How to Build a Shadowbox Privacy Fence With an Arched Top

Mark the location of the shadowbox privacy fence by placing two stakes in the ground at the points where you want the fence to begin and end. Tie string to the two stakes to give you a straight fence row.

Measure the length of the fence row in feet. Divide the length by 8, which is the typical length of a privacy fence panel. If there is a remainder, adjust the fence row so you have 8 feet between each post.

Mark where to place fence posts along the fence row with spray paint. Determine the length of the fence posts you will use. Dig the fence post holes to a depth of one-third the length of the post plus 6 inches with a power auger. Make the post holes 12 inches in diameter. If you have only a few holes to dig, you might use a hand-held post-hole digger instead of the power auger.

Fill the bottom of the post holes with 6 inches of gravel. This allows water to drain away from the post and helps prevent it from rotting.

Mix quick-set concrete mix according to package directions. Set a post in the hole. Hold a carpenter’s level against the post to ensure it is plumb, or straight up and down. Fill the hole with concrete mix, using a shovel. Mound the concrete at ground level so water runs away from the post. Repeat this process for all the fence posts. Allow the concrete to dry for 24 to 48 hours before proceeding.

Trim 8-foot pieces of 2-by-4-inch lumber to fit between the first set of posts, using a circular saw to cut the lumber. Use a carpenter's level to check that the horizontal stringer is level between the posts, and use a tape measure to ensure it is 10 inches from the ground. Attach the lumber to the posts, using a nail gun. Place two nails at a 45-degree angle into each end of the stringer.

Set a second stringer 23 inches above the top of the bottom stringer. Attach it with nails from the nail gun. Place a third stringer 23 inches above the top of the middle stringer.

Repeat Steps 6 and 7 to hang all the stringers between the fence posts.

Determine how long you want the tallest vertical picket in the arched-top fence. Cut enough 1-by-6-inch lumber to that length to fill the space between posts. Lay the pieces side by side on a flat work surface.

Draw an arch on a piece of 8-foot-long craft paper to use as a template. Lay the template across the top of the vertical pickets and trace the shape onto the lumber. Cut along the marked line, using a circular saw.

Hold the outside, shortest picket from the arch plumb against the end of the stringers on the neighbor’s side of the fence. Put two screws long enough to penetrate at least 1 inch into each stringer. Using a piece of scrap 1-by-6-inch lumber as a spacer against the fence post, and hold the next longest picket plumb against the stringers on your side of the fence. Attach it with 2 screws in each stringer. Attach the second board to the neighbor’s side, using the scrap lumber as your spacer. Continue to hang all the pickets on alternate sides of the fence until you finish that panel. When you finish, you will have a shadowbox privacy panel with an arched top.

Repeat Steps 9, 10 and 11 for all of the remaining privacy panels.

Trim all fence posts to a uniform height, using a circular saw. Attach post caps, if desired, with screws.