High-Quality Materials, but a Total Failure in Leadership and Integrity
I have mixed feelings about my experience with DanDale Fence. While the workmanship and materials are top-tier, the "behind the scenes" management and sales accountability were a complete disaster.
The Positives:
The fence itself is sturdy and the materials are excellent. The installation crew arrived early on April 30th and worked incredibly hard. I truly felt for the installers because they were left in an impossible situation by their own management.
The Failures:
The Leadership Vacuum: For a nearly $16,000 project, there was no English-speaking supervisor or project manager on-site. The lead installer spoke very little English and was forced to use Google Translate to communicate with us. This made explaining the technical issues with our yard's grade painstakingly difficult.
The Sales Disconnect:
Our salesperson, Billy, explicitly promised that the topography was no issue. On install day, however, the crew revealed a 12-16 inch gap would be left under the gate. When we called the office, we spoke to Jeremy. He claimed the per Billy, we were told the topography would be a problem for our gates beforehand—a flat-out lie. We were told whatever was necessary to get our deposit.
The "Late-Stage" Upsell:
Only after we pushed back to their office (Jeremy/Connor/Billy ?), they suggested a "customized gate" to solve the grade issue—but at an additional charge to us. This was never mentioned as an option in the initial quote and would mean stopping the installation. Because we refused to pay extra for a solution that should have been planned for, we were forced to forgo a gate on that side of the house entirely just to keep the fence flush to the ground.
Administrative Negligence:
DanDale promised to handle the HOA request but initially submitted the wrong specifications, leading to a denial. I had to personally manage the entire appeal process myself since our HOA would not work with DanDale after a denial.
Financial Accountability:
Despite the fact that we are now missing a gate and access to our yard because of their poor planning, DanDale offered no reduction in the $15,911 price. We were not going to refuse to pay since we signed financial responsibility. So the onus was on us to either pay for a customized gate or go without a gate.
The Bottom Line:
Giving them 2 stars because of a solid product and good installer service. But a company is judged by its owners and management. It is a shame that such good craftsmanship is overshadowed by a management team that hides in the office and a sales team that makes promises they can’t keep. If you have a perfectly flat yard and no HOA, you might be fine. If you have any complexity at all, you will end up acting as your own project manager and translator while paying a premium price for the privilege. Maybe we were just unlucky that day, but in the end I would not recommend DanDale Fence for your project.