Posts, rails, pickets or panels, concrete and gate hardware for a wood, vinyl or aluminum fence.
Answers
Sheet
Sheet A-1 · Fence
150′ wood fence, 6′ tall
DIY OK
Posts
24
4×4, 2 at gates
Rails
66
3 rows
Boards
345
1×6 × 6′
Concrete
94
50 lb bags
52–81 h of work
Two weekends: dig and set the posts, then the rails, boards and gates. Stain once the wood has dried.
Draft
The rules behind this Sheet are waiting for a licensed pro’s sign-off.
Call 811 first — it’s the law
Call 811 a few business days before digging (your state sets the wait). Free. Wait for the utility markings.
Know your property line
A fence over the line can be ordered removed. Find the property pins or get a survey, and set the fence inside your line unless you and your neighbor agree in writing. Many towns and HOAs want the finished side facing out.
Post depth
Holes 42″ deep (36″ of post in the ground, on 6″ of gravel), gate posts 48″. Where the ground freezes deep, posts go to the frost depth (up to 4 ft) so they don’t heave: ask your building department for yours.
Height limits come from zoning
Zoning usually allows about 4 ft in front yards and 6 ft in back and side yards — Minneapolis: 4 ft in front, 6 ft at the side and back; Fairfax County, VA: 4 ft in front, 7 ft at the side and back. Check your town’s rules and your HOA’s. Many towns want the finished side facing the neighbor or the street.
Ask about a zoning permit
No building permit for a fence 7 ft or lower in most places (IRC R105.2), but many towns want a zoning or fence permit, and HOAs have their own rules.
Drawing
Elevation + posts
1
Gate Z-frame: the brace runs down to the hinge side.
2
Post 4×4, 36″ in the ground, plumb.
3
Concrete 10″ hole, crowned just below the ground, on 6″ of gravel.
4
Rail 3 rows of 2×4 per bay.
5
Boards 5-1/2″ side by side, 2″ off the ground.
Elevation to scale; the post plan only shows the order.
What to buy
13 items · 1 if needed
Save to your jobs to check things off in the store.
Lumber
Posts
Pressure-treated 4×4 post · 4×4 × 10′, ground contact
24 posts
Railing posts.
Rails
Pressure-treated 2×4 · 2×4 × 8′
66 boards
Treated against rot — for wood touching concrete or outdoors.
Gate frames
Pressure-treated 2×4 · 2×4 × 8′
3 boards
Treated against rot — for wood touching concrete or outdoors.
Fasteners
Ring-shank fence nails, hot-dip galvanized
2″ (6d) ring-shank, 5 lb box (≈750)
3 boxes
The rings stop pickets working loose. Hot-dip galvanized (or stainless) is required with treated lumber.
Coated deck screws
3″ coated or stainless
≈282 screws (3 boxes of 100)
Exterior-rated screws for treads and risers.
Hardware
Heavy-duty gate hinges
heavy-duty strap or T-hinges
3 hinges
Galvanized or black strap or T-hinges, with their screws. Self-closing hinges for a pool gate.
Gate latch
gravity latch
1 latch
A gravity latch, or a self-latching pool-safe latch where the fence guards a pool.
Anti-sag gate kit
cable + turnbuckle
1 kit
Cable and turnbuckle that pull a wood gate’s latch side back up as it settles.
Paint
Fence stain and sealer
semi-transparent or solid
3 five-gallon buckets
Semi-transparent or solid exterior stain for rough fence boards. Rough wood drinks more than the can’s smooth-wood coverage.
Concrete & landscape
Post footings
Fast-setting concrete mix, 50 lb · 50 lb bags
94 bags
For posts: pour it dry into the hole and add water, no mixing. Sets in 20–40 minutes; about 0.375 cu ft per bag (Quikrete).
Under the posts
Drainage stone, ¾″ clean · 0.5 cu ft bags
14 bags
No fines, so water drains instead of pushing on the wall.
Fencing
Boards
Treated fence pickets · 1×6 × 6′ dog-ear
345 boards
Pressure-treated pine pickets, ⅝″ thick, dog-ear or flat top. They shrink as they dry, so side-by-side boards open small gaps.
Wood post caps
If needed
4×4 flat or pyramid
24 caps
Keep the receipt — return it if you don’t use it.
Flat or pyramid caps that keep rain out of the post’s end grain.
Tools
You own 0 of 19 must-haves
Tap the ones you already own. That builds your Tool Shed as you go — no setup.
