Yes. On a slope, a fence is either racked, meaning each panel is angled to follow the ground, or stepped, meaning level panels drop in stages. Most of Fresno is flat, so the harder problem here is usually what is under the yard, not the shape of it.
Racked or stepped: which is better?
- Racked: rails follow the slope and pickets stay vertical. Best on gentle grades and where a dog must be kept in.
- Stepped: panels stay level and each one sits lower than the last. Needed on sharp grades and with rigid panels. A triangle of open space is left under each step.
- Cut to fit: boards are trimmed one by one to the ground. This gives the cleanest bottom line on uneven ground.
Where do slopes come up around Fresno?
Along the San Joaquin River bluffs on the north edge of the city, on lots graded with a retaining wall between neighbors, beside ponding basins and canal banks, and in the foothills east of Clovis and Sanger. If the fence will sit on or next to a retaining wall, tell us. The city measures the wall and fence together, and its handout caps the pair at 7 feet from the lower side with department approval.
I have a dog that digs and a yard that drops. How do I avoid gaps?
Use a racked or cut-to-fit fence so the bottom stays close to the soil, then block the bottom. A treated kick board at ground level, a strip of wire mesh buried along the line, or a narrow concrete mow strip under the fence will each stop a dog from digging out.
My yard is steep and rocky and two companies turned the job down. Who does this?
Call us. We will look at the line and give you a straight answer. Around Fresno, the jobs that get turned down are mostly foothill lots with granite near the surface and valley lots where hardpan is close to the top. Both can be fenced. Holes are broken or cored through the hard layer, or the post is anchored to solid rock. It takes more time, and the estimate will say so.
Do installers dig by hand or with a machine?
Both. A power auger does most holes on open, level ground. Hand digging is used next to block walls and house footings, near marked utility lines, around sprinkler and irrigation pipe, among roots and in tight side yards. When the auger reaches hardpan, the rest of the hole is finished with a digging bar or a breaker.
We only know the real price after we measure your yard. The estimate is free and comes in writing. Call (559) 719-6557 or text us a photo of the fence line.