1. Faster Setup

Without a long-term contract, you could call today and have everything setup in minutes instead of days. The setup process is much faster and simpler. All you need to give is your address, basic contact information, and the kind of services you wanted done. From here, you will get a direct quote on the spot. You may either accept the offer, decline, or make suggestions. Now, once accepted, the rest is very easy. If you love the quality of service, you could go ahead and tell us, "Hey, come back next week." Either way, you will always have a choice. Compare this to a lawn care provider that will bind you in a 12-month contract. When you contact them, they would schedule a visit in the next couple of days to measure your lawn and discuss with you the multi-tiered service packages they offer for the rest of the year. You would be talked into the need of lime soil protection, targeted weed control, among many others. There would be pressure on you to decide upfront the kind of services you want throughout the year. You would most likely have to talk with your spouse, neighbor, and friends about what they did with theirs and possibly what to do with yours. All these hassles just for lawn care complicate things and bog down the time to setup service. You no longer have to go through this. With pay as you go, you can be in and out in the setup process a whole lot faster.

2. Flexibility

You may easily add, change, and remove services at anytime. No longer will you have to deal with service bundles just to get the service you need. With pay per visit, you only pay for the service you want. Simply say what you need, and it is done. Easy as pie. You may even switch lawn care providers without worrying about breaking your contract. Save hundreds of dollars because the hefty cancellation fee is just a thing of the past. Unwanted things can happen in 12 months. You may need to sell your house, move to another city, or no longer need the professional lawn care service. Whatever it is, you want to be flexible. The goal of a reputable lawn care provider should be that of a helping hand in making life easier for you, not to financially destroy you. Unfortunately, this old school value is all but gone nowadays.

3. Quality

When you dump your 12-month service contract, every lawn service visit becomes a trial period. If you and the provider are not an exact match, you don't have to wait out the next few months. You can leave right away and replace it with another provider. This being said, there is a lot of pressure on pay per visit lawn service providers to ensure the highest quality of service on each and every visit. This is also the main reason why the majority of lawn care companies want you to sign a contract. They are driven mainly by profits. After the trial period, service starts to suffer as clients get piled in a very tight schedule. Crews rush the job to meet their deadline. Things get skipped. A pay per visit service provider is driven mainly by quality. They want you to stay because you absolutely love the service. Gone are the days when you are just waiting for the contract to expire.

Afterthought

A few questions would have to be answered. Why pay should you pay for a service you no longer want/need? And is the lawn care company seriously contemplating of going after you should you break contract? If not, then a long-term service contract in residential properties is really unnecessary. There is no reason for it. It does not help. Dump your service contract today, and get the fast, flexible, and quality service you deserve.

Updated: 05/17/2021

This guide has been updated to industry specifications in 2021.

How to Build a Wooden Fence That Will Last a Longtime

Installing a new fence can be a very daunting task. This is a step-by-step guide to help you Do It Yourself. It is crucial to use the right materials to build the best wooden fence in the neighborhood. Use metal posts instead of wooden 4 by 4's. Metal posts with proper foundations are designed to outlive all of us. For pickets and planks, use cedar wood instead of pressure treated wood. Cedar naturally absorbs moisture and can last for 20 years or more with regular pressure washing, cleaning, and staining.

Tools

1. Spade Shovel
2. Post Hole Digger
3. Pencil Point Digging Bar
4. Wheel Barrow
5. Miter Saw
6. Cordless Impact Wrench
7. Measuring Tape
8. Leveler
9. Triangle
10. Pencil
11. Knife Sharpener
12. Steel Stakes and Tie Downs
13. Roller

CAUTION: Please practice extreme care. Check with your local authorities for gas, oil, water, electric, or other below ground utility lines before digging. Always use safety glasses, safety gloves, knee pads, and a lot of common sense.

CALL BEFORE YOU DIG.

Materials

1. 2-3/8 by 2-3/8 8 ft. Metal Tube Post
2. 2-3/8 Grip Tie and Cap
3. 1-1/4" Deck Screws
4. 2 x 4 x 8 Lumber
5. Appropriately-sized Pickets
6. Fast-setting Cement
7. Wood Stain

Step 1: Planning

Begin by taking photos and detailed notes of the existing fence line's location. This is very crucial, as this will be your only guide moving forward. If you are building a new fence, mark where you want your fence to start and end. Make a rough sketch of the completed fence's shape and a general idea of how you want it to look like. Use your imagination. You can add more complex and interesting twists, like following the contour of a tree branch, working around a physical barrier, a waterway, etc. This guide will only focus on building a simple fence line that you won't need to touch for a very long time.

