There are a couple of situations were erecting a fence in front of a pre-existing fence could be an option you consider. One situation is if your neighbor built a fence around their property and you want to add your own, or maybe you purchased a house with a big old ugly fence and want to improve it; so, can you put up a fence in front of another fence?
A permit and permission from the local government are the deciding factors in whether you can build a fence next to or in front of an existing one. Once granted, additional factors to consider include building within your property’s boundary and consulting the owner of the other fence.
It may seem trivial to get permission and buy in or even spend additional money determining boundaries. The benefit, however, is that you will not need to redo the fence should an issue arise. Below are some additional considerations before starting your fence project.
Erecting A Fence Around Your Property, The Legalities, Procedures, And Factors To Consider
Putting up a fence in front of or alongside an existing fence is a completely viable option, so long as you have permission to do so. However, there are several important factors to consider before you get started. These factors include:
The Purpose Of The Fence
To erect a fence, you need to consider what the fence’s purpose will be. Will it be mostly decorative, for security purposes, or to maximize your privacy?
Once you’ve decided on the fence’s purpose, acquiring the relevant information is simplified.
Local Government’s Requirements
- The first step in building a fence around your property is to visit your local government offices and find out what permits are required for the type of fence you plan on building.
- Certain municipalities don’t allow certain types of fence materials, designs, or heights making sure you operate within the framework they provide is important.
- If a permit is required, get it done. Don’t try to cut any corners a building inspector is likely to pop around to make sure everything is according to regulations.
Other important information from the local government includes laws around the type and design of fences you can build. This will save you many headaches later (including the rebuilding of the said fence).
You may not be allowed to build a fence in certain areas simply because someone already has built one, and now the property needs to remain open.
Determining Where Your Boundary Lines Are
Once you have the legalities in place, the next important step is to determine your property’s boundary lines.
This is one of the more essential aspects as it could have ramifications if ignored.
By determining the boundary line, you ensure that you build the fence on your property.
Therefore, you have full “rights” and control over it, and anyone making use of the fence will be on your property.
There are various methods for doing this.
The simplest (and most expensive) is to hire a land survey company to map out the boundary for you.
Alternatively, you can purchase/lend a metal detector and attempt to locate the metal pins yourself. If you use this method, try finding an area map to get a basic idea of where the marker may be.
Documents delineating property boundaries should be available from the company that sold the title deed, or failing this, from the local government offices.
Once the boundary markers are located, mark them by sticking a pole, rod, rock, or even paint at the point. When planning your fence afterward, this pre-marking will simplify the process.
The other importance of this step is to identify where utility lines and pipes are situated to avoid damaging or building over them.
Consulting Your Neighbors, Or The Existing Fence’s Owners
There could be a large benefit in consulting with other interested and affected parties, depending on where the fence is located and your reason for building a new one.
If you join up to a neighbor’s pre-existing fence, they may be willing to split the costs if the fences connect. If there is a dilapidated fence that you want to build in front of, maybe the owner will split the costs with you to repair it/replace it instead of building a new one.
Provided you build on your property, there is very little the neighbors can do to discourage your fence building; however, there are benefits to be had when open roads of communication are maintained, both monetary and in keeping the peace.
Another aspect to discuss with the neighbors is how to control the vegetation growing in the unfenced area over the boundary line. The importance of these conversations is to prevent unnecessary conflicts from arising in the future.
When Building The Fence, Make Sure That All Of It Is In Your Boundary
After going through all the effort to determine your property’s boundary, the next important step is to make sure that you build within your property.
Most people recommend that you stick to between one to two feet within your boundary when building. This way, there will be no chance of “accidentally” building on your neighbor’s property.
The one foot or less space you’ll lose out on is a small enough price to pay for peace of mind.
If you have a good understanding and relationship with your neighbors, you could petition a basic contract that states the agreement to join the fences together across the boundary line.
The biggest issue with building a fence onto a pre-existing fence is that should someone decide to break it down, change it, etc., you may end up not having a fence on that side of the property.
Oftentimes it’s better to sacrifice that small space of “no-man’s land” and build within your bounds.
If the fences are close enough, and the gap is an eyesore, you can always add a cover plank to hide the gap. Grass and other plants that sprout in the in-between zone can easily be controlled with poison.
There may be zoning laws that regulate the distance you may build from the boundary line in certain areas. Speak with your local government before getting started, as this is the best route for obtaining the necessary information.
Consider Hiring A Professional Company
For most of us, this is not really an option we would like to consider, but the reality is, that it is an option. Fencing companies have the experience, equipment, and workforce to erect most types of fences under a huge number of varying circumstances.
If there are any issues, they have most likely dealt with them already, have worked with the permits department, and can always be called back to fix any issues.
Ultimately, they may save you time, energy, and fighting in the long run, especially if you need to rebuild your fence.
Constructing A Double Fence
The process is the same if you have an existing fence around your property and want to build another fence in front of it (for decoration or privacy).
First, get permission from your local government. Once obtained, ensure that the new fence is still within your boundary and does not contravene the minimum distance from the boundary line regulations.
After these two elements are satisfied, you are good to go.
Conclusion
When erecting a fence adjacent to a pre-existing fence, the most important thing to do is get permission and a permit (if required) from your local government. Once permission is received, determine the boundary line, mark out your perimeter, and ensure that you build one to two feet inside your property. It is important to communicate with all affected parties for ease of construction, maintenance, and peace of mind through this process.