The option of saving money on a fence installation is appealing to many homeowners who have basic skills to install a fence themselves. Are you up for it? Need to know how to build a fence in Rockland County, NY? Keep these five tips in mind as you decide whether to DIY your fence or outsource it to the pros.
Related: Debunking 7 Misconceptions About a DIY Fence in Union County, NJ, and Westchester County, NY, Areas
1. Permits and Permissions
Depending on the location and height of the fence, you may need to obtain permits to avoid the cost and hassle of fines or potentially having to remove a fence because it violated local ordinances. You will probably want to discuss your project with your neighbors if the fence will be located along a boundary line.
2. Site Prep
It’s a common misconception that to install a fence, all you have to do is dig some post holes in a line, and install the rails and pickets. The project can end up being more complex than that: You may run into significant obstacles such as rock outcroppings, mature trees, and of course ensuring that you stay within property boundaries. Some site prep, such as removing dead trees or marking the location of buried utilities, will be necessary before starting work.
3. Choose Your Materials
Several types of fencing are available to DIY customers: wood, vinyl, aluminum, and chain-link fencing. Depending on the intended use (privacy, security, pool safety, pet containment, or purely decorative) you will first need to choose the materials you want to work with to achieve the perfect mix of function and aesthetics.
4. Planning
Planning helps you purchase the right amount of materials, and helps facilitate installation by ensuring that posts are properly spaced, especially if you are accommodating premade fence panels.
While preassembled fence panels make installation easier and faster, they’re not always the ideal solution if the fence line follows varied contours.
We are here to help you plan, budget, and deal with site challenges. You can ask about our design expertise and personalized help. If you need help measuring your yard and purchasing the right number of posts and panels, we can help you plan (and build) the perfect fence for you.
5. Installation
Measure twice, carefully mark the layout, and mark all posts as well as gate post locations.
Dig post holes with a shovel or auger to three times the width of the post, and set your fence posts below the frost line to help prevent frost heave. Set posts in concrete, leaving several inches at the top of the concrete to fill with soil once the concrete has set.
Install fence rails so that the top and the bottom are consistently level to present a pleasing and uniform line. Let us know if your land is contoured, and we’ll give you options on how to create an attractive fence on a sloped or varying-slope lot.
Install the pickets with even spacing between them, and so that the tops and bottoms are as uniform as possible. If you are using premade fence panels, follow the instructions to securely clip the panels to the posts.
There are many smaller steps involved in the installation, which are outlined in our how-to resources on our website. And, of course, we’re also happy to personally answer your questions.
