A family business, not a franchise.
A-1 Fencing was founded in Rockville by Cesar Ojeda in 2009. Since then we have stayed deliberately small enough that the person who quotes your project is the person responsible for building it.
17+
Years building in Maryland
4.9★
87 verified reviews
10-yr
Written workmanship warranty
100%
Permits & HOA filed by us
Our story
Built on the same ground we live on
Cesar started A-1 Fencing after years of watching crews cut the corners nobody would see for a decade — posts set too shallow, patio base thrown down and never compacted, retaining walls built without a single foot of drain pipe behind them. Those jobs look identical to good work on the day they finish. The difference shows up in year three.
So we built the company around the invisible parts. Posts go below the Maryland frost line. Patio base is compacted in two-inch lifts. Every retaining wall gets clean stone and a daylighted drain line. It costs us more on every job, and it is the entire reason we can offer a ten-year workmanship warranty without flinching.
We work out of a yard on Pinetree Road in Rockville and serve Montgomery County, Howard County and Northwest DC. That radius is intentional. It keeps our crews close, lets us respond to warranty calls quickly, and means we actually know which permit office to call for your street.
Most of our work now comes from repeat clients and their neighbors. That is the only marketing strategy we have ever really trusted.
How we work
Four commitments we do not bend on
We build it ourselves
No subcontracted labor. The crew on your property is on our payroll, trained by Cesar, and accountable to the same standard on every job.
We quote what it actually costs
A low number that grows through change orders is not a deal. Our proposals are itemized and fixed, and we would rather lose a bid than win one dishonestly.
We tell you when not to spend
If your deck framing is sound and only the surface has failed, we will tell you — even though a full rebuild would be a bigger invoice for us.
We clean up every single day
Tools staged, offcuts removed, magnet run over the driveway for screws. You live here while we work.
Process
What working with us looks like
- 1
Free on-site estimate
We walk the property with you, check grade and property lines, and talk through materials honestly — including the options that cost us less.
- 2
Written proposal and design
You get an itemized proposal with materials, quantities and a fixed price. No line item reads "miscellaneous."
- 3
Permits and HOA approval
We prepare the drawings, file the county permit and assemble your HOA architectural packet. You sign; we handle the rest.
- 4
Build
Miss Utility marks the site, our own crew builds it — no subcontracted labor — and the site is cleaned every single day.
- 5
Walkthrough and warranty
We inspect together, correct anything you flag, and hand over your written 10-year workmanship warranty and material registrations.
Reviews
In our clients' words
"A-1 replaced 180 feet of failing chain-link with cedar board-on-board. Cesar walked the property line with our neighbor before starting, which prevented a dispute we were dreading. Permits were handled and the crew finished in two days."
Jennifer M.
Silver Spring, MD
Cedar privacy fence · $8,400
"We got four quotes for a composite deck. A-1 was the only one that showed up with drawings and explained the footing inspection. Three years in, not a single popped fastener."
David R.
Bethesda, MD
Trex deck, 420 sq ft · $36,000
"Our Columbia village board rejected two previous submissions from another contractor. A-1 knew exactly what the committee wanted and got approval on the first try."
Priya S.
Columbia, MD
Aluminum fence + gates · $11,200
"A storm dropped a tree across our fence on a Saturday. They had it cleared and temporarily secured the same day, then rebuilt the section the following week."
Marcus T.
Rockville, MD
Emergency fence repair · $3,100
"The paver patio is flawless two winters later. They dug way deeper than I expected and compacted the base in layers. You can tell where the money went."
Ellen K.
Potomac, MD
Belgard paver patio, 550 sq ft · $21,500
"The retaining wall behind our house had been leaning for years. A-1 rebuilt it with proper drainage and explained exactly why the original failed. No pressure, no upselling."
Robert and Anne D.
Ellicott City, MD
Segmental retaining wall · $18,900
Get a written, itemized estimate — free.
No sales pressure and no vague line items. We walk your property, measure, and give you a fixed price in writing.
We reply to every estimate request within one business day. Permits and HOA paperwork included at no extra charge.