Must have
The job stalls without it.
Tape measure (25 ft)
The red boxes every 16″ on the blade are stud spacing.
Mason's line + stakes
Keeps every post on one straight line
Line level
A tiny level that hangs on a string line.
Post level
Plumbs a post both ways at once
4-ft level
Checks plumb and level over a long span.
Post-hole digger
Cleans out the auger holes and digs near the utility marks
Square shovel
Cuts clean trench walls, moves gravel.
Wheelbarrow
Moves gravel, soil and block.
5-gal buckets (2)
Water for the fast-setting mix
Circular saw
Cuts posts, rails and boards
Cordless drill/driver
Drills holes, drives screws, mixes small batches.
Impact driver
Drives the rail screws
Framing hammer
Nails, taps and persuades.
Speed square
Triangle square for marking square and angled cuts on lumber.
Sawhorses
Cutting support.
Pump sprayer
Sprays the stain on fast
Work gloves
Tack strip, block and lumber shred hands.
Safety glasses
Every cut, every nail, every time.
Hearing protection
Saws and augers are loud
Rent it
Costly to buy for one job. Rent it for a day.
Power auger
Drills 24 holes 10″ wide in a morning instead of a weekend
Rent
Nice to have
Faster or cleaner, not required.
Digging bar
Breaks rocks and roots in the holes
Clamps (2)
Hold braces while the posts set
Siding nailer
A coil nailer with ring-shank coil nails puts boards up several times faster
Air compressor + hose
Runs the nailer
9″ roller frame
Back-roll the boards so the stain soaks in evenly
Order of work
52–81 h of work
01
Call 811 a few business days ahead and wait for the utility markings.
02
Find your property line (the pins or a survey), check the height limit and the side that must face out, and talk to the neighbors.
Check first
Pins found or a survey in hand; the fence stays on your side unless the neighbor agrees in writing.
03
Stake the ends and corners and pull a string line between them; mark a post about every 8′, and leave 4′ openings between gate posts.
04
Dig 24 holes 10″ wide: 42″ deep, 48″ for the gate posts.
Check first
Hand-dig near the locate marks: no auger inside the tolerance zone on your ticket.
05
Put 6″ of gravel in each hole; set the end and corner posts plumb, 36″ in the ground, then pull a string between them at the top for the line posts.
Check first
String pulled tight between the end posts before any line post goes in.
06
Set each post plumb and pour the fast-setting mix in dry, about 3.5 bags a hole, then add the water; crown the top so water runs off.
Check first
Each post plumb both ways (a post level) before the mix sets; brace it.
07
Let the concrete set before any rails or weight go on: about 4 hours for fast-setting mix, a day for regular.
Wait 4–24 h — post concrete sets before any weight goes on
Fast-setting mix takes rails after about 4 hours (Quikrete); regular concrete wants a day before any strain. Brace the posts meanwhile.
08
Cut the posts to height with a level line and screw on the rails: 3 rows of 2×4, two 3″ screws at each end.
09
Nail the boards on tight side by side, 2″ off the ground, two nails at every rail; check plumb every few boards.
Check first
A spacer block cut to the gap, and a straight 2×4 on the ground for the 2″ clearance.
10
Build each gate on a Z-frame — rails and a diagonal brace running down to the hinge side — then hang it with 3 hinges, ½″ clear at the latch side; add the latch and the anti-sag kit.
Check first
The diagonal brace runs from the bottom of the hinge side up to the latch side.
11
Cap the posts.
12
Let the treated wood dry until water soaks in instead of beading, often 1–3 months; then stain both sides.
Wait 14–90 days — treated wood dries before stain
Sprinkle a little water on a board: when it soaks in instead of beading, stain. Often 1–3 months; kiln-dried-after-treatment lumber is ready sooner.
Mistakes that ruin the job
5 mistakes
1
Building on the wrong side of the line
A fence over the property line can be ordered moved at your cost. Find the pins or get a survey first.
2
Posts set too shallow or out of plumb
They lean in the wind and heave in frost. 36″ in the ground here, plumb both ways before the concrete sets.
3
Water sitting at the post
Concrete flared over the ground gives frost something to lift, and a cupped top holds water against the wood. Gravel under the post, concrete crowned just below the ground.
4
Boards touching the ground
They wick water and rot. Keep them 2″ up; a straight 2×4 on the ground is an easy spacer.
5
A gate brace running the wrong way
The diagonal must run from the bottom of the hinge side up to the latch side, or the gate sags.