Get matched with top fencing pros in Fairport Harbor, OH

It’s usually cheaper to buy pre-made fence panels than to build your own. This surprises many people since DIY tasks so often save money. However, large stores don’t have to pay the same amount per board of wood that homeowners do, allowing them to sell pre-made panels at a more cost-effective rate. Pre-made panels also save a great deal of time, energy, and guesswork. The drawback is that they are harder to customize to the shape and slope of your yard.

In most cases, you will need a building permit to put up a vinyl fence, especially if the fence is sitting on or close to your property line. You can ask your local building department or  fence installation company if your fence project will require a permit. If so, you can expect it to cost between $20 and $60. Your fence installer should pull the permit for you. Building without a permit could eventually require you to pay again to remove the fence and reinstall it after getting the job approved.

While they can be closer, the maximum distance between fence posts for residential fences is 8 feet. This ensures the panels are adequately supported by the fence posts. This is usually dictated by the width of the panel, which is typically between 5 and 8 feet. While narrower panels will require more posts, they’ll be lighter and easier to work with than wider panels that are the same height.

Green branches are more flexible and easier to work with, but they'll shrink as they dry, which can loosen your fence weave over time—so you'll need to weave them extra tight to account for shrinkage. Some species, particularly willow, may also try to sprout when used green. For these reasons, it’s typically easiest to use branches that have dried for a week or two.