A well-prepared yard lets us install your fence faster, cleaner, and with fewer surprises. Most of the prep is simple, but a few steps matter a lot, especially around utilities and property lines.
Here’s the full checklist. We hand this to homeowners at the estimate so you know exactly what to do between signing and install day.
Before we arrive
1. Confirm the property line
The most common source of post-install issues is fences that land an inch or two onto a neighbor’s property. Verify your property line before we set posts:
- Pull out your property survey or plat if you have one
- Look for existing property pins at the corners of your lot (usually iron bars or capped stakes at grade, sometimes buried slightly
- If you can’t find pins and don’t have a survey, consider ordering a boundary survey before the install) especially if your fence runs close to a disputed edge
- Talk to your neighbor if the fence is on a shared property line
We’ll install to where you tell us the line is. We don’t determine property lines legally (that’s a licensed surveyor’s job) so if there’s any uncertainty, resolve it before we break ground.
2. Call 811 for utility marks
This is non-negotiable. California law requires it, and it protects everyone. Before we dig any post holes, you or we need to submit a one-call ticket to USA North 811 at least two full working days before the dig. It’s free.
We usually handle the 811 request as part of our install prep, but you can do it too: call 811 or go to usanorth811.org and submit the ticket. Utility companies will come out and mark the location of:
- Electric lines
- Gas lines
- Water and sewer mains
- Telecom / fiber / cable TV
The marks are color-coded paint or flags, and they stay valid for 28 days. We’ll adjust our post locations to avoid crossing any marked utilities.
3. Mark private utilities too
The 811 system only covers utilities from the main line to your meter. Lines on your side of the meter are your responsibility to locate, including:
- Sprinkler system lines and heads
- Landscape lighting wire
- Private gas lines (to BBQ, fire pit, outbuilding)
- Private water lines (to outdoor faucets, outbuildings, wells)
- Propane tank supply lines
- Septic system components (leach field, distribution box)
If you know where these are, flag them with spray paint or stakes before we arrive. If you don’t know (especially for sprinkler lines) expect that we may occasionally hit one. We’ll flag it and patch it up, but the best way to avoid the headache is to mark what you can.
4. Clear the fence line
We need roughly 3 feet on each side of the fence line clear enough for people and tools to work. Specifically:
- Remove vegetation that’s right on the line (small shrubs, tall grass)
- Trim tree branches hanging lower than 7 feet over the fence line
- Move movable objects (planters, garden tools, dog houses, patio furniture, trampolines
- Flag anything you don’t want removed) a sentimental rose bush, a specific plant, with bright ribbon
We don’t remove large trees, established shrubs, or hardscape unless it’s scoped into the contract. We also don’t dispose of yard waste beyond what we generate. If we’re removing an existing fence, we’ll haul that away (scoped and priced in the estimate).
5. Plan gate locations
Think through how you actually use the yard:
- Where does the lawnmower come out of the garage?
- Where does the trash can go on pickup day?
- Where do kids or pets need access?
- Is there a main walking path you’ll use every day?
Tell your estimator during the walk-through, and we’ll position gates to match. Typical residential fence has 1, 2 gates; larger lots often have 3+. Additional gates add cost but are much cheaper to include up front than to retrofit.
6. Identify access for our crew
We need to get trucks and materials to the fence line. Before install day:
- Confirm truck access, can we get a pickup with a small trailer to within 50 feet of the work area?
- Clear the driveway on install day so we can unload
- Flag anything delicate near the access path (garden beds, paver walks, septic lids)
For backyard installs on tight lots, we may need to move materials through a side yard by hand. That’s fine; we just need to know the route in advance.
On install day
What to expect
Typical residential wood fence install sequence:
- Day 1 (morning): Mark the fence line and gate locations, verify utility marks, dig post holes
- Day 1 (afternoon): Set posts in concrete
- Day 2: Let concrete cure (crew doesn’t typically return this day)
- Day 3: Frame the fence (rails, gate posts, brackets)
- Day 4: Board the fence, install gates, final walk-through
Chain link, vinyl, and small jobs compress this timeline, sometimes 1, 2 days total. Hillside, complex gates, and commercial jobs run longer.
Pets and kids
- Keep pets indoors on days we’re working in the yard. Chain link gates come off their hinges briefly, tools are out, and an open side yard is a quick escape.
- Keep kids away from active work areas. Our crew is careful, but equipment and sharp edges are in play.
- Birds and small wildlife. We’ll pause if we see a nest. Flag anything you’re aware of.
Do you need to be home?
No. We don’t need you on site. Most of our homeowner customers are at work during the install, which is fine. We just need:
- Gate code or side-yard access if the work area isn’t accessible from the street
- A way to reach you (phone) if something unexpected comes up
- A walk-through at completion so we can show you the work and answer questions (this can happen in the evening or weekend if needed
After we’re done
- We clean up) all scraps, concrete spoil, old fence debris. Your yard will be left in the same condition we found it, minus the old fence and plus the new one.
- Concrete takes 28 days to fully cure. Don’t lean heavy loads against new fence posts for about two weeks.
- Wood fences weather, redwood goes silver-gray in about 18 months. That’s normal. If you want to preserve the red tone, we can talk about sealing it after ~6 weeks of dry-out time.
- One-year warranty on our workmanship. If something shifts, cracks, or fails within the first year, call us and we’ll fix it at no charge.
The short version
Call 811, mark private utilities, clear the fence line, plan your gates, confirm access. We handle everything else. Install day is fast, clean, and done when we said it would be.
Ready to book? Call (707) 822-9511 for a free estimate.