Installation of a Scalloped Fence

Mark your fence row with a string tied to two stakes. Mark the placement of end posts using spray paint. Determine how long you plan to make each panel. Mark the placement of line posts at that distance. If you have an odd-sized panel length, consider changing the length of the fence row rather than making a narrower panel.

Dig the fence posts with an auger to a depth that is below the frost line. Add 2 to 4 inches of gravel into each hole with a shovel to allow water to drain away from the post to help prevent it from rotting.

Mix quick set concrete following the directions on the package. Set one of the end posts in its hole. Hold a carpenter’s level against the side of the post to ensure the post is plumb, or straight up and down. Fill the hole with cement mixture while you hold the post plumb. Slope the concrete at the top of the post so water will run away from the post. Set all the posts in a similar manner. Allow the concrete to dry at the amount of time recommended on the package before proceeding.

Cut two pieces of 1-by-3-inch lumber the length between each fence post, using a circular saw. You need a set of these horizontal members for each panel in the fence row.

Determine how tall you want the two outside vertical boards. Cut two 1-by-3s to that length for each panel. Cut multiple pairs of verticals for each panel at different heights to create the scalloped effect. Cut one vertical shorter than all the rest to create the center vertical. The spacing of the vertical boards as well as the length of the panels determines how many boards you need to cut per panel.

Lay out the boards for one panel on a flat work surface. Space each board evenly and keep the board in a straight line. Set a horizontal board at a right angle across the vertical boards 4 to 6 inches from the bottom. Clamp the boards in place with wood clamps. Set the second horizontal board across the top of the panel so it is 1 to 2 inches lower than the shortest vertical board. Clamp those boards in place.

Drill two pilot holes through each horizontal member and into each of the vertical uprights. Attach the boards with stainless steel screws.

Continue to build all of the panels in a similar manner as you did in Steps 6 and 7.

Hold a fence panel level between two posts. Use a carpenter’s level to ensure it is level. Mark where the horizontal members are in relation to the post on the fence post. Drill pilot holes into the fence posts for the fence hangers. Attach the bottom fence hangers to the post with the screws from the assembly kit. Set the panels into the bottom hangers and attach the hangers to the panels with screws from the kit. Slide the top hangers over the top of the top horizontal member. Attach the hangers to the post and to the panels.

Hang the remaining panels in a similar manner to Step 9.

Cut the tops of the fence posts, as necessary, to make them all the same height, using the circular saw. Attach post caps, if desired, with screws from the cap’s assembly kit.