Timber Fence Installation

How a timber fence is built

Every timber fence comes down to three things done properly: the posts, the line and the finish. Posts carry the fence, the line is what you notice from the street, and the finish is what makes it look considered rather than thrown up.

• The boundary is walked and measured, and the fence line is set out before anything is dug.
• Posts are dug and set 600mm deep, each secured with at least one full 20kg bag of concrete.
• Where extra strength is wanted, posts can be filled with concrete up to one third of their length.
• Rails are fixed between the posts, sized and spaced for the finished height.
• Palings are fixed to the rails, kept plumb and worked to a consistent top line.
• Gates are hung and adjusted, and the site is cleaned up with offcuts and old material taken away.

Posts: timber or steel

Fences are built using timber posts or 65mm x 65mm steel posts. Steel posts are often chosen for longer runs, taller fences and gate posts, because those are the positions carrying the most load.

Whichever is used, the post depth and the concrete stay the same: 600mm deep, at least one full 20kg bag of concrete per post.

Heights

Common finished heights are 1.5m, 1.8m, 2.1m and 2.4m. Timber fencing is built up to a maximum height of 2.4m.

1.8m is the usual height for a residential side or rear boundary. What is appropriate for your fence depends on ground levels, any existing retaining, and what applies to your property, which is why it is confirmed at the site measure rather than over the phone.

How long it takes

A standard 30 metre timber fence, including demolition and removal of the existing fence, typically takes 1 to 3 days.

Longer runs, difficult access, rock, sloping ground, retaining work and multiple gates all extend that. The site measure is where the real duration gets worked out.

What affects the job on site

Two fences of the same length can be very different jobs. These are the things that change the work:

• Whether an existing fence has to come out first, and what its footings are like
• Ground conditions: rock, fill, soft ground, tree roots and services
• Slope across the fence line, which decides whether the fence steps or rakes
• Existing retaining or block walls the fence has to sit above
• Access to the fence line for material, particularly narrow side paths and locked rear yards
• The number of gates and how wide they are