Horizontal Fence Installation in Plano, TX
We build horizontal cedar fences for homeowners in Plano, Frisco, and Allen.
What Goes Into the Build
With this style, the look and the strength are the same thing. Horizontal fences get a vertical stay in between posts to support the pickets. This style can take a standard looking fence and turn it into a real statement.
- Posts set 6 feet apart, not the 8 foot standard.
- Posts 3 feet into the ground, and up to 4 feet where the site allows.
- Heavy duty galvanized steel posts, coated so they won’t rust.
- A kicker board at the bottom, keeping the lowest board off the dirt.
Why Six-Foot Spacing Matters
Six feet or less. That’s what the fencing trade calls for when the boards run sideways. The industry standard runs 8 feet apart. Horizontal boards sag at that width, often inside the first year.
We already set every post at 6 feet, on every fence we build. So the fence gets our standard spacing, not a special order. That’s about a third more posts, holes, and concrete than the standard. We’ve been building that way regardless.
Horizontal Fence Options We Build
Nearly every job we do is a tear out and replace. Most of these projects replace an older vertical fence.
- Full height backyard runs, gapped for airflow, for a yard you want closed in.
- Low front yard and courtyard runs, built to Plano’s front yard limits.
- Horizontal cedar with a top cap, for a finished edge up top.
- Gates built into the run, so they read as part of the fence.
Gapped boards let light and air through, so this isn’t a solid screen. If you want no sightlines at all, look at a privacy fence built for a Plano backyard. We build these in cedar, and a finish applied before delivery is an option.
We build horizontal fences in Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Allen, Richardson, Parker, Murphy, and New Hope, Texas.
Why Horizontal Boards Sag
On a vertical fence, rails behind the pickets carry the span. Gravity runs down each picket along the grain, where wood is strongest.
Horizontal boards have vertical stays between posts for support. Gravity still pushes across each slat instead of along it, the weakest direction for a board. What resists it is the distance between posts and those stays.
Board Gaps and Drainage
Homeowners read the gaps as a privacy choice. They’re a water choice too. The top face of a horizontal board points up, so it holds water where a vertical picket sheds it. Consistent gaps let it drain and let air through.
Down low, the boards have a real advantage. The cut ends of the boards stay out of the dirt. Cut ends in ground contact are a common way a fence rots from the base up. It helps down there and costs a little up top. Both are true.
The kicker board on every fence we build keeps the lowest board off the ground.
Clay Soil and Level Lines
Plano sits on Blackland Prairie clay. It swells when it rains and shrinks when it dries. On a vertical fence, a shifted post gets absorbed across dozens of pickets, and nobody notices.
Every board between two posts moves with that post. A broken level line shows from across the yard. The least forgiving style is going into the least forgiving soil. So we go deep: posts 3 feet down, up to 4 feet where we can get it, in galvanized steel.
Front Yard Rules on Height and Openness
Plano’s front yard fence limits keep a front yard fence low. The city also wants one you can mostly see through. That rules out a solid run across the front, and plenty of people guess it wrong.
A gapped slat run is one of the few wood designs that meets an openness rule. Any specific front yard design still needs the city’s sign off. We build to these limits on fence projects across Plano every week.
Why Horizontal Costs More
It does, and we’d rather say that now than at the estimate. The extra sits in the build itself.
- About a third more posts, so more holes, more concrete, more setting labor.
- Built board by board on site, not hung from pre made panels.
- Slower to install, because every board has to land dead level.
- Harder to fix later, since a board mid run means pulling the boards around it.
HOA Design Guidelines
Some North Texas HOA design standards spell out that slats go in vertically. It’s the kind of rule a homeowner finds out about after the fence is up. Pull your association’s architectural guidelines and look for language about slat orientation. If your plan and the guidelines conflict, that’s a question for your association.
What Every Fence Includes
Galvanized steel posts at 6 foot spacing, set 3 feet down and aiming for 4, with a kicker board on every run. Demo and haul off come with the job. The work carries a 3 year craftsmanship warranty on new fence installations and our satisfaction guarantee, we’re insured, and Wisetack financing is available.
