Fence Installation in Baltimore

What does a Solomon fence installation include?

A Solomon fence installation covers the whole job. We remove the old fence if there is one and lay out the new line. Then we set and brace the posts, install the rails and hang the pickets, and build and hang the gates. At the end we haul away the old materials and clean up the yard.

On one backyard job we set and braced the new posts before a single rail went on. Another finished as a wood dog-ear privacy fence enclosing the yard.

Setting the posts

The posts decide whether a fence stays straight for years or starts leaning after a few seasons. Rails and pickets are easy to replace. Posts that weren’t set deep enough, or that shifted while they were settling, pull the whole fence out of line.

We dig each post hole to a depth that suits the fence height and the soil, set the post, and brace it plumb in both directions. We run a string line so the posts stay in a straight row at the right spacing, and temporary bracing holds every post plumb until it firms up and the rails go on. Baltimore City’s code also requires wood posts to be rot-resistant, treated or set in concrete.

What kind of fence works best for a Baltimore backyard?

For most Baltimore backyards, a wood privacy fence is the usual choice. A solid board fence blocks sightlines from the alley and neighboring yards and keeps pets and kids in. It suits narrow rowhouse lots and wider suburban yards alike. Within wood privacy fences, you have a few decisions to make:

• Picket style. Dog-ear pickets are a classic look, and it’s the style on the privacy fence we built. Flat-top and other styles are also options.
• Height. Taller fences give more privacy, within the limits in the next section.
• Which side faces out. Many homeowners and HOAs prefer the finished side facing the neighbors or the street.
• Gates. A walk gate for people, a wider gate for mowers or trash cans, or both.

How tall can a fence be in Baltimore City and County?

In both, side and rear fences can generally be 6 feet, and front yards are kept lower. In Baltimore City, the building and zoning codes give different front-yard limits, so check with Zoning before you choose a front-yard height. Fences enclosing a house can be up to 6 feet in side or rear yards. (City code §3118)

In Baltimore County, front-yard fences are capped at 42 inches. Side and rear fences are capped at 6 feet on the property line, or up to 10 feet if set back 2 feet for every foot over 6. On corner lots, nothing over 3 feet is allowed within 25 feet of the corner of two streets. Pool fences must be 48 inches with a self-closing, self-latching gate, and no fence may sit in an access, drainage or utility easement. (Baltimore County PAI)

How do you build gates that don’t sag?

Gates sag when they’re too heavy for their posts or aren’t braced inside the frame. We frame each gate with a diagonal brace running in the direction that resists sagging, then hang it on sturdy hinges from a solid post. Then we adjust the latch so the gate closes and catches on its own.

Gate placement also matters. We talk with you about where you walk, where the trash cans go, and how you’ll get a mower or wheelbarrow in and out, so the gate ends up where you’ll actually use it.

What should you check before installing a fence?

Before we dig, four things need to be clear: the property line, your HOA rules, the permit, and buried utilities. A fence built on the wrong side of the line can become a dispute with a neighbor, and a fence that breaks HOA rules may have to come down.

1. Property line. We ask for your survey or plat if you have one. If the line is unclear, confirm it with a surveyor or your neighbor before posts go in.
2. HOA rules. If you have an HOA, check its rules on fence height, style, color and which side faces out.
3. Permits. The City, the County and Anne Arundel each set their own triggers, covered above.
4. Underground utilities. We have buried lines located and marked before we dig post holes.

What affects the cost of a fence?

Length and height drive the cost of a fence first, since they set how many posts, rails and pickets go in. A short run of 4-foot fence along one side of a rowhouse yard is a small job, and a full 6-foot enclosure with two gates is a much larger one. After that, the main factors:

• Gates. Each gate adds a braced frame, hinges, a latch and heavier posts; wide gates add more.
• Tear-out. Removing and hauling away an old fence and its concrete footings takes time.
• Ground. Rock, roots, slopes and clay make post holes slower to dig.
• Picket style. Dog-ear, flat-top and board-on-board designs use different amounts of material.
• Access. A rowhouse yard reached only through the house or an alley means carrying everything in by hand.
• Permits. City fences need a site plan, and historic or Critical Area lots add review.
• Stain or sealer. Whether finishing the wood is part of the job.

We give a written price after we’ve walked the fence line.

Fences planned with decks and patios

A fence often goes in at the same time as other outdoor projects. We build decks, paver patios and walkways, and rear stairs and front steps, and planning them together means the fence, gates and paths line up. A new deck and a new fence planned at once can share a consistent look and a gate in the right place.