Backyard Fence to Security Perimeter: What LC Fence's Credentials Actually Mean
Most fence companies in East Tennessee do one of two things. They build backyard fences, or they build industrial perimeters. Loudon County Fence does both, and the reason matters more to a homeowner than it might first appear.
The Same Crews, Two Very Different Jobs
In a given month our crews might set a six-foot wood privacy fence behind a house in Farragut and a seven-foot galvanized security fence with three-strand top guard at a Tennessee Valley Authority facility.
Verified work from our commercial record includes:
- Tennessee Valley Authority — 7 foot plus 3 strand galvanized security fence
- Smith & Wesson — 8 foot plated black industrial perimeter
- Lakeshore Park — 24 foot athletic backstop
- Discovery Center — 10 foot plated galvanized security fence
- University of Tennessee Knoxville dining hall — temporary construction site fencing
- Stowers — custom black security handrail
Those are not reference points we bring up to sound impressive on a backyard job. They are the reason we can price and schedule a backyard job with confidence.
What a Tennessee Contractor License Actually Tells You
This is the part most homeowners are never told, and it is worth two minutes of your time before you hire anyone.
Tennessee assigns licensed contractors a monetary limit — a cap on the dollar size of project they may legally bid. A contractor with a limited license who bids past that cap is working outside their license.
Loudon County Fence holds a Tennessee Unlimited Contractor License, number 54371. Unlimited means no project-size cap.
For a backyard fence that cap is irrelevant. What is relevant is what it takes to hold that classification: the state examines financial statements, references and experience before granting it, and it has to be maintained.
How to verify any contractor's license yourself
Search the license number on the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance contractor verification site. You will see the license class, monetary limit, status and expiration. It is free and takes about a minute. Do it for us and do it for whoever else you are considering.
Bonding Capacity Is a Third Party's Opinion, Not Ours
We carry $6 million in aggregate bonding capacity and $5 million in general liability, with workers' compensation in force.
Here is why that sentence means something. Anyone can write "trusted" or "best" on a website. Bonding capacity is different — a surety company reviews a contractor's financial statements, work history and management before extending it. It is an outside financial institution putting its own money behind an assessment of whether the company can finish what it starts.
A homeowner is unlikely to ever need a bond on a fence job. But a company that can obtain one is a company that has been examined by somebody with a financial reason to be skeptical.
Why Any of This Matters on a Backyard Fence
Fence work is an easy trade to enter and a hard one to do well. The failure modes are not dramatic and they show up slowly:
- Posts set too shallow for East Tennessee clay, which heaves and leans within a few seasons
- Gates that sag because the hinge post was not braced for the weight
- Property lines guessed at rather than located, which becomes a neighbor's problem and then a legal one
- A company that dissolves before a warranty claim can be made
The credentials above do not guarantee a good fence by themselves. What they indicate is a company with the financial structure and the record to still be reachable in five years. We have been at this address in Lenoir City since 1973.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Tennessee Unlimited Contractor License?
Tennessee assigns contractors a monetary limit that caps the size of project they may legally bid. An Unlimited license carries no project-size cap. Most residential fence installers hold a limited license or operate below the licensing threshold entirely.
How do I verify a fence contractor's license in Tennessee?
Search the license number on the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance contractor license verification site. The record shows class, monetary limit, status and expiration. It is free.
What does bonding capacity mean for a fence contractor?
It is the total value of bonded work a surety will underwrite for that contractor, based on their review of financials and past performance. It is a third-party financial assessment, not a self-reported claim.
Does a commercial fence contractor cost more for a residential job?
Not necessarily. A residential fence is priced on materials, linear footage, terrain and gates regardless of what else the contractor is qualified to build. Ask for a firm written price rather than an estimate, so the number does not move once work begins.
Get a Firm Price
We will walk the property with you, locate the line, and put a firm written price in your hand at no charge. Call (865) 988-9935 or request a quote online.
Loudon County Fence — veteran-owned, family-operated, Lenoir City, Tennessee since 1973. Tennessee Unlimited Contractor License #54371. Serving Knox, Loudon, Blount, Roane, Anderson, Monroe, Sevier, McMinn, Rhea and Meigs counties.
