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Anatomy of a Fence: Posts, Rails, Pickets and Footings
A plain-language tour of the main parts of a typical fence, from footings and posts to rails, pickets, caps and hardware, and what each part does.
Planning and Installation
Fence Construction Details
The structural and design details inside a fence.
Building a Fence Around Trees and Obstacles
How to plan a fence line around trees, boulders, sheds and other obstacles: offsets, root protection, jogs, and when to adjust the design instead of the site.
Concrete or Gravel: Setting Fence Posts
Compare concrete, gravel and driven-post methods for setting fence posts, including strength, drainage, rot risk and which soils and fences suit each.
Fasteners Matter: Nails, Screws and Hardware for Fences
Compare nails, screws and fence hardware by holding power, finish and corrosion resistance, and learn why the wrong fastener can stain or weaken a fence.
Fence Corners, Ends and Transitions
How to build fence corners, end posts and transitions between fence types, with notes on bracing, angles, grade changes and clean terminations.
Fence Post Depth and Frost Line Basics
Why fence post depth varies with climate, soil and fence height, what the frost line is, and common rules of thumb to check against your local requirements.
Gaps, Spacing and Airflow in Fence Panels
How the gaps between fence boards affect privacy, wind pressure and wood movement, and how to choose picket spacing for your climate and goals.
How Tall Should a Fence Be? Choosing a Height
How to choose a fence height by weighing privacy, views, purpose, wind, cost and local limits, with typical ranges for front yards, backyards and pools.
Privacy Screens and Lattice Toppers
How lattice toppers, privacy screens and add-on panels can raise privacy on an existing fence, including material choices, wind and post strength concerns.
Wind Load and Open Fence Designs
How solid fence panels catch wind, how load reaches posts and footings, and when louvered, slatted or open designs can reduce the strain.
Related topics
More in planning and installation
Planning and Installing Decisions and obstacles when putting in a gate and fence. Fences and Gates by Setting Adapting fence and gate choices to different homes and sites. DIY Fence and Gate Installation Hands-on installation steps, terrain challenges and efficiency. Fences for Your Location How climate, setting and local rules shape fence and gate choices. Installation Mistakes Common errors to avoid when installing fences and gates. Step-by-Step Installation Ordered walkthroughs for installing gates and fences. Gate and Fence Buying Guide What to weigh when buying, and how to vet suppliers. Property Lines and Groundwork The checks to complete before the first post goes in.