Fence Guides

20 explainers on how fencing works — materials, posts, gates, permits and the things that decide what a run costs.

• Choosing a Fence Company — Compare quotes on post depth, post spacing, footing type, rail count and hardware — not on price per foot. Two quotes for the same fence can differ by a third because one sets posts in concrete below the frost line and the other tamps them in gravel.
• What a Fence Contractor Does — A fence contractor sets out the line, digs and sets posts, builds or hangs the fence, and hangs gates. The scope that matters most on any quote is what happens below ground: hole diameter, depth, and what goes in it.
• Fence Installation — Set out from a known line, dig below the frost line, brace and plumb each post, let the concrete take up, then build. Post spacing is normally 6 to 8 feet, and the height of the fence sets the number of rails.
• Residential Fencing — Privacy wants solid infill and height; containment wants small gaps at the bottom; appearance wants the fence to relate to the house. Most residential runs mix styles along the line rather than compromising everywhere.
• Commercial Fencing — Commercial specification means heavier framework, 9 gauge or thicker fabric, larger footings and access control at the openings. Fire access, egress width and clear sight lines are usually code items rather than choices.
• Privacy Fence Installation — Privacy fencing is normally 6 feet with solid or overlapping boards, three rails, and posts at closer centres than an open fence because of wind load. Board-on-board and shadowbox give privacy from both sides while allowing some air through.
• Wood Fence Installation — Set posts in concrete below the frost line, use rails sized to the span, and fasten with hardware rated for treated timber. Species — pressure-treated pine, cedar or composite — sets both the price and the maintenance cycle.
• Vinyl Fence Installation — Vinyl is a panel-and-post system with routed posts and slide-in rails. It never needs staining, but it does not follow a slope as freely as wood and it becomes brittle in severe cold.
• Chain Link Fence Installation — Terminal posts take the load and are set larger and deeper than line posts. Fabric is stretched with a come-along, tied at intervals, and held straight by either a top rail or top tension wire.
• Aluminium Fence Installation — Powder-coated aluminium panels bolt or bracket to posts set in concrete. It does not rust, it racks to follow moderate slopes, and it offers no privacy at all by design.
• Pool Fence Installation — Pool barriers are typically specified for minimum height, maximum gap under the fence, maximum picket spacing, no climbable horizontals on the outside, and a self-closing, self-latching gate that swings away from the pool.
• Security Fencing — Height, aperture size and rigidity are the three variables. Small-aperture mesh removes climbing purchase, height removes vaulting, and rigid framework removes the option of simply pushing the fence over.
• Fence Repair — Assess by pushing on posts, not by looking at boards. Localised damage in a sound run is worth repairing; once roughly a third of the posts have failed, replacement usually costs less than continued repair.
• Fence Replacement — Removal, footing extraction and disposal are real line items. New posts usually cannot reuse the old holes, so the new line either offsets slightly or the old concrete comes out.
• Custom Gates — Custom gates need a braced frame, posts one size up from the fence run, and hardware rated for the leaf weight. Every extra foot of width multiplies the load on the hinge post.
• Driveway Gates — Clear opening between 10 and 16 feet is typical for residential. Above that, or where there is no swing room or the drive slopes away, a slide or cantilever gate replaces the swing pair.
• Farm & Agricultural Fencing — Livestock decides mesh size, wire spacing, height and post spacing. Horse fencing is designed for visibility and to avoid hoof entrapment; goat and sheep fencing is designed around escape.
• How a Fence Estimate Is Built — Linear footage, height, material and grade, post count and footing spec, rail count, gate count, terrain and access, plus removal and disposal of anything existing. Those items are the estimate.
• How to Compare Fence Contractors — Compare specifications, not adjectives. Post depth, footing type, post spacing, rail count, fastener rating, gate hardware and what happens to the old fence are all checkable; 'premium' and 'quality' are not.
• Finding a Local Fence Contractor — A contractor who works your area routinely already knows the frost depth, the soil, the permit process and the HOA norms. Those four things change the specification more than any preference does.