How to Install a Fence

white fence with green grass and blue sky

A fence adds privacy to a yard and enhances the aesthetic appeal of your home. Installing a fence is simple if you follow these specific steps.

1. Starting with the corner posts, mark where each hole will be dug. Posts are usually eight feet apart, but that may differ depending on what type of fencing material you are using.

2. The height of the fence will determine how deep you dig the post holes. For a six-foot-high fence, dig the holes 30 inches.

3. Set the corner posts first. Place several shovelfuls of gravel in the hole, then set the post on top of the gravel.

4. Fill the concrete to slightly above ground level.

Mix only enough concrete to do one post at a time. Have someone hold the post while you add concrete to the hole.

5. Using a carpenter's level, wiggle the post until it reads level on all four sides.

6. Once the concrete in the corner posts has set, tie a string between two posts, placing the string on the outside of the post. Make sure the string is tight.

7. Using the string as a guide, place the rest of the support posts, making sure each post is level. Let the concrete cure before adding the fence rails.

8. Measure and make a mark half way up the outside of each post. This will be a guide for nailing the center fence rail to the posts.

9. Nail fence rails to the outside of the posts, perpendicular to the posts. You will have three rows of fence rails: Across the bottom and top, and one in the center. It does not matter which row you install first. The bottom rail should be about two inches above the ground in order to prevent decay.

10. Nail the fence boards to the outside of the fence rails. Start with a fence board next to a corner post, then place a fence board next to the other corner post on the same wall.

11. Tie a string between the two fence boards, pulling it tight. The string will serve as a guide when placing the other fence boards.

12. Place a spacer between each fence board to ensure even spacing. Place all fence boards until the wall is completed. If needed, cut the final fence board to fit.

The height of the fence will determine how deep you dig the post holes