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CHAPTER 1

Planning, Design, and Layout

The planning and design phase of fence building involves much more than choosing a style, materials, and decorative elements. There are laws to satisfy (not to mention neighbors and homeowner association boards), as well as numerous design considerations, both practical and aesthetic. Many of your decisions will hinge on your answers to two big questions: 1) Why are you building the fence? and 2) How will the fence affect the look, the function, and the feel of your home and landscape? When you're ready to take your ideas from the drawing board to the ground, a few simple layout techniques will help you get it right.

Fence Law

Fences often are subject to strict legal definitions and restrictions. Building codes, zoning ordinances, and homeowners associations may specify whether or not you can build a fence at all, what style of fence you can build, how high the fence can be, and how far it must be kept from a property line or street.

Start your research at your local building department, typically an office of city government. Many city websites include checklists that outline the basic rules and restrictions for fences, as well as what types of projects need permits. In addition, it's also a good idea to talk with a department official to confirm that your fence plan meets all requirements — even if you're confident you won't need a permit. Be prepared to explain the fence in detail and where you want to build it (how close to the neighbors' property, sidewalks, streets, and so forth). Your local building code may have minimal requirements other than those mentioned in this book.

You should also make preparations to have your property marked for underground electrical, plumbing, and other service lines. (See Before You Start Digging.)

Building Permits and Zoning Restrictions

If your fence project needs a building permit, your local building department will provide you with details for obtaining one. Be sure to find out what information you need to submit to the building department, how much the permit will cost, how long you are likely to have to wait to get it, and at what stage or stages you will need to have the fence inspected. If you plan to take your time building the fence, you should also ask how long the permit will remain valid; most permits are valid for no more than 1 year.

Most zoning laws relate to property lines and property use, both of which can affect your fence design. Common restrictions include a 3-foot height limit on fences facing the street and a 6-foot limit on side and backyard fences. Another restriction is the setback. Often, you can't build a fence right up to the edge of your property line. Instead, you must set it back several feet from the line.

Variances

If you want to build a fence 20 feet from the street, but a zoning law says it must be at least 30 feet away, you can apply for a variance (special permission to build something that violates existing requirements). Don't hesitate to apply for one if you feel you have a legitimate argument, and be prepared to do some research and present a good case.

Take the time to understand the law and learn why your fence might not follow it. If the issue is public safety, such as with fences on corner lots restricting traffic visibility, you probably won't win your case. On the other hand, if you want to build a privacy fence to block an unpleasant view but the view is uphill from the fence location, you might be able to successfully argue that a height limit of 6 feet is too restrictive for your needs.

Easements

An easement defines the rights of parties other than the property owner to use the property for specific purposes. For example, utility companies may have a right to drive their trucks through your property to tend to repairs. Shared driveway arrangements between adjoining properties are other protected areas.

Easements typically are noted in title reports (ask your title insurance company for a copy if you don't have one), and it's the homeowner's obligation to know about them. A fence that violates an easement may have to be taken down at the owner's expense. If you have any concerns about easements, it might be wise to discuss the matter with a real estate attorney.

Fencing with a Purpose

Every major decision about fence design is best made with specific goals in mind. Often, various needs and functions overlap, which means you'll likely have to prioritize and prepare for compromises. For example, if security is your sole objective, you might choose a type of fence that has little visual appeal. But if you also want your fence to be an attractive addition to your property, you may have to sacrifice a bit of security in favor of a nicer looking fence.

Privacy and Security

The two goals of privacy and security often go together in fence design, but not always. Privacy fences can substantially expand the usable living space of your house, turning much of your yard into functional outdoor rooms where you can sit, read, relax, and converse without feeling that you are on display. A good fence designer will think about privacy fences the way an interior decorator might think about walls, and try to create different colors and textures to help define different "outdoor rooms."

Privacy is usually achieved by way of a high fence with solid or near-solid infill — the slats, planks, or other materials that make up the fence panels. Board fences are the most common choice, but a thick row of hedges could also achieve the same end result.

By contrast, a security fence is designed to discourage intruders from going over, under, or, in extreme cases, through the structure. Height and sharp edges can address the first concern, while strength and ground-hugging construction can handle the second. Chain-link fences are easy to install and relatively inexpensive (if unattractive) options for security. A wood fence is hard to kick through but easy to saw through. For combining good looks and solid security without blocking views, a fence made with ornamental metal is tough to beat.