Step 2: Marking

Use the spade to mark where you want your first post to stand. Maintain a gap of 7-3/4' to 8' between every fence post's center. Repeat this step until you have completely marked the entire fence line.

Industry Tip

You may mark your first post and directly proceed to step 3 and 4. Then, repeat the steps 2-6 for each and every fence post until you have completed your entire fence line. This makes it easier to make adjustments especially if you are not used to carpentry. Note: when digging near utilities or foundations, always call in for safe dig and only dig by hand for safety.

Step 3: Foundation

Remember, take your time and be consistent. Some areas are much more easier to dig than others. Use your spade to start digging the marked locations. If the soil is too dry, consider watering until moist. Use your post hole digger to remove soil debris. Use a digging bar or pick to remove rocks or to break through boulders. Repeat until you have reached 24" in depth. For areas with considerable water overrun, such as those found in uphill/downhill slopes, consider adding another 6" to add gravel as extra drainage. Do not shortchange yourself. You have gone this far. Go by the book, and you will be pleased with the results. For fences taller than 6', you will need to dig deeper. As a general rule, the foundation's depth tend to be 1/3rd of the total height of the fence above ground. If tree roots are on the way, use your digging bar to breakthrough them. Note that moving the post to another area usually do not help. It is not uncommon for trees to have multiple main root lines not too far from where you have already dug.

Industry Tip

Check for post foundation alignment by either using a laser or a fish line. If these tools are not immediately available in your tool box, you may also eyeball the holes to get the approximate alignment and simply make small adjustments to line up the posts when you start setting them up. Also, make sure your spade, post hole digger, and pencil bar are sharp. They do get dull after a couple of holes.

Step 4: Set-up Posts

Place your post in the center of the hole. Should your post alignment be off, consider digging some more on one side to correct the alignment. Take your time. Preparation is key for a successful fence project.

Step 5: Mix Cement

Open a bag of concrete and put it in your wheel barrow. Water and mix until you get a muddy texture. Avoid over watering as this will weaken the concrete. Make sure to mix the concrete thoroughly using your spade before pouring in the hole. Should you have added an addition 6" of drain, make sure to put the gravel in first, then compact the gravel using a piece of wood for even footing.

Industry Tip

Only open a bag you know you will use. Fast setting concrete may dry up in as little as 5 minutes. If it ever dries up while still in the wheel barrow, add more water and re-mix thoroughly.

Step 6: Leveling

Level the post by making sure you have center bubble all the way around (front, back, and sides). For posts higher than 6' above ground level, tie down using stakes to maintain desired leveling. For 6' posts or shorter, the weight of the concrete is enough to hold it in place. Make alignment adjustments as needed before the concrete dries up.

Step 7: Curing

Let the concrete cure for 4-6 hours. Note that even fast setting concrete will have a hard time curing during wet and cold weather. If the weather is colder than 60F, consider waiting for a couple more days.

Step 8: Grip Tie and Cap

Install grip ties a foot above ground and at the very top of the fence post. Tighten up until snug. Place two or three levels. If you're going with three levels, place the third grip tie exactly in the middle of the top and bottom grip ties.

Step 9: Plank

Install your planks by screwing one side first unto the grip tie and then the other. Use two or more planks between posts. Screw in 2 screws per side or 4 screws per plank.

Step 10: Picket

Place the first picket a quarter inch above ground. Screw in your first screw. Level to center bubble before screwing in your second screw. Install 4 screws per picket. Repeat the steps until the entire fence line has been completed. You may maintain an eight of an inch gap between pickets by placing a nail in between or by eyeballing the gap. The gap, however, is not necessary. Your fence will be fine with or without it.

Step 11: Staining

Use your roller and carefully stain with even strokes. Thoroughly saturate one area before moving to the next. For best results, stain both front and back of the fence line. Repeat every 2-3 years.

Follow these steps and you will be on your way to a great looking fence that will last a very long time.

We hope our article has helped you better understand how to properly install a wooden fence that will last a long time. If you need professional lawn care assistance in Austin or around Travis County, please don't hesitate to contact us at 844-50K-LAWN (844-505-5296).

