The Crosby Chronicles: Good fences make good neighbors
If you recall, I was in the process of getting bids to erect a fence so that my dog Noble wouldn’t poke his head through the shrubs to my neighbor’s yard.
Over a three-day period, I had six different fence contractors, all but one Burbank or Glendale companies, come out to my house and give me their advice and, most importantly, their estimates.
It turns out that no matter the material, chain-link, redwood or vinyl, or if the fence was to be three feet or six feet high, the estimates were similar—between $3,000-3,400. It’s as if the word spread around town that the Crosbys needed a new fence so they all agreed upon the same price.
Well, that amount of money was more than I was able to pay, so I asked my brother-in-law, Mr. DIY, to help me. That usually means he does 95% of the work, and I just stand there holding things for him.
The whole project ended up costing much less than $1,000 and it looks fine.
Of course, I haven’t asked Noble what he thinks of it.
Brian Crosby is a teacher at Hoover High School and the author of Smart Kids, Bad Schools and The $100,000 Teacher. He can be reached at brian-crosby.com.
