6 Steps On How To Install A Privacy Fence
Getting a fence built after buying a new home can be a stressful purchase. Since I was needing to fence my yard we went through the process from start to end and decided to share some of the research with all of you.
The following steps will help you have a great experience getting a beautiful fence to compliment your landscaping and home.
1. Pick a fencing material(vinyl, wood, wrought iron or chain link)
When picking a fence material you should first check if your HOA, City or community have any rules or regulations regarding your fencing. As an example, my community prohibits us from building a chain link fence so we were left to choose between a wood or vinyl fence because we wanted privacy.
Here are the Pros and Cons of each type of fence.
| Fence Material | Pro | Con |
| Vinyl | Privacy, Low maintenance cost, can install yourself, long lasting (10+ years) | Expensive and not as durable as wood, less options for colors, needs to be reinforced for large gates |
| Wood | Privacy, cheaper option, can install yourself | Higher maintenance cost, deteriorates when both sides are not cared for, May rot and have pest problems |
| Wrought Iron | low maintenance cost, very durable, precast parts | No privacy and very open, rusts when scratched |
2. Get an estimate from local providers
Once you have picked your materials start looking for local businesses to purchase the needed fence material. During the search, you will be tempted to look at places like Lowes and Home Depot. However, we recommend getting estimates and quotes from local fencing companies. These companies generally have better prices and offer better installations, if you don’t want to do it yourself. You can try and look for local fencing professionals on our honey-do list Network.
Shop around and get many different opinions because this extra effort and time could save you hundreds or even thousands. Once you have found a good company at the right price for you be sure to schedule your installation or delivery (if installing yourself).
3. Get your permits and follow city regulations
Be sure to apply for a building permit. Not all cities require a permit but it is an opportunity to ask questions in relation to where you can and cannot have a fence. Most cities have clear vision rules and other rules that limit the height of the fence you can use. We always recommend getting a permit and reading the city statutes in regard to clear vision areas. For example, my city requires a clear vision area on the corner of a lot so I am not able to put my privacy fence in that area and I am also asked to limit my landscaping in that area too.
4. Mark your sprinklers, property line, and utility pipes.
Some companies will do this for you however I would make sure that you have marked any underground utilities to prevent any leaks or breaks. Many places will do this for free and we recommend for the state of Utah to utilize blue stakes to have the utility companies mark their underground piping. Along with this, it is important to accurately mark your property line and to build your fence on your property. This could cause problems if you try and sell your home in the future.
Once you have a set date for the installation or when you are going to install it call and schedule for someone to mark your property, blue stakes take an average of 2 days to mark your property, and be sure to mark your property lines before your installation appointment.
5. Inform your neighbors
It is always good to let your neighbors know that you will be installing your fence and that there will be workers or yourself doing the installation. This is important as the workers may or may not need to go on to their property to set the fence posts. Another great benefit is your neighbors may also want to pay for half of the fence which could help you save some money while helping your neighbors get started on fencing their yard. Many companies also provide referral and or bulk order discounts so you could look at speaking with your neighbors early on to save all of you money in the long run.
6. Install fence and Enjoy
On the day of installation make sure that you have someone there to help guide the installation so that you can ensure your fence is placed where you want and that it still follows the cities guidelines, sit back and enjoy your new fence and privacy.