Installing A Fence

[JRPAGV]

Has anyone around here installed a fence in your backyard by yourself or with your husband's help? We just moved to a new town, and we're having a ridiculous time finding a good fence company to install a picket fence at an affordable price. DH and I are considering buying either wooden or PVC (white) picket fence panels and gates, and doing all of the work ourselves. I'm just wondering if it's really difficult and time consuming. What does it entail? Would you say that it's worth it to do it yourself and save money, or do you recommend paying a fortune and having someone else do it?

Thanks for your help!

[fuzzy]

We didn't replace our entire fence -- that is, we didn't replace the supporting posts -- but we did replace the wood panels on the fence at our old house.

Replacing the panels was a peice of cake. We had a nail gun and the panels went up all in one afternoon. (We also needed circular saw to trim a few of the panels.)

From digging fence post holes for other work, I think it can be a PITA, but it all depends on the type of soil you have (we have very rocky soil and should have just rented an auger), how level the yard is, and how familiar you are with working with concrete (in order to keep the posts straight).

[camberne]

OH BOY, did we install our fence!! I had a journal on "the other site" entitled Fenceposts and Valium.

It took us 7 months to do that damn fence; however, that was mostly due to the lack of time available because my husband works 7 days a week usually (sometimes he'll get a Sunday off). Also, he didn't want to use the premade fence sections - so we did 6x6 corner posts, 4x4 posts, 2x4 cross posts, and the individual fence slats. He used a laser level for every since fence slat that went on that fence. It is the most level, sturdiest wooden fence in the state of VA!! It IS beautiful, but I would rather have had someone else come in and do it in two days.