HOW DO I INSTALL A FENCE?
FENCE INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS.
NOT EVERY FENCE IS CREATED EQUALLY™

Sad but true. There are many companies that use inferior equipment, materials, and tools, and create inferior products.

Our wood fences are built by our fence company in the following method:

The first thing that is done when you build a fence, is you lay out your holes. This is accomplished by running a string and marking each hole every eight feet. Obviously, when you have a length of 66 feet, your last section will be ten feet, which is fine. Also, when you do the sides that connect to the house, your sections may vary from four to five feet with the gates in the middle. Eight feet is just used on the longest runs of the job. After you have all of your holes laid out, the next step is to drill. Here is where our company has the upper hand. Most fence contractors use a $1,500 earth drill, also called an auger. Our fence builders use a $5,000 machine. Below is a photo. There is a huge difference. We can drill our holes in about HALF the time as any other fence builder just because of the equipment we use.

After all of the holes have been drilled, the next step is to remove all of the dirt that is still in them. This can be done with post hole diggers. After all of the dirt has been removed, you put all of the posts in each hole and run a string between each corner to keep the posts in a straight line. Each post should be buried 1/3 of the length of its' height with about 60 pounds of concrete. After all of the posts have been set, you lay out the 2x4's at each section. Each sections needs 2 or 3 2x4's depending on the height of the fence. Four foot fences use two 2x4's. Any fence that is higher than four feet, should have 3 2x4's (also called rails).

The next step is to hang the rails. Each rail should be secured to the post with 2-3 3" hot dipped ring shank galvanized nails. (THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT THE PROPER NAILS ARE USED.) Failure to use the proper nails, will result in your fence LITERALLY falling apart in a matter of years, LONG AFTER your ONE YEAR WARRANTY that they so generously gave you has EXPIRED!!!

Once all of the rails are nailed up, the pickets should be laid out. Once all of the pickets are laid out, depending on the style of the fence, there are different methods on nailing the pickets up depending on which style of fence you are getting. Regardless of which style you are getting, you need TWO 2" nails in each picket at each rail. So if you have three rails, each picket should get SIX nails. Some handyman type, "Jacks of All Trades", will try to save money by only using 5 nails. You will have problems down the road because the pickets will cup. Cupping is specific form of warping where they will make a U shape because they are not fastened properly.

Once all of the pickets are up and your gates are properly built.

WE OFFER A LIFETIME WARRANTY against sagging on all of our gates at NO extra cost. We also use the highest quality black powder coated galvanized gate hardware available on the market. Our company's motto: "You get a SQUARE DEAL with NO cut corners."

The first step in building a fence is laying out your line.
We recommend that you run your string along the fence line at least 8-12 inches inside your property line. By the time the fence is complete you will still have 4-8 inches remaining.  Stake out the corners and string the fence line with string or crochet thread. This will also let you see if there are any obstructions in the way.

Let the neighbors know if you would like to connect to their fence.
Most of the time neighbors do not mind the addition of a fence connecting to theirs, but it is always better to be courteous and let them know what you are planning to do to avoid any problems. We had one neighbor come home and our customer ended up having to build a whole other side to his fence because the neighbor refused to let him connect to theirs.

Locating Utilities - We ALWAYS have this done prior to starting a fence. It is ILLEGAL to dig without contacting your local agency. Find out where any underground power lines, gas, cable or other lines are located and proceed accordingly. This avoids the instance where one of these resources gets damaged by post hole diggers or augers. It could cost you money to fix, or cost you your life! You can call NC ONE CALL AT 1 800 632 4949.

Check for any Covenants and Ordinances
Many covenants or ordinances determine fence height rules and even materials. Find out what rules if any your property falls under before selecting your fence. Many places limit the height of fences to 6 feet, and if you want anything higher than 6 feet, you would likely need a variance from the city or county.