Install versus service work

Definition

One-time installation against the recurring repair and replacement work that follows it.

Why It Matters

Repair and replacement work is steadier and better margin than installation tied to the construction cycle, so its share is what lifts a fencing business above a project-to-project installer. It is also the half that survives a slow year. Ask whether service calls come from the existing customer base or from advertising, because a company that gets called back by people it already worked for owns something an installer does not.