DISCLAIMER: This general guideline is meant for educational purposes only. We will not be responsible for damages caused by you for following any of our suggestions. Every situation is different. Please consult 50K Professional Lawn Services LLC for professional help.

Imagine this, you water your plants everyday, trim all the excess branches to welcome more sunlight, and add fertilizer every other month. Despite your greatest efforts, your plant doesn't seem to grow an inch, leaves look dry and wrinkly, branches and stem are thin and brittle, and seem to develop brownish freckle-like spots. Wait, what is going on?

The answer to this problem might be more than what the naked eye could see. It is more than just guesstimating. Soil consists of various nutrients that plants need. Nutrients such as Potassium (K) , Phosphorus (P) and Nitrogen (N) are essential to plant growth, any change to each nutrient's levels drastically affects plant growth.

We at 50K are able to measure these soil nutrients by collecting soil samples to be tested. Yes, this is very scientific. We isolate these samples from contamination and test the soil. Results can be read in 12 hours. This will give us a concrete metric of measurement in improving the ph balance and nutrient levels of your soil, which is a crucial step in improving your plants' health.

Before and After Photos

We treat lawn care as a true profession. Our services come with before and after photos, standard. We offer you peace of mind. You will know when we serviced your lawn and what we did while on your lawn. With 50K, there is nothing to worry about. This is another reason why a growing number of Austinites (both new and old) choose 50K over everybody else. You will see the exact condition of your lawn when we arrived and the same exact condition before we leave. Our crews are trained to take accurate and clear photos that will show the scope of all the work we performed. We take clear and wide angle photos of the tasks we completed. No hiding. No guessing. Just old school values, mixed with 21st century technology.

Why Should You Care

You want to know if you should trust your lawn care provider. Without comparison photos, it may be very difficult to confirm if the work order on your invoice was actually completed. The photos will serve as an additional eye for you and our managers to make sure our technicians do what they are supposed to do every single time. Photos are not only useful to confirm every job, but are also useful when comparing the condition of your lawn months or even years ago. This makes for a more objective recommendation for needed services to care for your lawn. In some cases, comparison photos have actually helped our customer identify a drainage issue. On top of this, during service, crews may occasionally miss a spot or two, and while taking after photos, they will have another opportunity to look at their work before handing it back to you. In instances when a spot was missed, our crews would go back to their truck, grab the proper equipment, and do whatever they need to do to get it right. After confirming the job was fully completed, then and only then would they start taking after photos. If at some point during our visit, we found anything unusual with your lawn, tree, or fence, we would take a photo and contact you right away.

1. Transparency of Service.

When we service your lawn, tree, or perform any landscaping project, you will know exactly when we came and what we did immediately after service. This means that even if you are away, in another state, or out of the country, you will see a real side by side comparison of your property. Before servicing, you will receive service reminders of your service date so you will be able to plan ahead of time. Should there be any weather delays, we will contact you with the reason for the delay and service your home on our next availability. This means that you are a priority in our service pipeline. You'll always know what's going on with the service. No more guessing games.

2. Professional Guarantee.

If for whatever reason you are not satisfied with the quality of our work, just tell us what's wrong, and we'll re-do the specific item in question for FREE! But there is more... if after coming back for FREE and you are still not happy with the results, we will hire a competitor of your choice up to the full amount of your invoice to make sure you only get the professional results you truly deserve!

3. Crew Expertise.

Our crews know our culture of excellence and the way we conduct business. We don't take shortcuts. Should a job ever take longer than expected, we would absorb the cost of completion and let you know immediately. We are committed in making sure your experience with us is worry-free. Whatever happens, we would be with you in every step of the way.

4. Management Reliability.

When you contact us, we will answer the phone every single time, from 7AM to 7PM. When you leave a voicemail, we'll get back with you in 24 hours or less. The full force of our management team is dedicated in making sure all your questions are answered and your concerns are addressed. We will give you clear answers. Our managers are on duty to make hard off the cuff decisions should the need arise. At 50K, you will not get the run around.

5. Payment Flexibility.

You may pay per visit, per month, or as much as you want in advance. We also accept online payments via PayPal, over the phone with all major credit cards and charged either automatically or one-time. We are flexible in whichever way you want to pay your bill.