How to Build a Decorative Privacy Fence

Determine local regulations on fences. Some communities or residential areas have restrictions on fence height and location. Locate your property line, since any fence must be built on your property or precisely on a property line. Inform your neighbors of your fence plans to avoid any later questions later about property lines.

Decide on a proper height and material. Determine height by having an associate walk around the property with a cardboard screen cut to the proposed height. That will test visibility so you may lower the height if slopes help block a view or make it taller if bordering properties are higher. Choose your material, based on budget and appearance. Vinyl is least subject to rot and decay while chain link is stronger but less attractive. Wood offers the most decorative options. Use redwood, cedar, cypress, treated pine or other wood that resists rot and insects.

Plan the fence with at least two gates, one preferably extra wide to allow for easy access for lawn mowers and other equipment. Mark the fence line with wood stakes and builder's twine. Space posts 8 feet apart, for any material. Use 4-by-4-inch posts for wood fences, or whatever size is recommended by the supplier for vinyl or chain link. Dig holes with a posthole digger a third the depth of the fence height. For a 6-foot fence, example, make a 2-foot hole. Set posts in a straight line, plumb them with a level and fill holes with concrete, either mixed or poured in dry and dampened with a hose to set.

Add rails between posts. Use at least three 2-by-4-inch rails on wood fences, set atop the posts, about a foot from the bottom and about two-thirds of the way up the post. Adjust specific locations according to fence design. A cedar or redwood fence with a decorative lattice top will need different rail settings than a stockade picket or solid board style. Attach the rails with galvanized nails or screws. Install rails for vinyl or chain link according to supplier recommendations.

Attach the fencing according to supplier instructions with vinyl or chain link. Vinyl fencing usually comes in 8-foot panels, and chain link in rolls with fencing attached by wires. Add privacy strips to chain link, if not provided by the supplier, in an attractive pattern, varying colors and the direction of your strips to make a pleasing design.

Install wood fencing with nails or screws, in any style or pattern. Alternate planks in a "good neighbor" board-on-board style, which looks the same on either side. Put planks in vertically or horizontally. Top them either with a lattice framework on all sides, or just on a side which needs to be higher for extra privacy. Build a planter box atop the fence with 1-by-6-inch boards attached on either side of the 2-by-4 top rail. Use your creativity to build a privacy fence that you find most attractive.