wouldn’t want anyone calling you because we respect your time and privacy too much.  Besides obtaining a performance report from the BBB on us, feel free to click on “Testimonials” at the left column to read excerpts from some of the “thank you letters" we’ve received over the years.   
 
Q:  How far will you travel to install my product?

A:  We perform professional installations within approximately 60 mile from our radius of the Gateway Arch.  We have been known to travel even further, but typically for larger sized projects.

Q:  Do you install very small or very large jobs?

A:  Unlike some of our competitor's who "don't want to mess with a small job" or don't have the capacity to perform large jobs, MFOS is ready, willing, and able to tackle any size job.  All the way from a small porch rail to several thousand feet fence installations, no job is too little or big.  We are also happy to service our customers and perform small repairs which result from unfortunate events such as storm damage or vehicles running into the fence.

Q:  Do you install during the winter time or during inclement weather?

A:  MFOS install all year around, weather permitting.  Everyone who lives in St. Louis knows that our weather changes frequently.  During the winter there are three conditions which could prevent us from installing your fence or railing:  1) temperature is too cold, 2) snow is on the ground, and 3) ground is frozen.  In a typical St. Louis winter we will be able to install most of the winter, but we’ll have a few times when the winter weather will prevent us from installing.  Other instances that don’t allow us to install throughout the year include: 1) very muddy ground conditions, 2) rainy weather that prevents us from being able to use our power tools, and 3) unsafe working conditions such as working along a steep retaining wall in slippery conditions.  As soon as the conditions improve we return to finish your job.

Q:  Do you start and stop your installations like some contractor’s?

A:  No.  Once we begin your job we will continue to install it until we complete it.  When we schedule the job, we will be making sure that each customer is completely ready for us to perform the entire installation.  Even though we have occasionally worked on Saturday’s in the past, we typically work Monday through Friday.  Therefore, it’s possible for example, to begin your installation on Friday and return on Monday to complete it.  If a material shortage prevents us from completing your installation, we will immediately order the material (if we don’t have it in stock), get the material sent to us as soon as possible, and then schedule you as quickly as we can to complete your installation.  We understand that everyone wants their project completed quickly, so we do everything we can to complete every job in a timely manner.    

Q:  Do you have any material warranties or labor guarantees?

A:  Your material warranty comes from the manufacturer(s) of the products you purchase from us.  (Click on Warranty Information at the left column for a copy of the manufacture warranty for the item you’re interested in.)  Most of the products we offer come with lifetime limited warranties.  During the rare instance where you may need to make a warranty claim, feel free to call us, and we’ll be happy to assist in directing you to the proper manufacturing representative. MFOS backs all of our professional installations with a written one year workmanship guaranty. Once again, click on Warranty Information at the left column, then click on MFOS Installation Warranty for complete details.  

Q:  Why doesn't your company offer wood or chain link fencing?

A:  Given the name of our company, Maintenance-Free Outdoor Solutions, Inc., we decided at the formation of the company to offer products that are either maintenance-free or low-maintenance.  Wood and chain link fencing both require substantial maintenance and have much shorter life spans that any of the products we offer.  We felt like these products wouldn't be appropriate to include into our product mix.

Q:  Will you deliver the material to my job site or can I pick the material up?

A:  Most of our customers choose to pick up small orders themselves, and have us deliver the larger orders to their job site.  If you choose to pick up the material please call ahead to make sure your order is ready and to find out when our shipping and receiving hours are.  If we will be delivering the material to your job site, we will require someone to be present when we arrive.  This person will need to inspect the quantity and quality of the material, and will need to make the final payment as soon as we make the delivery.  Please note that our standard “curb side delivery” indicates that we will set the material near to where our truck stops.  If we can drive onto your driveway and stop next to the garage we’ll be happy to put the material in your garage for you.  This standard delivery does not include taking the material to the job site in your back yard or to help you to install it!!!

Q:  Do you offer free installed fence and railing estimates?

A:  Yes.  If you're interested in an installed quote, we will send a very qualified sales estimator to your home, association, or business for the free estimate.  MFOS is NOT a high pressure sales company.  We simply will take the proper measurements, educate you about our company, products, and installation methods, and offer you the estimate.  If you're interested in our products and know that you will be installing the product yourself, then we ask that you send, fax, or come into the showroom with a simple drawing (including the dimensions) of your project.  One of our sales staff will be happy to assist you with the design, material list, and installation instructions you'll need to install the job properly.

Q:  Do I need to do anything to prepare for the arrival of the sales estimator before he arrives to provide me the free estimate?

A:  Yes.  First of all, if any portion of the proposed fence is going to be installed along a property line, the perimeter of the property should be marked by a professional surveying company.  We recommend for you to receive a quote from the company that produced your plot plan.  Optimally, the stake survey will be completed prior to your fence estimate.  This will allow the estimator to obtain accurate measurements when he arrives.  If the yard is not stake surveyed at the time of the estimate, you will need to provide a “to scale” copy of your plot plan which allows the estimator to obtain a “close approximation” of the dimensions of your fence lines.  Once your property is stake surveyed, the sales estimator will return for a “final measurement” of the fence location.  If you choose not to get your property surveyed, you will be solely responsible for the fence location.  Next, if you live in a subdivision or incorporated area, check with your subdivision and/or governing municipality for any height, style, or location restrictions to determine what and where you can build.  Also, if possible, discuss the location of the fence and any gates before the estimator arrives.  This will help to speed up the “layout” portion of the estimate.  Of course, if you’re not sure where you would like to locate the fence or gates, our sales estimators will be happy to assist in the design of the fence layout.

