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Do you want more privacy from your neighbors or a yard to contain your pets? If yes, then it’s time to install a wood fence!
A wood fence provides excellent benefits and a classic look that lasts for years, but the cost of installation can get pricey. Professionally installed wood fences can cost a lot, but with self-installation, you’ll be able to save a significant amount of money.
This post will tell you how to install a wood fence. This detailed guide will yield 32 linear feet of fencing.
What You’ll Need:
Materials:
- Four wood fence panels
- Five four-by-four fence posts
- Top rails and bottom rails
- Five bags of all-purpose gravel
- 8 2 1/2 inch exterior screws
- Ten bags of quick-setting concrete mix
Equipment/Tools:
- Shovel
- Pencil
- Hearing and eye protection
- Marking Paint
- Work gloves
- Twine and stakes
- Circular Saw
- Cordless Drill
- Post hole digger
- Electric miter saw
- Hammer
- Tape measurer
- Speed square
- Laser level or bubble level
How to Install a Wood Fence: 6 Steps
Notify, Plan, and Mark
Review your community’s guidelines for installing a fence and notify your neighbor(s) of your plan for installing. Look over your home’s title documents carefully to avoid coming across a surprise property easement running below or near the building site.
Check if you need a building permit before installing your wood fence. Consider height restrictions and distance from the property line. Call your local utility locator hotline to arrange for them to mark your buried utility pipes with washable spray paint (this is a free service).
Stake Out Your Location and Dig Your Holes
Use your hammer to tap two wood stakes deep in the ground, 34 feet apart. Run twine between each stake to give your fence a line to follow.
Use your post hole digger at one end to digging your first post hole. Follow your community requirements or dig a hole about three times the width of the post and half the length of the post.
Temporarily set a post in your hole. Measure eight feet from the side of that post and follow the twine to find the place where you will dig your next post hole. Continue digging holes eight feet apart along the fence line. As a result, you’ll have five post locations when you finish.
Add Gravel
Extend your tape measure into the hole and pour gravel into the hole with the tape still in. When the gravel is four inches high, take out the tape. Use one of the four-by-fours to compact the gravel down, repeating this process for every hole.
Place Posts and Pour Concrete
Use throw-away two-by-fours to support the posts in the holes and plumb each post with the laser level or bubble level. Fill every gap with dry quick-set concrete to three or four inches below ground level. After filling them all, slowly add water to set for 20 to 40 minutes.
Place Top and Bottom Rail Fence Panels
Screw your bottom rail to the fence posts at least six inches off the ground. Attach your top rail in the same way, but alternate which fence post you attach the rails to for a secure fence.
Place a fence panel between two posts. Please ensure both sides of the panel are snugly between the posts but not too tight to stretch them.
Attach Fence Panels, Stain, and Finish
Attach the panel to the two posts with screws. Using four screws per side, drive the screws through the panel’s sides and into the posts, repeating this step with the remaining panels.
The option to stain and finish your fence is entirely up to you!
How Long Does a Wood Fence Last?
A newly built wood fence can last in good condition for up to 20 years or more with proper maintenance. Maintenance includes replacing individual planks and boards as needed. You can extend the longevity of your fence by using specific materials, such as pressure-treated wood.
Contact Us at Leading Edge Fence & Gates for Wood Fence Installation
If you have further questions about installing a wood fence, Leading Edge Fence & Gates is here to serve Newark, Delaware, with all of your fencing needs.
Are you considering a personalized feature like a fence gate or a wood privacy fence for some extra seclusion? Curious about other types of fencing? Call us today at (302) 892-2575 to speak with one of our experts and get your questions answered. Let’s tackle your wood fence project together.
