Gate and Fence: A Visual Guide to the Top DIY Projects

Why sketch first

A sketch catches problems that measurements alone miss: a gate that would swing into a step, a last panel that is only a few inches wide, a corner that does not meet at a right angle. You do not need drafting skills. Graph paper, a pencil and a ruler are plenty. This guide describes the views you would draw, so you can picture them and then draw your own.

View 1: the plan (top-down)

Imagine looking straight down on your yard. A plan view shows the fence as a line (or a thin double line for thickness) with small squares for posts.

What to draw:

• The property boundary, if known, as a dashed line, and the fence line set back from it as required by local rules.
• The house, steps and other fixed objects, roughly to scale.
• Each post as a small square, with spacing written between centers.
• The gate as an arc showing which way it swings, with the hinge side marked.
• Underground utilities, as marked, in a different color.

Choose a scale such as one square on the graph paper for one foot. At that scale, a 24-foot run is 24 squares long. Posts at 8-foot spacing then sit at squares 0, 8, 16 and 24, giving three equal spans. That example is only an illustration; use your own numbers.

View 2: the elevation (side-on)

Now picture standing in front of the fence. The elevation view shows height and the face. Draw:

• The ground as a horizontal line, and any slope as a tilted one.
• Posts as vertical rectangles, with the buried part drawn below ground. Label the depth you intend to use after checking post depth guidance for your region.
• Rails as horizontal lines between posts, with their heights marked from the ground.
• The face: pickets, boards or panels, with the gap below the bottom shown.

Seeing the buried part helps you appreciate why a post set only a small portion of its length will not stand.

View 3: the section (cut-through)

A section is a slice through one post and its footing, as if you cut the ground open. Describe it as a vertical column: top cap, post, soil, with a layer of gravel at the bottom and perhaps a wider collar of concrete. Draw a small slope on the surface of the concrete so water runs off. This tiny drawing shows the details that prevent rot and leaning, and it matches what the post footings comparison describes in text.

Showing a gate

For a gate, draw a front view of the gate itself. It is a rectangle with a diagonal line from the bottom hinge corner to the top latch corner, which is the brace. Mark the hinges on one side, the latch on the other, and the gaps around the edges. Note the width of the opening and subtract the gaps to find the gate’s actual width. For example, if the opening between posts is 40 inches and you allow a hypothetical total of 1 inch for clearance, the gate frame would be 39 inches wide. Adjust for the hardware you have.

Sequence diagrams in words

A sequence is the order of work. Picture it as a row of boxes with arrows.

Basic fence sequence:

1. Rules and permits, then utility marking.
2. Stakes and string at corners.
3. Mark post positions on the line.
4. Dig holes.
5. Set corner and gate posts, brace, let footings cure.
6. Set line posts to string.
7. Attach rails.
8. Attach face.
9. Cap, finish and clean up.

Gate sequence:

1. Set hinge and latch posts.
2. Build the frame and square it.
3. Add the brace and face.
4. Mount hinges to the gate, then hang it on blocks.
5. Fit the latch and stop.
6. Adjust after a few days.

Seeing the sequence on paper shows dependencies. You cannot hang the gate before its posts have set, and you cannot finish the fence face before the rails are up.

Reading a layout for trouble

Look at your plan for these warning signs:

• A final span much narrower or wider than the others.
• A gate arc that crosses a path or flower bed.
• A fence line that runs through a tree root zone. See notes on fencing around trees.
• A run that changes direction without a proper corner post. Fence corners need sturdier posts and bracing.
• A slope that your elevation shows but your plan ignores.

Using the sketch on site

Transfer the plan to the ground with stakes and string, using the same measurements. Check corner angles with a 3-4-5 triangle: 3 units along one side, 4 along the other, and 5 across the diagonal. Photograph the layout, and compare it to the sketch before digging. Keep the sketch handy as a checklist, and update it if you change something. A drawing that matches what you built is also useful later, when you repair or add to the fence.