New Fence Installation Built by a Repair Crew

We set fence posts in Maryland deep enough to get below the frost line and into firm soil, and deeper still for corner and gate posts, which carry the most load. Depth matters because Maryland ground freezes and thaws all winter. A post that stops inside the frozen layer gets lifted a little each cycle, and after a few winters the fence leans and gates stop latching. Taller fences, open windy lots, and wet clay soil all call for more depth. Each hole also gets gravel at the bottom so water drains away from the end of the post, and the concrete is crowned at the top so rain runs off instead of pooling where wood meets concrete.

For privacy in Crofton, the two fences that screen fully are a six-foot wood privacy fence and a white vinyl privacy fence. Wood, in cedar or pressure-treated pine, gives full screening when the boards are set tight, and it can be stained to match a house or deck, but it needs restaining every few years. White vinyl uses solid interlocking panels, never needs stain, and will not rot, which matters under the heavy shade in many Crofton yards. A shadowbox wood design screens most views while giving the neighbor a finished side. Check your HOA first, because many Crofton communities limit height, style, color, or material before any fence goes up.

Cedar and pressure-treated pine both make a solid new wood fence, and the choice comes down to stability versus ground-contact strength. Cedar is lighter, its natural oils slow decay and insects, and it tends to stay straighter as it dries, so boards cup and twist less. Pressure-treated pine is soaked with preservative, which makes it the right choice for anything buried in soil, but it is heavier, checks more as it dries, and must dry out before stain will soak in. That is why many fences use pressure-treated posts in the ground with cedar boards and rails on top. We match the combination to your yard's shade, drainage, and how much upkeep you want.

For a pool, most homeowners choose black aluminum ornamental fencing, because it does not rust like plain steel, keeps the pool visible, and many styles have picket spacing that suits barrier rules. Whatever the material, pool barriers generally need self-closing, self-latching gates with the latch set high enough that young children cannot reach it, along with limits on fence height and on gaps under and between pickets. The county sets those rules and your HOA may add its own, so we confirm permit and HOA requirements for your address before work starts. We also place pool gates away from grills, planters, or walls a child could climb to get over the top.

Galvanized chain link is a good choice for a dog run because it does not rot, the zinc coating slows rust, and the fabric holds up to a dog jumping against it. Match the height to your dog, since jumpers need more than a standard four-foot fence. For diggers, a bottom tension wire keeps the fabric tight to grade, and a strip of wire buried along the base stops tunneling. Terminal and gate posts get heavier footings because they hold the tension of the whole run. One trade-off: a dog can see everything through chain link, so if barking at people passing by is the problem, a solid wood or vinyl privacy fence may suit you better.

On a sloped yard we build the fence one of two ways: racked, so the panels follow the slope, or stepped, so each panel stays level and drops at every post. Racking keeps the rails parallel to the ground and the boards vertical, so the bottom gap stays even, which helps keep pets from slipping under on gentle, steady slopes. Stepping is how most vinyl privacy panels go in, and it looks clean on steeper grades, but it leaves triangle gaps under the low end of each panel that we close with trimmed boards or by adjusting the grade. Chain link follows nearly any slope because the woven fabric flexes with the ground.

Many new fences in Anne Arundel and Prince George's counties need HOA approval, and some need a county permit depending on height, location, and whether the fence is a pool barrier. Most HOAs run an architectural review and want a plat drawing showing the fence line, material, height, and style before they approve. Some limit front yard fences or require the finished side to face out. We confirm permit and HOA requirements for your address before work starts, and we do not dig until approvals are in hand. You confirm your property line from your plat or survey markers, and we arrange Miss Utility marking before any post hole goes in.

A new wood fence should be stained once the wood has dried, because unprotected boards gray, crack, and cup quickly in Maryland weather. Humid summers and wet winters keep bare wood swinging between soaked and dry, and that movement splits boards and pulls fasteners loose, while shady sections grow mildew. A penetrating stain soaks into the grain and slows water absorption. Timing depends on the wood. Cedar can usually be stained once it weathers a little. Pressure-treated pine often arrives wet and needs time to dry first. To check, sprinkle water on a board: if it beads, wait; if it soaks in, the wood is ready for stain.

On a new wood fence, the finished side, with the boards showing and the posts and rails hidden, usually faces the neighbor or the street. Many HOAs and some local rules require that, and it is also simple courtesy, since your neighbor did not choose the fence. Facing the rails inward has a practical side too: the framing stays on your side, where you can see and reach it to tighten a rail or replace a post later. If you want both yards to see a finished face, a shadowbox design alternates boards on each side of the rails. We confirm what your HOA requires before we lay out the line.

Yes, a new fence can usually be installed in a Maryland winter, as long as the ground is not frozen hard at the surface and the concrete can cure above freezing. Most winter days in central Maryland allow digging, because the frozen layer is shallow and thaws quickly. On a hard freeze we wait, since concrete poured into frozen ground or left to freeze before it sets loses strength around the post. Winter has advantages: plants are dormant, so lines along garden beds are easier to reach, and HOA approvals are often in hand before spring. Wood installed in winter still needs to dry before staining, which usually lands in late spring.