What’s the best fence etiquette?
Before you get ready to purchase all the bulk supplies you’ll need for that brand-new fence you’ve been dreaming of erecting, take a moment to think it through. Have you considered all the rules and regulations that dictate how, where, and when you can build any structure? If not, there is an unspoken and unwritten set of rules of fence building you must observe before making any rash decisions.
Notify Your Neighbors and County
You probably learned what it means to be a good neighbor while you were growing up, and now that you have a home of your own, you really must put it into practice. You may want to perform lots of projects on your new property, but having neighbors means that you share a common space.
As such, you must keep a civil relationship with them and take their comfort into account. To this end, notify your neighbors about your plans to modify your yard and fence line. The chances are good that you and your neighbor share a property line, so you would want to make sure that they’re alright with it and that it won’t impede on their own liberties.
Discuss Fence Expenses
Once you’ve come to an agreement on the fence, you’ll need to discuss expenses—not necessarily for the initial costs of erecting it but for maintenance. Of course, you wouldn’t expect them to pay for its yearly upkeep because that would be totally unfair. But damages and unseen accidents are sure to happen at some point. It should be on both parties, but if one party is to blame for the damage, naturally, the bill should go to them.
Survey Your Land
Now that you have come to a mutual agreement, it will be your highest priority to complete a land survey. The first reason is that you need to know whether you can build where you would like to build.
Another would be so that you can know for certain where your property line is, which will also help give your neighbor some idea of where they stand. One of the most important things you should know is that, through the survey, you’ll receive an audit of where your waterlines, septic system, and electrical lines lay, which will tell you where to avoid when putting up a fence. With all that information, you can get all your lumber and fencing staples ready for that urban ranch-style fence you’ve always dreamed of owning.
Putting up a fence might have seemed like another weekend project to remedy all the privacy issues on your property, but you’ll be happy you put in the extra work to do it right. The main thing to consider is asking yourself if you’re being a good neighbor and if what you’re doing is legal. Those are the most important unwritten rules of fence etiquette.
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