Just finished another gate, this one was all steel no wood. Any suggestions on how I can start like a small business doing this?

Suggestion # 1 - take better pictures. Looks like nice work, but kind of hard to tell.

Good luck.

Yea I know, my phone sucks.

Talk to Craig and his friend List you might get some biz from him...

try hooking up with some landscape architects. the few i know all sub that kind of stuff out.

masons! go down to the local brick yards and ask them to put your cards out.

masons! go down to the local brick yards and ask them to put your cards out.

Get a contractors lic don't be a scab

Ill tell u right now, just do it on the side and dont make a business out of it, there is about a million freaking guys in the garage, if u say 300 someone will do it for 150, I have seen many come and go but if u think u got a good thing then go for it

You need a contractors license to build decorative fence?

Well I just hooked up a double gate, I hope they keep coming.

Make some flyers.. Pass them out to the neighbors.. Simple picture and about how happy their neighbors are with their new fence. Putt it on their door handles with a rubber band.

I need to have some mesh added to the gates I have now. I also need to have one of my gates made wider. Would you come up to Norco the 15 and 91 freeway?

Yeah, thats what i was thinking. For now the guy wants to make a few extra bucks with his welder and chop saw. Were not talking Room additions here. Besides, the License aint the end all be all. Plenty of overnight licensed contractors out there doin questionable stuff. Loko seems to do nice work. Lets focus on that.

Norco is about a 3 hour drive, if the gates are removable and if youre willing to pay for gas I will.

Anything over $500, u need to have a lic

Anything over $500, u need to have a lic

If Im not mistaken, there is no license needed to build the gates..
Now, Installing the gates (aka fence) could be the reason for the license?

Not wanting to get into a pissing match, but the cost of building the gate is completely different than hanging the gate.

good work loko!! keep it up bro!


Frank

looks good, a few ideas, if possible by your uprights and pickets in bulk ( bundles ) you would see a huge difference right from the git. looks like you already got a roller or are you doing it off a table ? simple portable roller is cheap and easy to make and replacenet dies can be made from uhmw with bearings and they work well also. shelby tubing works great for hinges and can be made up on the job for gate swing and will last forever if anchored to the home or pole correctly. i go back and look and some gates i have built in the past and the only complaint is the paint, if possible have them spring for the powder coat they will be happy in the end and painted white gates only take maybe a year for the rust to start rolling out the bottom. all my side business is by word of mouth if your work is clean and affordable they will come, imo screw the license for now and march on and keep putting the beans on the table, good luck brother.

loko

I'd like to know are you buying the top pieces that are bent already or doing them yourself. I am wanting to build my own fence similar to that, but have had issue finding a supplier. No one local wants to sell the parts, they want to build my fence! lol


oh yeah, did Wheelie Bar give you his camera? you do nice work man, I've always been a fan, get some good pics and post them up for us.

You're right. Have the masons install. But yeah, Masons and fence builders. even hit up "islands in the sun" here on the board. He's into the yard thing.

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/mat/2347042620.html
Man I think im giving my work away.

Some of my work. I buy most of the parts from kingmetals.com.

More pics, ive done a few more just didnt take pics.

Looks well done Loko, adds a little something extra to the house.

It looks like you do quality work. Try not to get to tied up in what others will do it for. You know what your fixed costs are and what your time is worth.

Maybe you need to offer two or three different levels of quality. Seems like everyone has good, better snf best. Size up your potential customer and offer that line. Do what you say you will, provide quality products and you will be miles ahead of most of your competition.

Go buy a book titled Guerrilla Marketing.

get some business cards and start putting the word out.. I pick up quite bit of work by keeping my eyes open. If you see a wall going up somewhere, stop and give them a card. All of my work has been from word of mouth. an FYI on the license thing.Without a license you will be limited. The money isn't in the custom gate here and there, it is in the production stuff. A wall co. , home builder, remodeler, etc. will not use you if you aren't licensed and insured.

imho, play it by ear for a while and see how it goes. If you are picking up enough business to justify getting licensed, then do it. But be careful. If a licensed contractor sees you doing something, he might turn you in. I don't know about California, but in AZ. if you get popped by the registar of contractors they don't screw around. I was just licensed residential. I was working on a community pool fence for a wall company. I was a sub. A guy came by and asked for a business card. Turned out the guy was a competitor. He turned me in for doing a commercial job without the proper license. Only cost me $250 for the commercial and they waved the fine. If I wasn't already licensed it would have been a $2500 fine.

Good luck to you, you do awesome work.

This is something else that I do. I made this trailer with leftover materials, didnt want to invest to much. Home made fenders dont look to bad. I need to do the gate a wire it and will be forsale, its perfect for 2 quads.

Not trying to discourage you, but I would check with an insurance company about your liability in selling these.