What happens after you book? Our 3-step fence install process.
From first phone call to finished fence. The sequence True Fence Florida follows on residential installs across Southwest Florida from Bradenton down to Naples.
"What actually happens between me booking and my fence being up?" We get that question on almost every call. Here's the real answer.
Step 1. Free on-site estimate
You book a time on our schedule page or call us directly. We show up on the date and time you picked (not a "between 9 and 5" window). The visit runs 30 to 45 minutes. We measure the run, walk your property, note gate locations, and call you from the site with any questions we need answered.
After the visit, we send the written estimate by email. For standard layouts and common materials, we usually get you the quote the same day. Special materials or complicated layouts take a little longer.
Step 2. Permits and HOA
Once you sign the contract and place your deposit, we handle the permit under our Florida contractor's license. For HOA-governed communities, we prepare a submission-ready HOA package for you: site plan, material spec, color sample, drawing. You submit the package to your HOA board.
Typical permit timing across our Southwest Florida service corridor (real numbers, not guesses):
- Charlotte County (Port Charlotte and unincorporated): 1 to 2 business days
- City of Punta Gorda: 2 to 4 weeks
- Sarasota County (North Port, Sarasota, Venice): no permit needed for most residential fence installs
- Lee County generally: 2 to 4 weeks
- Cape Coral specifically: 4 to 8 weeks
- Collier County (Naples, Marco Island, Ave Maria): 6 to 8 weeks
HOA review timing depends on your board. Some HOAs review applications as soon as they arrive. Others only review at monthly board meetings, so timing lines up with when the board next meets.
Most materials we install are in stock, so material ordering isn't what drives the schedule. We pick up what we need on the way to the job.
Step 3. Install
Once permit and HOA are both cleared, we schedule your install date. Typical residential yards, we can install up to 300 linear feet in a single day. Longer runs or complex layouts may take two days, occasionally more for specialty work.
If we run into a material shortage mid-job (unusual, but it happens), we'll pause and come back in a few days rather than cut corners to finish that afternoon. About 90 percent of our installs finish same-day; the other 10 percent are the ones where doing it right took priority over doing it fast.
Our site manager inspects every finished fence before the final invoice goes out, so the project closes with a clean walkthrough and a fence that matches the approved scope.
The total timeline
From signed contract to finished fence:
- Charlotte County homes: usually 1 to 2 weeks
- Sarasota County homes: quick, since permits usually aren't required
- Lee County homes: timing varies with the specific city and permit
- Naples and Collier County: usually 8 to 12 weeks because of permit turnaround
If a specific move-in date, rental turnover, or deadline is driving your timeline, tell us on the first call. We schedule around real deadlines all the time and we make it work.
What we don't do
We don't start work before the permit is in hand. We don't cut corners to finish a job faster than it should be. We don't invoice for the final payment until the site manager has walked the finished fence.
Ready to start? Book a free on-site estimate and we'll get the calendar moving.