Having a fence built on your property can certainly be exciting – so much so that it’s sometimes easy to forget that you are not the only person who will be affected by the fence.
With this post, we’d like to use our expertise in working on various fencing job sites to provide you with some tips related to fence etiquette. Following these tips should prevent any conflict you might encounter if you proceeded in building your fence without communicating your intent with your neighbour.
First things first…
Firstly, as long as your fence is being constructed within your property lines and follows all safety regulations, you have the right to build any style of fence you’d like. This post is not meant to suggest that you should allow a neighbour to pressure you into making decisions based on their tastes and needs. Rather, we’d like to encourage healthy communication and let you know how to get a fence that both satisfies you and avoids causing any conflict with property owners around yours.
Etiquette #1 – Property lines are no joke
Don’t fall into the trap of assuming that your neighbour wouldn’t mind you using one inch of their land to place your fence on. Provide your contractor detailed instructions regarding your property lines so that they can avoid crossing these lines.
Even if your neighbour states they are okay with it, be wary of doing such a thing; you never know what situations might arise down the road during which they won’t be so okay with the idea anymore.
Etiquette #2 – Know the limitations
Don’t tell your neighbour that your fencing contractor can perform ____ task for them when ____ task is prohibited by law. It’s not uncommon for neighbours to inquire about work being done on your property and, excited as you might be, be careful to communicate and ask questions of your contractor before telling curious neighbours things you are unsure about.
It’s also in the best interest of your relations with your contractor to sit down and discuss exactly what can be done.
Etiquette #3 – Share your plans with your neighbours
…But don’t necessarily ask them for design input.
Things can get a little messy once you start accepting the advice and input of too many people when it comes to the design of your fence. While it’s an excellent idea to present your neighbours the plan and find out if they’ve got any pressing concerns, try to avoid allowing them to dictate what the finished product winds up being as this might lead to regret down the road when you’ve now got to live with and take care of this fence.
Etiquette #4 – Maintain your fence
It can be extremely degrading to a property’s perceived value if the fence surrounding it is rusted or otherwise in need of repair. By extension, this has an effect on potential buyers’ impressions of properties surrounding the one with the dishevelled fence.
Be a good neighbour by maintaining your fence and ensuring that it helps both your property and others around it look nice.
Conclusion
Hopefully these tips have given you a bit of insight as to what you can do to maintain a healthy relationship with your neighbours during and after your fence build project.
Speaking of maintaining healthy relationships, we’d love to partner with you on maintaining your existing fence or building you a brand new one. Give us a call today to learn how we can become your trusted fencing ally!