How Buzz Fence Started. And Why It Still Works 25 Years Later.
Most businesses don’t start with a master plan.
They start with frustration.
That was the case for Eric Schrader, founder of Buzz Custom Fence.
“I quit my job because I wanted to stay married.”
That’s how Eric tells it. Half joke. All truth.
He had three kids at home. Bills to pay. A wife who wasn’t thrilled about career chaos.
But his job in pest control had changed. New ownership. New problems. No future he felt good about.
So he quit. Risky? Absolutely.
But sometimes staying put is riskier.
The Fence That No One Wanted to Quote
Here’s where it gets interesting.
Eric needed a fence at his own house. He called around.
Ten companies. Not one showed up. No call backs. No estimates.
Nothing.
That’s when it clicked.
“This shouldn’t be this hard.”
He also noticed something else.
- No big regional fence companies
- No consistency
- No real customer service
It felt messy. Disconnected.
So he asked a simple question.
What if someone did this better?
Starting Small. Staying Human.
Buzz Custom Fence started in Fort Worth. Just Eric and his wife, Denise.
No fancy branding. No big promises.
Just a clear goal:
Answer the phone. Show up. Do what you said you’d do.
That still matters today.
“We actually answer the phone,” Eric says.
“A real person picks up.”
Not a menu. Not a voicemail maze.
Just someone ready to help.
Fences Are Messy. Let’s Be Honest.
Building a fence is not fun.
It’s loud. It’s dusty.
It takes over your yard.
Eric doesn’t sugarcoat it.
“It’s kind of like moving,” he says.
“Nothing about it is enjoyable.”
Dogs get loose.
Neighbors peek through gaps.
Trash piles up.
So Buzz focuses on one thing.
Make it as painless as possible.
Here’s how they handle it.
- Clear timelines
- Straight answers
- Communication when things change
“Here’s what’s happening.
Here’s when we’ll be there.
Here’s what to expect.”
Simple. Respectful. Human.
Why the Bee Logo Actually Matters
The bumblebee wasn’t picked at random.
Before COVID, mornings at Buzz Fence felt like a hive.
Everyone showed up.
Rolled out together.
Came back at the end of the day.
Eric puts it this way.
“They’d go out and bring the honey back.”
That idea stuck.
Today, Buzz Fence supports:
- 5 markets
- 150 Home Depot locations
- About 200 families when contractors are included
That’s a lot of people relying on the work being done right.
The Pandemic Years. No Days Off.
Buzz Fence never shut down during COVID.
Why? The phones never stopped ringing.
Everyone was stuck at home.
Everyone wanted projects done.
They worked nonstop.
“Like dogs,” Eric says.
“Good dogs. Tired dogs.”
Then came the supply shortages.
- No wood
- No nails
- No stable pricing
Some days, they worked just to break even.
Still, they kept going.
Because customers were counting on them.
A Long Road That Started Somewhere Else
Eric didn’t grow up planning to build fences.
He studied finance and marketing at Texas Tech.
Marketing won. It was more fun.
Life took him to San Antonio. Then Corpus Christi.
That’s where pest control came in. Through family.
He didn’t want it.
His dad convinced him otherwise.
“Owning something of your own matters,” his father said.
That advice stuck. It led to Buzz Fence.
And 25 years later, it still holds up.
Why Buzz Fence Still Works
After 25 years, the formula hasn’t changed.
- Answer the phone
- Be honest
- Treat people well
No hype. No tricks.
Just fences done right. One yard at a time.