What to Expect on Fence Installation Day

What happens before installation day?

The line, the gates and the material are settled at the estimate. Before work starts, three more things need to happen. First, the property line should be clear. If you are not certain where it is, a licensed land surveyor can mark it; we do not survey. Our guide to fences and property lines explains when that is worth doing. Second, any HOA or local approval should be in hand; see fence height and permit rules and HOA landscape and fence approval. Third, utilities have to be located.

Why does the utility locate come first?

Every post hole is an excavation. Montana law requires notice through the one-call center before excavation begins, and the Montana Code gives the owners of underground facilities two business days to locate and mark them once notified. Notices are for work intended to start within a limited window, so the locate is requested shortly before the job, not months ahead.

Montana811 warns that private underground facilities may not be located through its system. On a residential lot, the private lines a fence most often crosses are sprinkler pipe, landscape lighting wire, and power or water run to a shed, shop or gate opener. If you know where those run, mark them or tell the crew. If you do not, tell us that too, and we will plan around the likely routes.

How should you prepare the yard?

Clear the fence line of anything movable: planters, firewood, toys, vehicles and stored material. Trim back plants that overhang the route, or tell us which ones you want protected. Make sure the crew can get to the line, which may mean opening a gate or moving a car out of the driveway. Keep pets inside or away from the work, since there will be open holes and moving equipment. If you have an underground pet fence, tell the crew where its wire runs.

Let your neighbors know when the crew is coming, especially if the fence is on a shared line or the crew needs to work from their side.

What is the first thing the crew does?

Layout. The crew confirms the line against the plan and any survey pins, sets the corners, ends and gate posts, and runs a string line between them. Line post locations are marked at the agreed spacing. This is the time to walk the line with the crew lead and confirm everything, especially gate locations and swing direction. It is much easier to move a string than a post.

How are the post holes dug?

With a power auger where possible, by hand where needed. In good soil this goes quickly. In ground with cobble and boulders, which is common enough around here that we expect it, holes can take much longer, and the crew may need a rock bar or a different auger. Depth and diameter follow the post size, the fence height and the ground, and are set to keep posts below the zone where frost lifts them. Our guide to frost depth and fence posts explains why depth matters here.

Excavated soil is piled near each hole and either used for backfill, spread, or hauled away, depending on the plan. Expect some mess on the lawn along the line.

How are the posts set?

Corner, end and gate posts go in first, set plumb and to the right height, because the rest of the fence is aligned to them. Line posts follow along the string. Posts are backfilled with concrete or compacted gravel depending on the fence type and the soil; drainage at the base of a wood post is what keeps it from rotting at ground level. On wire fences, brace assemblies are built at corners and ends to carry the wire tension.

If posts are set in concrete, rails or panels are often attached after the concrete has had time to set. Depending on the job, that may mean the fence is finished on a second day.

What happens on a slope?

On sloped ground, the fence either steps, with each section level and a drop at each post, or racks, with the rails following the slope. Stepped sections leave triangular gaps underneath that may need filling if you are keeping a dog in. The choice is usually made at the estimate, but on the day the crew will set heights to keep the top line looking even. Our guide to fencing a yard for dogs covers the gap question.

How do rails, panels and wire go on?

For wood privacy and picket fences, rails are fastened between posts and boards or panels attached to them. Vinyl goes together as a system of posts, rails and panels. Chain link starts with top rail and tension wire, then the fabric is stretched and tied. Wire and ranch fences are stretched between brace assemblies and fastened to line posts. Rural fences built to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks' wildlife-friendly guidelines use a smooth bottom wire at least 16 and preferably 18 inches off the ground and a top wire no higher than 42 inches; see wildlife-friendly fencing.

When do the gates go in?

Usually last, once the gate posts are solid. Gates are hung, leveled and adjusted so they swing freely and latch cleanly, and any drop rods or stops are installed. A gate that is right on day one can still settle a little as backfill firms up; a quick adjustment after the first weeks is normal. Our guide to why gates sag explains what keeps a gate square.

What if the crew hits rock or a buried line?

Rock is handled on the spot: the crew works through it, or, if a boulder will not move, shifts a line post a short distance within the spacing the fence can tolerate. Corner and gate posts are not moved without talking to you. If an auger catches a private line such as a sprinkler pipe, the crew stops, exposes it and repairs it or tells you right away. That is the reason we ask about buried lines before work starts.

What does cleanup involve?

Spoil from the holes is spread or removed, offcuts and packaging are picked up, and the line is checked for screws, nails and wire scraps. If an old fence was removed, its material goes with the crew unless you asked to keep it. Lawn along the line will show some wear from foot traffic and spoil piles; it recovers in a few weeks in the growing season.

What should you check before the crew leaves?

Walk the line with the crew lead. Check that posts are plumb and the top line looks even, that gates swing and latch, that the fence is where it was supposed to be, and that the yard is clean. Ask about care: when a wood fence can be stained or sealed, and what to watch for in the first winter. Our guide to staining and sealing a wood fence covers finishing, and how snow and frost heave damage fences covers the first-winter checks.

How long does it take?

It depends on length, gates, ground and fence type. A typical residential yard is a matter of days, not weeks, and longer acreage runs take longer. Rocky ground and frozen soil are the most common reasons a fence takes longer than planned. We give a time estimate with the quote and tell you if the ground changes it.

Planning a fence with us

We build custom fencing in cedar, privacy, chain link, vinyl and ranch styles, and handle fence repair across Missoula and the Bitterroot Valley. If you are still comparing options, see what drives fence installation cost. Estimates are free. More planning guides are in the Montana Landscaping, Lawn & Irrigation Guide.

Call HJ Property Care & Tree Service at (406) 215-7319 or request a free fence estimate and we will walk the line with you.

More resources