Building a fence in your yard can increase your privacy, keep pets and children safe, and enhance the value of your property. Unfortunately, paying a professional company to put up a fence can often cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. While hiring a professional will help ensure that your fence goes up seamlessly, those on a budget may benefit from going the DIY route. Now, don’t start reaching for your hammer quite yet. Here’s what to know before building a fence in your yard.
Local Building Codes
Whether you plan on hiring a professional company or building a fence yourself, the first thing you will need to do is familiarize yourself with local building codes. Depending on where you live, there will be different criteria of what is acceptable on your property. To avoid having to tear down your fence after you’ve invested so much time, money, and energy, make sure to find out what height, look, and material is allowed as well as other pertinent factors such as how far back your fence must be set on your property.
Which Materials to Use
Another important thing to know before building a fence in your yard is what materials to use. The materials that you use to build your fence will largely depend on the look you want to achieve and the climate you live in. If your area’s local building codes don’t specify which material you must use, it’s important to consider your options.
While wood is one of the most popular choices, it does not bode well in wetter climates and requires annual maintenance in order to maintain its condition. For a less high-maintenance material, consider vinyl which simply requires the occasional spray-down to remain in tip-top shape. That being said, if you live in an extremely hot climate, vinyl may become damaged. Durable materials such as metal or bamboo are also an option and prove advantageous in bitterly cold conditions.
The Necessary Equipment
When building a fence, you will need to acquire a few types of essential equipment such as a power drill, a rubber mallet, and painting supplies. To make the process of putting up a fence quicker and easier, we also highly suggest renting a skid steer with an auger attachment. This piece of equipment allows you to drill deep, evenly-sized holes in your yard in a matter of seconds. By creating holes slightly smaller than your fence posts, you can then use the machine to simply push the posts into the ground where they will stand securely without the need for any timely backfilling.