Getting backyard fence replaced - what to look for and lookout for

[Robert M]

John,

Check the town building code to see if there are design limitations. In some areas, new fences can only be X feet tall. If your existing fence is higher than that you might be able to get around the limitation by just repairing it. think of it as being grandfathered in to the old height. A reputable contractor will know what you can and can't do and will let you know before you start on the project.

Oh... Make sure you let your neighbors know what you're doing and ensure your contractor takes care not to damage anything on their property. A friend of mine had beautiful bushes and shrubs on the edge of the back of his property. The owners of a house on the block behind him installed a new fence. In the process, they destroyed a significant chunk of the bushes and shrubs.

To say my bud was pissed is an understatement. It took years for the bushes and shrubs to fill out. The owners apologized for the damage but that's it. Never offered to replace the bushes and shrubs. Nothing. To this day, my bud and his neighbors are no longer on speaking terms. Definitely not the best of situations.

Robert


Robert

[the_poochies]

To echo what Robert M said, check with your local zoning office. My municipality charges $20 for a permit and you have to send in a sketch of your property indicating where the fence will be and indicate the height and composition of the fence.

[Robert M]

Pooches,

D'oh! Completely forgot to mention permits and possibly even sketches. A reputable contractor will take care of that for you, though.

Robert

[john dough]

After a contractor looked at our fence, he said that other than a dozen or so planks, it is in great shape and his plan is to replace the bad boards, re-nail all of the weak spots, pressure wash our fence and have it restained. It will cost me 1/4 as much to do it this way and (he says) my fence will look brand new. He is even going to repair my gate, change out one post and put some hard wood where our neighbor's neurotic Jack Russell is digging under.

I will post some before after pics after his process.

[RAMd®d]

...but does advice like "make sure it's on *your* property really accomplish that?

If a fence is used to divide property, whose fence is it, anyway? If it's on "your" property, does that mean you can remove it if so-- moved? That doesn't seem legal.

I'm referring to an urban/track environment where the fences already exist, rather than some plot out in the country where one might have a fenced-in perimeter smaller than the lot.

[Robert M]

RAM,

I'm not sure I understand your post. If I install a fence and it's on my side of the property line, it's my fence and I can do what I want with it (within the guidelines of the village code/law/etc). That includes removing the fence if I feel that it is no longer serving any useful purpose.

Consider... My parents have a fence on their property that it is very old and due for replacement. I'm going to remove it over a span of a few months. My neighbors have no say in the matter.

Robert

[JoeH]

Besides, in that "urban/track environment where the fences already exist", there is no certainty that the fence actually marks a property line anyways. Depneds on the state, but in most if the actual property line is listed as "surveyed", then no matter where the fence is, the survey determines the line.