Gate construction is frequently the weak link in a security fence. The hinges must be strong and fastened securely to both the gate and the post, and the latch should be lockable and jimmy-proof.

Controlling the Elements

Wind, snow, and noise can all be subdued with the right type of fence in the right place.

Fences for shade. Like shade trees that prevent the summer sun from heating up a house, a fence can shade a driveway, sidewalk, or patio to reduce heat buildup in the solid mass. It can also shade the side of the house from early morning and late evening sun.

Fences for windbreaks. In cold climates, wind contributes to heat loss. A fence can reduce the velocity of the wind striking your house and thus potentially reduce heating bills. Contrary to what you might think, a solid fence typically isn't the best windbreak. It's better to let some wind pass through, such as with horizontal louvered fence boards that are angled down toward the house. A hedgerow planted a foot or two away from a house wall can help redirect a cold breeze up and onto the roof. In warm weather, a windbreak fence can tame breezes and improve the comfort of outdoor sitting areas. Note: Windbreaks are effective only when placed perpendicular to the prevailing breeze, or as close to perpendicular as possible.

Fences for snow. A good windbreak fence can also control snowdrifts. Style and location are critical considerations. A solid fence creates deep drifts on both sides of the fence, while an open-style fence produces longer, shallower drifts and less snow buildup on the downwind side. Don't place a snow fence too close to a driveway or sidewalk; it should be at least as far from the passageway as the fence is high. As with windbreaks, snow fences are most effective when running perpendicular to prevailing winds.

Fences for blocking noise. Noise is airborne vibration, so a dense barrier (such as a concrete or stone wall) is the best fencing solution for reducing noise. A fence made from solid wood is the next best choice. Because fences offer minimal noise reduction, the most effective strategy for noise reduction indoors is to soundproof the house.

Pool Fencing

Swimming pools must be surrounded by code-approved fencing. The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission offers guidelines for safety-barrier fencing (follow the link in Resources). More importantly, check with your local building department for specific requirements in your area. Typical recommendations include (but may not be limited to):

* Ensure a minimum fence height of 48", and remove nearby objects that would facilitate climbing (garbage cans, for example).

* Avoid fence styles that are easy to climb; keep horizontal rails at least 45" apart and place them on the inside (the pool side) of the fence.

* Space pickets no more than 11¾" apart. With chain-link or lattice fencing, spaces should not exceed 1¾".

* Keep the bottom of the fence 2" to 4" aboveground to prevent crawling under.

* Include self-closing hinges and a self-latching latch on the gate. It's best to have the gate swing out, away from the pool. The latch should be set high enough so that it is out of a child's reach.

Style and Other Design Considerations

View your fence as an extension of your house. For inspiration, look to the trim around windows and doors. These accents could suggest decorative touches for the fence. Dominant posts on a porch may be a model for the fence posts (especially gateposts). Or you might be inspired by the house's siding or finish materials. In general, long and flat houses look good with horizontally oriented fences, while a house with a prominent gable or complex roof lines might be better complemented with a fence composed of varying heights.

Open or Closed Style?

This question of "open or closed?" relates to the fence infill, which can range from that of a high, solid privacy fence to a low, skeletal border fence. Closed fences offer privacy but also cut off your view of the neighborhood. Open fences provide less privacy but do not block off neighborhood views. When choosing an appropriate degree of enclosure, be sure to consider the views from inside the house as well as from the yard. Open fences tend to suit front yards, while closed fences might be better suited along the sides and back of a property. (On urban lots with small yards, high and solid fences can create a buffer against noisy sidewalks and streets, and create a beneficial "out of sight, out of mind" effect.)

To Gate or Not

Security and privacy fences typically require a strong, solid gate with a lock. With other fences, the inclusion of a gate is a matter of choice. Many boundary and purely decorative fences are left gateless. A gate can serve as a decorative focal point or it can blend in almost invisibly with the fence. If you choose to gate your fence, read chapter 4. During the design phase it's important to include any gates in your overall plan.

Designing with Contrasts

Contrast can be incorporated into fence design in two primary ways. The first is to differentiate the two sides of a fence. For example, with a relatively solid fence, the plain, simple face on the street side could be contrasted with a lush, decorative garden running along the fence's interior. More simply, the fence could be a light color on one side and a dark color on the other.

