- 1). Flag the yard for utilities that are underground. A phone call to the utility company will protect you.
- 2). Stake out the corners of the fence. Use wood stakes, with construction twine pulled tight between them, to mark where the fence will be.
- 3). Mark the post locations along the construction line. Use a 2x4x8 to mark the center of each post with a spot of landscape paint. The 2x4x8 is the exact distance you need between posts. By flipping the board as you work your way down the construction line you can mark the exact post locations needed for the fence.
Count the posts to price the fence for each 8-foot section. This will vary according to the style of wood fence you choose. - 4). Dig the postholes using a gasoline-powered posthole digger. The holes need to be 2 feet deep to go below the frost line. This will keep the posts from moving because of weather changes.
- 5). Level the posts and make sure they align with the construction twine. Use a 40-pound bag of concrete in each posthole, and an 80-pound bag at each corner posthole. Soak the hole with water and let the post set before proceeding to the next step. Use a post level for this step. Let the post dry overnight before proceeding to the next step.
- 6). Attach the horizontal boards between each post. Use an exterior 3-inch finish nail for this. A pneumatic nail gun makes it a lot faster and easier.
- 7). Nail the vertical boards in place. Use a 4-foot carpenter's level to keep them straight. Separate each board by the thickness of a finish nail. Place one board at each corner and tap a nail into the top of the picket. Pull a string tight between them. This provides you a straight line for aligning the top of each picket as you work. Use two 1 1/2-inch galvanized nails at each horizontal-board location.
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