Who Do You Hire To Build a Run?

[Laurajean]

I came to the realization that building the run I want is beyond my ability, so I'm trying to find someone to hire to build it. I called a couple numbers in my local paper that had handyman/carpentry type ads and no one has called me back! I find it amazing that everyone in my area is complaining about the recession and lack of work, and yet here I am perfectly willing to pay someone to build a run and no one appears willing.

So I guess I'm going to start searching the phone book and online local listings, but what am I searching for? Would it be Carpenters? Any other trades or titles that I might look up?

 

[gmendoza]

too bad.I would have done it for you at low cost.Get your husband to do it,or a brother who will work for beer.

 

[LarryPQ]

neighbors. or hire a teenager. You could call the schools and see if they want to do a shop project---

 

[seminolewind]

Quote:
That sounds like an excellent idea!

 

[jpittssr]

I would call a fence building company.

 

[PhilErvin]

Put a free "Help Wanted" ad in your local paper, have an idea of what you want and tell the ones who call how much you're willing to pay. You will soon discover if you are offering too little and may need to adjust that but at least you will eliminate the professionals who charge prevailing rates. Good Luck, if you lived near me I would do it for lunch and iced tea.

 

[gryeyes]

Just to throw in something from the far end of the continuum, I cobbled together my chicken run. It's tacky as all get-out. I used six foot T-posts and lots and lots of chicken wire, hardware cloth, plastic poultry fencing, and bird netting.

First layer is chicken wire, up six feet.
Second layer is hardware cloth along the bottom.
Third layer is that black or green plastic poultry fencing, also along the bottom. This is about a foot "taller" than the hardware cloth. So the triple-layered fence is heaviest/strongest down where most predators would try to get in. I used landscape "staples" to tack the bottom edge down, then put pavers, bricks, heavy rocks, and some planters along the outside of the fence.

Then I strung the bird netting over the top of the whole thing. That comes in 14 foot wide, 75 five foot long rolls. I used plastic, 6 ft garden stakes stuck into the ground to hold up the netting in the middle so there was less sagging and I wouldn't get it slapping into my face when I was inside the run.

It works. It ain't pretty, but it works.

 

[Marie1234]

In my area if I wanted something like that done I would go asking around at my local (not big box) hardware store or my local feed mill for a reccomendation.

 

[arcatamarcia]

Most of the handyman types in my area advertise in Craig's List. Or you could put a help wanted ad in Craig's List. Or maybe a landscaper.

 

[Laurajean]

Quote:
I don't have a husband or a brother. I'm disabled, so I can't do it myself, I wish I could! I've tried doing business with the neighbors and they proved to be totally unreliable and half-assed so that is not an option. I'm sick of waiting around for a friend to get around to helping me. People I know tend to think if they're "helping someone out", they can take their time getting around to it. I'm not looking to wheel and deal, I'm not looking for a bargain or a favor. I simply want to hire and professional and get the job DONE and the sooner the better.

Thanks for the suggestions, but I'm not looking for an alternative, I'm looking for a Professional. I'm just not sure what kind of professional would build a chicken run? Would it be a Carpenter, or as someone said a Fence Builder, etc? I just want to know what trade category I should be looking up.