Incorporating differing elements is the second way to provide contrast. Consider alternating high sections with low sections, open sections with closed, hard surfaces (wood or metal) with soft (hedges or other vegetation). You can even mix materials: both wood and metal fencing pair beautifully with brick columns and gateposts.

Height and Sight

Height is most often related to the function of a fence. But height can involve additional considerations, such as legal restrictions (see Fence Law), as well as the view you wish to preserve or block, and the topography of your property. For example, a low fence placed atop a berm or small hill can provide as much privacy as a tall fence on flat ground. Think about where you will spend much of your time when either you are outside or you are looking outside from indoors: a 6-foot fence that's close to the viewer blocks more of the view beyond than does the same fence placed farther away from the viewer. There are also technical considerations that affect the height of the fence: the taller (and heavier) the fence, the more securely it needs to be connected to the ground.

Some general rules of thumb can help you determine your fence's height:

* The 2- to 3-foot fence. Commonly used as a basic border around the foundation of a house or garage, perhaps to protect flower beds. Low fences can present tripping hazards and should not interrupt traffic paths.

* The 4-foot fence. A good height for dividing yards without dividing neighbors. Offers modest security, in general, and a fair amount of privacy for someone seated near the fence. Four feet is the recommended minimum height for safety barriers around pools and other potential dangers.

* The 5-foot fence. Can often be an awkward height for boundaries between properties (difficult to talk over, yet allows partial views of bobbing heads in neighboring yards). Offers somewhat more privacy than a 4-foot fence.

* The 6-foot fence. The standard "privacy" fence and often the highest allowed by building codes. Reliably effective for privacy on flat terrain.

Creating Plans

Time to hit the drawing board. Start with a camera, and take some shots of your property from different angles and depths. Drive stakes in the ground along the intended fence line, and then stretch a string line between them at the planned height of the fence. Include this mock-up in your photos.

Print out the best photos in 5" × 7" or 8" × 10" format, and then use a marker to draw your fence on the images. Repeat as needed until you feel comfortable with the results. Pay particular attention to the gate or entry sections as well as potential obstructions in the fence line (such as trees or existing gardens).

Note: If you haven't done so already, now is a good time to have utility lines marked on your property (see Before You Start Digging). If you do have buried lines to contend with, mark their locations on your site plan drawing, and adjust your post layout accordingly.

Use a 50- or 100-foot tape measure to measure the length of the fence lines. On a sheet of paper, make a rough plan drawing with the dimensions. If you are planning a gate, be sure to note its location and size.

Refine your initial sketches. Then create scaled drawings that plot the plan view (the overhead or bird's-eye perspective), the elevation (side view), and details (such as post ornamentation). Drawings allow you to work out important dimensions, confront potential obstacles, and calculate the quantity of materials. You can also use these drawings to obtain a building permit, if necessary.

Graph paper makes it easy to scale your drawings. Paper with a 1/4" grid is a good size. Use it to scale your designs such that 1/4" on paper equals 1 foot of actual distance. A ruler will help you to draw straight and accurate lines.

Drawing Plans in Three Steps

Instructions

1. Begin with a rough outline, establishing the length of the fence.

2. Prepare a plan view, drawn to scale, establishing the post spacing. Note that the standard on-center spacing here is 10 feet, with adjustments made at the back corners (alternatively, you can space all the posts equally, at less than 10 feet).

3. Finally, create an elevation of one or more fence sections, identifying the materials to be used and their length and location.

Dealing with Slopes

If your fence covers sloping ground, measure the slope's grade to determine which style of framing to use for the fence. If you decide to use a stepped framing technique, you should also work out the size of each fence section. For most do-it-yourselfers, it's easiest to measure slope with a water level (see Using a Water Level).

Chart the slope on your graph paper: Draw a level baseline along the bottom, then plot the run and rise, and then draw a line to indicate the slope. Lay some tracing paper over the drawing and divide the fence into sections with equally spaced posts. Use these drawings to help decide which of the following framing methods will work best.

Stepped framing. Works well on gradual slopes. Calculate the rise of each section by counting the total sections and dividing the rise (in inches) by the number of sections. The end result looks best with evenly spaced posts and an equal distance between the tops of the posts and the infill.

(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "How to Build a Fence"
by .
Copyright © 2015 Jeff Beneke.
Excerpted by permission of Storey Publishing.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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