Q:  What kind of fence should I get?

A:  After you have been able to determine any style, height, or location restrictions, it’s time to choose your fence.  The most common height for residential backyard fencing to contain dogs and children is 48” high. The normal height for semi-private and full privacy fencing is 72” high.  The most common color for vinyl fencing is white, and for ornamental aluminum fencing, it’s black.  Spacing between the pickets will determine how much you can see through the fence and whether a dog will be able to squeeze through the fence.  If you plan to get a swimming pool or hot tub in the future you will need to choose a style that complies with your local swimming pool code, and there may be special gate requirements.  Speaking of gates, most homeowners get one or two.  The standard width is four feet.  Make sure the gate width is wide enough for the widest item that will be going through the gate opening such as a riding lawn mower.  If you wish to rarely go through an area of the fence, removable sections are available.  Double-drive gates are available if you need to get a vehicle through.

Q:  How do I get on your list?

A:  Before you order your material or installed job, it's important to make sure you've selected exactly what you want AND that you have approval from any governing subdivision associations or municipalities your property is located in.  Since most of the jobs we process are either of the "special order" or "specially fabricated" variety, it is imperative to make any changes to your project before placing the order.  MFOS requires a one-third deposit with the balance due upon receipt of the material or completion of the installed job.

Q:  Who gets the permit if one is required?

A:  If you live in an incorporated area, check with your municipality for any restrictions.  They may very well require a permit to be issued before you can begin your project.  Most customers get their own permit because they live close to where they have to go to apply for and pick up the permit, and because it saves them money versus paying us to obtain the permit for them.  MFOS can get the permit for a fee. 

Q:  How long will I have to wait before you begin the installation?

A: Our sales estimators will provide an approximate backlog time you’ll have to wait from the time you go with us until the time we begin the installation.  If you take a while to make your decision to go with us, the approximate backlog time may need to be adjusted since our backlog fluctuates throughout the year.  Please understand the backlog is an approximation.  Weather, material availability, customer readiness, and the length of time it takes to install the jobs ahead of yours are all factors which determine when we install your job.  Our track record has shown that we begin the installation ahead of or at the estimated backlog time over 95% of the time.  As we approach your job, we typically call one to two days ahead to schedule the installation.  It’s very difficult, sometimes even impossible, to provide a firm start date any earlier due to weather and job start to completion variables.   

Q:  Who is responsible for marking the public utilities?  Are you going to hit my sprinkler system or pool pipes?

A:  Before work begins, MFOS will have only “public” telephone, electric, gas, and cable TV lines marked.  Each customer is responsible to mark all other buried lines including but not limited to satellite TV, electric, telephone, intercom, gas, water, sprinkler, drainage, and underground pet containment lines.  If a customer directs digging in the vicinity of any buried line, he will assume all liability for damage or injury.  Please understand that we don’t want to damage anything on your property anymore than you want us to.  No matter how much precaution we take when digging the holes, it’s still very possible we could damage something.  Occasionally, we may damage a line and not even know we damaged it.  Sprinkler systems are especially prone to getting damaged.  Just because we can see a sprinkler head does not mean we know where the sprinkler water lines are.  The best way to avoid damage to privately owned lines is to either install the lines after the fence is installed, or if the line is already in the ground, dig and expose the line where it will cross the fence line before we arrive to begin the installation.

Q:  Do I need to be there at the beginning of the installation?  What can I expect during the installation?

A:  The person who was present during the estimate needs to meet the installers, because this person is familiar with the specifics of the installation.  After we layout the job with string, spray paint, or both, we have the customer to approve the location.  You will need to make sure that you remove all brush and any other obstacle in the fence line before installation begins.  We will also be asking where to dump the dirt, where to use your water and electric, and to see if you have any special concerns or needs pertaining to the installation.  Each installation crew consists of a lead man and a helper or two.  You can expect wheelbarrows and an auger to be rolled over your property.  Optimally, the customer will be present during the entire installation to make periodic inspections.  This allows us to obtain your approval of the job at each stage of the installation and to make any necessary adjustments before the concrete sets up.  Also, especially if the fence height (distance from bottom of fence to ground level) is of great importance to you, it’s best to be present during the installation so we can set the height of the fence with your approval.  This way, we install the fence the first time just the way you want it.  If you aren’t present, then the installer is “guessing” at the fence height.  The installation will go much more smoothly if you choose to be there!

Q:  Do I need to be there at the completion of the job?  To whom and when do I make my final payment?

A:  The person who has the “final say” needs to be present upon completion of the job.  (Feel free to check with the lead man for the approximate time the job will be completed.)  MFOS has developed a “Customer Satisfaction Checklist” which allows the installers to double check their work and assures the customer that all aspects of the installation are performed to their satisfaction.  If you have a concern while going over the checklist, please bring it to the lead man’s attention immediately.  This allows the installer to address the concern before the concrete sets up.  Some concerns may require additional material to be ordered, delaying the completion of the job.  Final payment is due upon completion of the job.  Please pay the lead man at that time.  If the job has bee “substantially completed”, but MFOS needs to return and perform a small amount of work to complete the job, please pay the installer the balance due, less 10% of the total contract amount.  When the job is completely finished, please pay the balance.  A lien waiver and warranty card will be presented to you once final payment is received.