Installing a fence raises the value and quality of your home. It defines your space, creates privacy for your home, and makes your yard a safer, more fun place to be in.
However, installing a fence can be a bigger undertaking than many people think. Here are some considerations you’ll want to think about before you start:
Check Zoning Laws and HOA Regulations
If your house is part of a homeowner’s association, then you’ll want to check their regulations before you embark on a fencing project. Standards can range anywhere from what color of fencing you’re allowed to use to safety guidelines.
In addition to HOA regulations, check the zoning laws for your city. Most places in Utah don’t require you to obtain a permit for building a fence, but you’ll want to check first – especially if you live in a more populated city. Salt Lake, for example, requires its citizens to obtain a permit prior to constructing any fence on their property. Some cities, like Sandy, only require a permit if the fence is over a certain height.
Communicate With Your Neighbors
Many building permits and HOA regulations will clarify points that could be issues of dispute with your neighbors, like specification of where the property line is, or guidelines for whether or not you can split the cost of the fence with your neighbor, or build off of an existing fence on your neighbor’s property.
If those issues aren’t covered by regulations that you’ve already undergone, then you’ll want to take care of them yourself. Whether or not you’re building close to your neighbor’s property, let them know what’s happening. If you’d like to build off of existing fence, make sure you clear it with your neighbor first.
Know Your Property Line
The deed of your home should have information that helps you find the property line of your home. Usually this includes directions that are based on certain landmarks that may have changed over time. When you bought your home, you hopefully also obtained a map that specified your property’s borders.
However, if your deed’s instructions are unclear, or you have no map, you might have to reach out to your county Assessor’s office. They should have maps available for your area that indicate property lines. If you don’t have any of this information available, you might have to hire an assessor, or do a self-assessment of your home.
Call 811
Make sure that your building project won’t get in the way of any utility lines. Impairing utility infrastructure can be a costly and disastrous mistake. Calling 811 before you dig is free and easy. Just call 811, and you’ll be routed to your local one-call center. After you give some brief details about your project, utility companies with infrastructure of concern in the area will be notified. Within a couple of business days, they’ll send someone to survey and mark where utility lines are.
Determine What Kind of Help You’ll Need
After deciding what kind of fencing meets your needs, you’ll need to determine what kind of help you can get for your fencing project. Fencing usually requires professional vehicles and resources, and the manpower of at least a few people. Here at Fence Specialist, we have an experienced team of installation experts who can help you erect the fence of your dreams. However, if you want to install the fence yourself, we also have resources that can help guide you with your project. Check out our gallery to get some ideas and understand your options better.