Fence Building Tips

A well designed fence offers a wide range of uses and possibilities. It can keep kids in and trespassers out. And it can give you the privacy you want while providing boundary lines.  

Setting and Aligning the Posts

Sink your posts about 3’ into the ground (or deeper, depending on local frost conditions). Put several inches of gravel in the hole for the post to rest on.

Set the two end posts first, plumbing two adjacent sides and bracing the posts. Stretch one string between them near ground level and another near the top. Level the strings with a line level. Put your intermediate posts in the holes and align them with both strings, checking adjacent sides for plumb. Overfill the holes with earth or concrete and bevel the fill down from the post for runoff. If you’re using earth fill, wedge some rocks around the post for added stability.

Securing Rails

A tip to keep things simple: use galvanized fence brackets to attach horizontal rails to your posts.

Spacing Boards

To leave a uniform space between boards, slats or pickets, make a T-square spacer. Cut an extra board to the exact width of the desired opening. Attach a 2” x 4” cleat near the top of the board, so that when this cross-bar sits on the top rail, the top of the spacer can be used to align the top of the fence boards or pickets.