A fence can add value to your property and provide a sense of security. It can also provide a beautiful landscape for your yard and garden.
Before beginning your fence project, you should know the local building codes and regulations. Failing to comply with these can lead to legal and financial consequences down the road. Contact Fence Installation Holland MI now!
Adding a fence is an important home improvement project that adds both aesthetic and functional value to your property. Proper planning will help you achieve your goals and ensure that the fence is safe, durable and meets local regulations. In addition, it will help avoid problems like zoning violations and materials shortages that can derail your project.
Start by marking the perimeter of your yard with stakes or string. Be sure to consider property lines and any buried utilities. It’s a good idea to talk with your neighbors about your plans, as well. You may find that your needs or theirs differ, and the ability to communicate will make the installation process easier for everyone involved.
Use graph paper to draw a plan for the fence layout, including post locations and gate locations. Some towns require this as part of the application for a building permit. Determine whether you will need a gate, and if so, what size it should be. You’ll also want to take into account the openings required for any existing landscaping or other structures, such as sheds and driveways.
Once you have the basic layout established, begin digging the holes for the posts. Make sure you dig deep enough, and slope the concrete away from the post to direct water away from the hole. This will prevent damage to the posts during inclement weather and extend their life.
Once the posts are in place, it’s time to install the panels. Start with one end of the fence and work toward the other, ensuring that all joints are tight and flush. If your property experiences a lot of wind, you should also consider its direction when installing the panels and adding spaces to account for the gusts.
Select Your Materials
The type of fence you choose will have a significant impact on your home’s aesthetic and functionality. Whether you are handling the fence installation yourself or hiring a professional company, selecting durable, stylish materials is essential. It’s also important to consider long-term costs and maintenance requirements.
Local building codes and homeowners’ associations may set standards for the types of materials that can be used in your neighborhood. Contact these governing groups before you begin your fencing project to make sure your fence meets specifications. Failure to do so could result in hefty fines or even the requirement to take down the entire fence.
Fence prices vary widely, depending on the type of material and style you choose. Steel chain link is usually the least expensive option, followed by aluminum and vinyl. Wood is another popular choice, and it can be crafted in many different styles, including lattice patterns, picket designs, and horizontal slat fence panels. Cedar and fir are the most common wood varieties, but you can also select more exotic hardwoods like redwood and teak for your fence.
Before you begin working on your fence, it’s best to clean up the yard to remove any debris that might interfere with the installation process. It’s also a good idea to locate and mark any buried utility lines that might be affected by the fence. This will ensure that you or the professionals you hire aren’t digging into any buried wires, which would be dangerous for everyone involved. Once the site is clear, prepare for the actual fence installation by creating a mound around each post location. This will help to guide rain and snow melt away from the posts, ensuring that they remain stable after being installed.
Get Permits
Homeowners install fences for many reasons, including adding aesthetics to the landscape, securing pets and children, keeping wild animals away from the property and even preventing trespassing. However, not everyone knows that a building permit is required to build any outdoor structure, including a fence. This requirement is often tied to local zoning laws, which dictate how far the fence can be set back from property lines and what type of materials are allowed.
Some towns have a permit process that requires detailed plans and specifications for the fence, as well as fees and inspections during or after construction. Others may require you to have a professional survey done to locate the exact property line and ensure that your new fence doesn’t encroach on a neighboring landowner. In addition, if your home is located in a historic district or a homeowner’s association (HOA), you may have to obtain additional approval and/or permits.
The good news is that you can avoid the hassle of navigating a complex permitting process by hiring a professional fence company. Most fence companies will obtain the permits for you as part of your estimate. This saves you time and gives you peace of mind that your fence is built in accordance with all local regulations.
In some areas, if you don’t obtain the necessary permits, you could face fines or have to remove your fence when it becomes a nuisance to the community. You should also keep in mind that if you ever decide to sell your home, unpermitted fences are likely to be a major hurdle in the home inspection and sale process. If you are unsure whether you need permits, check with your local government office or visit their website for more information.
Dig Post Holes
Digging post holes is perhaps the most important part of any fence installation project. This is because the posts are the foundation for the entire fence, and they need to be set properly in order to be stable and last a long time. Post hole requirements can vary depending on several factors, including local soil conditions and frost line depth.
A professional fence installer will know how to work with these factors to get the best results from the job. They also understand that different seasons can affect digging conditions and how to deal with rocky or sandy soil, for example. A good fence installer will also know how to avoid hitting any underground utilities, which can be a major problem that could result in expensive repairs down the road.
Before digging any holes, it’s a good idea to make a blueprint of the area you want to fence in. Luckily, there are a number of smartphone apps that can help you do this with ease. Then, using stakes, mark out the locations of your post holes. This will save you time, and prevent any accidental mistakes that can cost you a lot of money to correct down the road.
When marking the location of the first corner posts, take into account any trees, bushes or other permanent obstructions you’ll need to work around. Also, check the plat map of your property to make sure you’re not building on someone else’s land by mistake. If you are, this could lead to legal troubles. Finally, locate any utility lines that may be in the path of your fence, and have them marked before digging any holes.
Install the Fence
This step of the process is where your fence begins to take shape. You will either install pre-fabricated panels or you will install rails and pickets. Whether you’re using panels or individual pieces, it is important to follow your building plan closely so that your final product looks its best.
Once you have a good idea of the layout, mark the locations of your end and corner posts with stakes. This will help you to keep track of where the posts are as you work and will make it easier to set the fence gate when it is finished. Then dig the post holes, which should be about twice the size of the fence post and one-third of its height. It’s a good idea to use a power auger for this part of the job as it will save you a lot of time and energy.
After digging the hole, it’s a good idea to add a 3-inch layer of gravel (pea-sized landscaping gravel is ideal) to the bottom of each hole to reduce moisture retention. This will also help the soil to be more easily compacted, which is essential for long-lasting posts.
Next, seat the first corner or end post and then install the first side of the fence rail. Make sure the rail is straight and plumb by checking it with a carpenter’s level on at least two sides of the fence. Finally, top off the hole with 6 to 8 inches of soil and tamp it to ensure it’s compacted.
Repeat this process with the remaining side rails and then install the gate. Once the gate is complete, it’s a good idea to place diagonal bracing on the gate to prevent sagging over time. It’s also a good idea to stain the posts and fence panels at this point, if you choose to do so.