On a slope, a fence either steps or it looks wrong forever
Almost every yard we fence around Dalton, Ringgold and Fort Oglethorpe has a fall in it somewhere. That leaves two ways to build. The panels can follow the ground, so the top of the fence runs parallel to the slope, which is quicker to set out and reads as a sagging line that follows every dip and hump in the lawn. Or each section can be built level and the line stepped down in even increments, so the top of the fence is a series of deliberate horizontal runs.
The stepped version takes noticeably longer to set out, because every post height has to be worked out before anything is concreted, and it leaves triangular gaps under the panels on the steepest sections that have to be dealt with. It is also the only one of the two that looks built rather than improvised, and it is what we do.
The other thing that decides how long a fence lasts is the posts. Posts are the part that fails — the panels are usually fine long after a fence has started leaning. Setting them at depth in concrete, with the right spacing for the panel and the exposure, is the difference between a fence that is straight in eight years and one that needs re-setting in three. And staining, once the timber is dry enough to actually take it, is what keeps the rest of it from going gray and splitting.
- Stepped on slopes. Each section built level and the line dropped in even steps, rather than following the ground.
- Posts set at depth. Concreted properly, because the posts are the part that fails first on every fence.
- Line set before digging. Strung and measured, so the run is actually straight when you sight down it.
- Gates hung to swing. Braced diagonally and hung so they still close in year three, which is when most gates stop.
- Privacy or picket. Board-on-board, standard privacy or picket, in the height the job and the property line allow.
- Stained when ready. Once the timber has dried enough to take stain properly rather than seal moisture in.
How we build a fence
Line, levels and the property boundary
We string the line and work out the fall along it before anything is dug, which is what allows the steps to be even rather than improvised as we go. This is also the moment to be certain about where the boundary actually is — a fence in the wrong place is an expensive conversation with a neighbor.
Post holes and setting
Holes dug to depth, posts set plumb in concrete, spacing set for the panel type and the exposure of the run. Everything after this is finishing; if the posts are wrong, nothing later fixes it.
Rails and panels, stepped
Rails run and panels built section by section, each one level, with the line stepping down where the ground falls. Where a step leaves a gap at the bottom on steep ground, we deal with it deliberately rather than leaving a triangle.
Gates
Gates get diagonal bracing and hardware sized for the weight of the leaf. An unbraced gate sags, and a sagging gate stops latching, which is the most common complaint anyone has about a fence.
Stain and clean-up
Offcuts and spoil cleared. Staining happens when the timber is dry enough to take it, which may be a separate visit — we would rather come back than seal water into new wood.
Why homeowners choose us for this
The line gets set out first
Even steps on a slope require knowing every post height before the first hole is dug. It is slower and it is why our fences sight straight.
Posts set to depth
The posts are what fail. Everything visible about a fence outlasts them, so that is where the care goes.
Gates that still latch
Diagonal bracing and hardware sized for the leaf. A sagging gate is the thing you resent daily.
Stained at the right time
Not on the last day for the photograph. When the wood will actually take it.
Fencing Questions
By stepping it. Each section is built level and the run drops in even increments where the ground falls, so the top of the fence is a series of horizontal lines rather than a wave. It takes longer to set out because every post height has to be calculated before anything is set, and it is the difference between a fence that looks built and one that looks like it was chased down the hill.
Longer than most people expect. New pressure-treated timber carries a lot of moisture, and stain applied too early sits on the surface, traps that moisture and peels within a season. Depending on the timber and the time of year it can be weeks or months. We will tell you when it is genuinely ready, even when that means coming back.
Ownership depends on your deed and where the boundary actually runs, which is worth being certain about before we dig. On which side faces out, the convention is that the finished face goes toward the neighbor, and board-on-board construction sidesteps the argument entirely by looking the same from both sides. It is worth a conversation with the neighbor before we start rather than after.
Deep enough for the height of the fence and the exposure of the run, set in concrete. This is not the place to save money: the posts are the component that fails, and a fence leaning after three years is almost always a post-setting problem rather than a panel problem. Re-setting posts later costs far more than setting them properly once.
Yes. Matching an existing fence is usually possible if it is a common style, though weathered timber will not color-match new wood for a season or two. If several posts have gone, it is worth a conversation about whether repairing is genuinely better value than replacing the run — we will give you an honest view rather than the answer that bills more.
Yes, and it is worth asking for. A double gate that a mower, a trailer or a small machine can get through is far more useful than a single pedestrian gate, and it costs very little extra at build time. Retrofitting a wide opening into a finished fence means resetting posts, which is a much bigger job.