How the Install Runs
We walk the yard and price the run. New inquiries get an answer in 5 to 30 minutes during business hours. Day one is tear out and haul off, and post holes start that same afternoon. We can take other yard junk while we’re there.
From there we set steel posts 3 feet down at 6 foot spacing, then the kicker board, framing, boards, gates, and a top cap if you want one. Typical turnaround is two to three days.
Hear From Our Customers
1–3 of 9
Very responsive and fixed my fence issue professionally and quickly. Excellent communication and workmanship. Highly recommended!
My Mom and Dad found Mom’s Fence Man they were so pleased with their quality workmanship on their new fence and I was so happy to hear how they had such a great experience. I also had a beautiful new gate with fence built and most recently a new beautiful shared backyard fence. They went above and beyond communicating from the beginning with several easy to understand quotes to updates through the materials arriving and updates of their arrival on the day of work. Throughout the process from the beginning up to the building of my new fence I was able to continue my daily work and scheduled appointments with no interruptions and have peace of mind.
He did a great job, was very communicative and easy to work with! Highly recommend!
I can’t thank Bill, Yvette and the rest of the team at Mom’ Fence Man for their dedication and hard work with replacing my 21yr old fence. From the design process to the demo and installation, the entire process and project were handled with the utmost care and dedication to excellence. I would highly recommend Mom’s Fence Man to anyone looking to install or replace their fence. Thank you Bill, Yvette and the rest of the team for bringing my dream to life! I can’t thank you enough! :) Tracy Marshall #momsfenceman #customerservice #amazing #teamwork #trustedpartner #excellence #expertcraftsmanship
Bill came out and fixed the issues I had. He is so helpful and kind. I love working with this company
My experience with Mom’s Fence Man in replacing my old 6’ fence with a beautifully crafted 8’ fence was 100% positive. The communication was excellent from start to finish. I always knew what to expect and the timelines given were accurate so I was able to plan my time accordingly. Bill helped with the design options and I couldn’t be happier with the results. Home repairs and improvements have always been something I dread, but this experience showed me that doesn’t have to be the case if you have the right company. I highly recommend them.
Bill and his team were very professional, easy to work with, and provided great guidance throughout the process. They did an excellent job with our fence replacement and repairs, and we’re very happy with the results. Highly recommend Bill and his team!
Fantastic work! Yvette and crew took great care in removing and replacing our fence. They took their time and did it right. We are thrilled with the final product and give Mom's Fence Man our highest recommendation.
When I called Bill he answered the phone and we made an appointment to get an estimate to repair my fence. He showed up on time and provided a reasonable estimate. Two weeks later as scheduled his reliable and professional crew arrived on time and completed my repairs the same day to my satisfaction. He was very nice and honest to work with. If I need more repairs in the future I will call him. I recommend you at least call for an estimate and I think you will be pleased! (I had called another company after I spoke to Bill to get a second estimate and to this day they never returned my call. That he answered my call impressed me a lot!)
Frequently Asked Questions
Do horizontal fences sag?
They can, and the reason is post spacing. Horizontal fences get a vertical stay in between posts for structural support. The stays help, but spacing still matters. Boards spanning too far droop under their own weight. We set our posts 6 feet apart.
Are horizontal fences more expensive than vertical ones?
Yes. We never use pre-made panels, so there is much more labor in this style. More posts to set, and every board is built on site. Tell us the run and we’ll price it.
Will my HOA let me build a horizontal fence?
Check your architectural guidelines before you order. Some standards specify that slats be installed vertically. If yours mentions orientation, settle that with your association first.
Do I need a permit for a horizontal fence in Plano?
A full fence replacement needs one. Small repairs usually don’t. We check what your lot needs before we quote it. Ask us when we walk the yard.
Can I put a horizontal fence in my front yard in Plano?
Yes, within limits. It has to stay low, and you have to see through most of it. A gapped slat design meets that.
How do I take care of a horizontal fence?
Keep the gaps between the boards clear. Water sitting on the top edge of a board is the one thing this style doesn’t shrug off.
