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Living near and sharing a property line with other people without annoying one another requires a certain amount of understanding and common courtesy. It is especially important when you are beginning a noisy project to go out of your way to keep everyone happy. It is easy for tensions to rise, creating a rift between you and your neighbors. Before you begin your project, find out what our readers recommend you do to avoid driving them batty.
Michael Sanders

Michael Sanders

Michael Sanders is an SEO Analyst at Lights on Creative, a digital marketing firm in Chicago, Illinois.

Friendly Reminders for Installing a Fence

To make fence installation easier on everyone, you should follow some tips to ensure the process doesn’t annoy your neighbors.

  • Know your property’s boundaries and ensure that your new fence is within your property, including any setbacks stated by your local building codes or homeowners’ association.
  • Locate any utilities in the path of your new fence.
  • Inform your neighbors that you intend to have a new fence installed and that you want the process to be as unobtrusive as possible. Informing your neighbors lays out your intentions and opens the discussion to any comments or concerns that your neighbors may have about your new fence.
  • Provide details on your new fence [such as] when the project will begin, the estimated completion date of the project, and working hours each day. Remember to avoid working too early in the morning or too late in the evening.
  • Keep in mind your neighbors will be watching the project unfold. Ensure that the fence looks good from their side as well, including facing the finished side of the fence toward your neighbor and applying paint, stain, or some type of finish.

With proper planning and good communication, the fence installation process can be smooth for both you and your neighbors.

Scheduling Your Fence Installation

Fence installation can be a nuisance to your neighbors. The courteous thing to do is to let them know when the work will be happening, and ideally schedule it for when they’re out of the house. Lots of hammering will happen, and the sounds may get even louder if you or the person you’re hiring is using an industrial post-holer and filling the holes with cement for added support.

[A professional is] likely be enlisting the help of a team who will finish the work far faster and decrease the window of noise-making.

Dan Bailey

Dan Bailey

Dan Bailey, President, WikiLawn Austin Lawn Care.
Bill Samuel

Bill Samuel

Bill Samuel, Licensed General Contractor, and Owner of Blue Ladder Development.

Get A Contractor and Be Courteous

Yes, any type of construction can be a nuisance to your neighbors. Installing a fence may be even more so as the crew will be working around their property the entire time versus other types of projects (e.g. kitchens) where there is a little more separation. Follow the local villages’ time frame for when you are allowed to work and be courteous of your neighbor’s schedule. Be sure your contractor has a portable toilet on site so the crew doesn’t go to the bathroom anywhere they shouldn’t be.

Follow Guidelines

Yes, some people may have a problem with their neighbors installing a fence for various reasons, but as long as you aren’t violating any fencing laws, there shouldn’t be a problem.

Just be sure you follow your state’s guidelines. Some may require serving a neighbor with some kind of notice. If worse comes to worst, you may want to hire a mediation service.

Matt Scott

Matt Scott

Matt Scott, Owner of Termite Survey.
Desmond Brosnan

Desmond Brosnan

Desmond Brosnan, Managing Director & Property at Services Brosnan Property Solutions an industry-leading family-owned business, spearheaded by brothers Ray & Des Brosnan.

Communicate With Your Neighbor

Nobody wants to be a noisy neighbor. Installing a fence is a simple job, and there’s no need to fray tensions between you and your cohorts next door.

Communication is key. Pop over, say hello, and inform them of your plans. Make sure you’ve researched and established where the property boundaries are between your two homes and plant your fence about half a meter inside the line to avoid any potential conflict in the future.

In terms of keeping the installation process hassle-free, notify your neighbor of when you plan to start work and approximately how long it will take. If you’re undertaking the job yourself, be conscious of working times. Don’t start rattling around at 9am on a Sunday. If you’re enlisting contracted help, there’s nothing to worry about.

This is a crowdsourced article. Contributors are not necessarily affiliated with this website and their statements do not necessarily reflect the opinion of this website, other people, businesses, or other contributors.