Cookouts, fire pits, outdoor dining, and gardening – all great reasons to spend some time in your backyard. Sometimes you want a little privacy to go along with your outdoor activities. The easiest way to add that privacy is to build a fence. Fencing also comes along with a few added benefits – like keeping your four-legged family members from running off. But how do you go about building that fence?
Look no further – here’s the quick and easy checklist (and reasons behind them) to cover your bases when you’re thinking about building a fence.
Talk to your HOA
Don’t have an HOA? Great, skip on down to “Get a Survey.”
Otherwise, yes, this is the best first step you need to take. The reason is simple, find out what’s allowed in your neighborhood. If your HOA only allows certain types of fencing, that narrows down your choices. Even if they do allow they type of fence you want, you’ll probably need to tell them you’re going to build it.
Let’s start at the top: get out those HOA Covenants. Don’t have them? Simply email your HOA manager and they’ll be happy to send you a copy. They often get requests like this. Don’t know who your HOA manager is? Reach out to your local real estate agent – I field questions like this all the time.
Fences tend to be in their own paragraph, or under a heading about exteriors. Once you’ve located that, it will tell you the approved types of fencing in your neighborhood.
Read the whole section carefully, there may be other important details in there. In my neighborhood, for example, I have to tell my neighbors if I’m doing construction on that side of my house. They can’t prevent me from doing it, but I do have to tell them.
Notify your HOA’s Review Board
Most HOA’s have an “Architectural Review Board” (or committee). This is a group of neighbors who approve or reject plans to alter a home and its surroundings. If your plans are within the parameters of the HOA, there’ s no need to worry.
Send them the preliminary information on what you want to do. Include type of fence, height, and generally where it will be built. Even sketch it out on some paper. Also ask what additional information they need in order to approve the plans. This simple question will save you headaches later on. You’ll want all the information up front before spending any money.
Get a Survey
This is the first amount of money you’ll spend towards building a fence. Most fencing companies won’t even give a quote without an official survey. This is to make sure you know exactly where your lot lines are, as well as any potential easements or building setbacks you may need to avoid.
If you’re having trouble reading the survey, reach out to your real estate agent or a real estate attorney. They’ll walk you through everything.
Call 811
This is the national “Call Before You Dig” hotline. A technician will come to your house and mark the approximate location of any underground utilities. This will help prevent hitting power lines, cable/internet conduit, or even natural gas lines.
Choose your Fence and Gather Quotes
Now comes the fun part. Within the guidelines of your HOA’s Covenants pick the fence type that best suits your needs. Need some pointers? We have a great article on the various types of fencing available.
While you’re picking out your fence type, call around to several companies for quotes. They might have different rates depending on the type of fence, so it’s best to do these at the same time.
Final Approval
Time to reach back out to your HOA’s Review Board. Send them the final plans, along with the fence type. Links to pictures or a home improvement site with the type of fence will help make the process faster.
You can sketch everything back out for them as well. Now that you have your survey, plans may have changed a little. Make sure to get final approval in writing before you begin.
Schedule a Fencing Company
Oh, you want to do this yourself? That’s a whole article on its own!
Now that you’ve gone through the proper steps, give a local fencing company a call. It should only take a day or two, and you’ll have some added privacy for all those outdoor activities this Summer!
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