Fence and Gate Final Walkthrough in Kalama, WA: What to Check

Bring the accepted fence sketch, change orders and your before-work photographs. Starting at one end, compare the built line, corners, panel style, height transitions, finished side and gate opening to the signed scope. Look for obvious loose boards, sharp protrusions, unfinished cuts or unexpected gaps at the ground. A slope may create a planned stepped gap; compare it with the approved design rather than assuming every gap is a defect.

Check the line from both sides where access is lawful and safe. Do not use a casual walk to declare the property boundary correct: if the boundary was uncertain before installation, the survey or agreed reference remains the evidence. Note each concern by post or panel number and take a photograph. A vague “fence looks wrong” note is much harder to resolve than a location and the exact promised detail.

Open and close the gate through its full travel several times. Confirm the agreed direction, clear opening, latch operation, hinges, stop and any lock or self-closing hardware specified in the contract. Watch for rubbing on a sloped path and for a bottom gap that differs from the approved plan. A gate that swings in an empty yard can behave differently after landscaping or paving, so record the final surrounding grade.

Ask the installer to demonstrate any maintenance adjustments that the chosen hardware requires and identify who supplied the hardware. If a correction is needed, write a punch-list item with the expected result and an agreed follow-up date. Keep unresolved items separate from new requests such as another gate or a different stain; those are new scope, not necessarily defects in the original work.

Walk the staging and excavation areas for leftover boards, fasteners, packaging, removed fence pieces and soil piles. Compare haul-away, surface repair, planting protection and staining with the accepted contract; do not assume that every bid included them. Before post work, Washington 811 is the official utility notification path, but a successful locate does not substitute for documenting private lines and the actual as-built post positions.

Washington L&I recommends checking completed work and permits, documenting payments and requesting applicable lien releases before final payment. Ask for any permit or inspection record relevant to the specific Kalama parcel, product information, warranty terms and a receipt. Record what remains open and when it will be fixed. The article is a homeowner inspection aid; it does not certify a fence, boundary or permitting status from photographs.