Fencing Learning Center
Short, independent answers to the questions that come up while you're planning a fence — no sales pitch, just what you need to decide and to talk to contractors on equal terms.
The cost pages tell you what each fence costs per foot. These guides cover everything a per-foot number leaves out: how the ground under the fence changes the job, how long the work actually takes, what keeps a wood fence from greying and rotting, and what a fence does — and doesn't do — to the value of the house behind it. Every one is written by people who don't install fences and don't sell them.
Before you build
The questions that decide whether the fence works — and whether it is even allowed.
Fence height & permit rules by city
Front and back yard limits and permit rules for 50 US cities, each linked to the city's code.
Deck permit requirements by city
Whether a new deck needs a permit in 50 US cities, and how each differs from the 200 sq ft / 30 in rule.
Pool fence requirements by state
The model pool code in plain words and the rule in all 50 states, with the statute or code text.
How to measure your yard for fencing
Get a linear-foot number you can take to any contractor.
Fence on a slope: stepped vs racked
Which fences can follow a grade, and why the gap under a stepped panel matters.
How long does fence installation take?
Posts one day, panels the next — and the permit and utility-locate waits nobody mentions.
Does a fence add home value?
When it pays back, when it doesn't, and why a failing fence costs you most.
How fences last
Posts decide a fence's life. Finish decides how it looks getting there.
How deep should fence posts be?
The one-third rule, concrete vs gravel, and why posts decide a fence's life.
Frost line depth by zip code
Code frost depth for your state and a county climate estimate, on an interactive map.
Should you stain your fence?
Stain vs seal vs paint vs leaving it grey — and why cedar is the exception.
How to clean a wood fence without a pressure washer
Which cleaner fits grey, green, mildew or black streaks — and the mix ratios.
How to seal a cedar fence
Keep the colour, avoid mill glaze and black streaks, and buy the right number of gallons.
Cedar vs pressure-treated
The species-vs-treatment confusion, and the hybrid build good crews use.
Answers that live on other pages
Common mid-decision questions, and where the site answers them.
- How tall can my fence be, and can I make the one I have taller? → Fence rules: height
- What are the fence height limits and permit rules in my city? → Fence rules by city
- Does my deck need a permit? → Deck permits by city
- How deep do deck footings go, and how big? → Deck footing depth by zip code
- How deep is the frost line where I live? → Frost line by zip code
- How deep should a water line be buried? → Water line depth by zip code
- Do I need a permit? → Fence permits
- Who owns the fence between two houses? → Fence rules: neighbours
- Is my quote reasonable? → Quote check
- Fix the fence or replace it? → Repair cost and replacement cost
- What are the pool fence rules in my state? → Pool fence rules by state
- Does chain link meet pool code? → Pool fence requirements