How Is Fencing Measured
- Posted by:
- Admin
- Tags:
- Fences, Panels, Measure, Perimeter, Property
- Posted date:
- 05-12-2022
Are you asking: how is fencing measured? This article looks at how to measure your yard for a fence and how many fence panels you will need.
How to Measure Your Yard for a Fence
Once all of your preparation work has been completed, it is time for the measuring to begin. Below are the steps that we would recommend following:
1. Mark out the corners using a stake. The corners are the areas where the panels will meet each other at a ninety-degree angle.
2. Next, you should measure the perimeter of the total area in feet. You should use the stakes as a guide. The tape used needs to be taut, so try to find someone who can help you out here; it will make the whole task a lot easier.
3. Divide up the perimeter by the size of the panels that you are planning to buy. The typical size of a fence panel is somewhere between six to eight feet.
4. The number you get after doing this sum will tell you how many panels you will require in order to fence the entire area. If you are planning on building a customised fence or a chain link fence, then this division step can be skipped over; you will only need the perimeter total.
Now you have all of the necessary measurements for your garden; you will have a good idea of how much you will need to spend on this project. If you are going to build the fence, then it is recommended that you measure up again.
Once you actually get into the building process, you will need to mark out the spaces for the corner and line posts. You should also use string and run it across between the stakes. This is useful when it comes to slopes and curves to account, as you will need more accurate measurements.
Locating Property Lines
When measuring your property for a fence, it is important that you confirm the property lines. You need to know where your property end and your neighbour's home begins.
This is absolutely vital. You do not want to start guessing and then run into trouble. If the fence accidentally gets erected on your neighbour's side of the line, then it is likely that it will need to be pulled down, which can be a highly expensive mistake to make.
In some situations, it can even lead to you having to pay hefty fines. We would recommend checking with your local council records to see if they have a history of the property lines, or you could have a professional land surveyor take a look.
Look for utility lines and obstructions
Take a look at the area you want to fence off. If there are trees around or any other permanent garden features that the fence will run near, in front of, or behind, then it is important for you to plan around them.
You will also need to identify any underground utilities running underneath your yard, such as electric or gas pipes.
The best way to identify these underground utilities is to either get in touch with your local council, which will have some form of pipe plans for your property or just get in touch with the energy or water provider yourself.
You may have to pay in order to gain access to this information, but that is a better alternative than accidentally damaging something underground, resulting in you or someone else getting hurt.
Measuring the Fence Run
When discussing a fence run between two points which are in a straight line across level ground, you should follow these steps. Firstly mark the start point and end point of the run by using short stakes or pegs and driving them into the ground. You can also just mark the ground. Next, you simply just need to measure the space between the two points.
For a fence run between two points but there are changes in the direction across level ground, these are the steps you should take. Mark the start and end points much as you would with any other fence run. Then you need to mark any changes in direction, then measure the space between each of the marked points. You should treat the distance between each of the points as its own individual run.
For a fence run across two points in a straight line across the sloping ground, follow these steps. Mark the start and end points as described earlier, but this time, you need to use long stakes or pegs. Now you need to run a plumb line. This is done by affixing a length of string horizontally across the two markers. This will ensure that the string is taught, then make sure it is true to spirit level. The final step is to measure the horizontal distance between the two markers. You should use the string as your guide.
Post Selection
You need to decide on the type of post that you would like to use for your property and then select the length of post that is required for the fence height. This is including the gravel board, along with any toppings or trellis that you are hoping to utilise above the fence and between each of the posts.
A post needs to have support on both ends of each fence panel. Below are some of the fence panels that you will need and that are available:
Intermediate Posts - These are used for joining each panel across the length of the fence run
Corner Posts - These are to be used at the end of a run or in order to create a right angle
End Posts - These should be used at the end of a run where there only needs to be a single panel fixed into place. They can also be used as wall plates in order to fix a fence panel to a wall.
Calculate the Number of Panels Required
Take the final measurement you have taken for each fence run, and then deduct the sectional dimensions of the posts you have decided on. Now you need to divide this dimension by the standard width of the fence panel in order to give you the number of full panels which will be needed.
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Our garden design experts can supply and install beautiful fencing for you and your family to enjoy for years to come.