Yes. A fence can follow a slope in two ways: racked, where the panels angle with the ground, or stepped, where level panels drop like stairs. Racked fences leave the smallest gap at the bottom.
Racked or stepped: which is better?
- Racked: the rails follow the grade and the pickets stay vertical. Best for gentle to moderate slopes and for dogs.
- Stepped: each panel is level and the next one drops. Needed on steep slopes and with many preassembled panels. Leaves a triangle gap under each panel.
- Custom built on site: boards are cut to the ground line. The cleanest result with wood.
I have a dog that digs and a yard that drops. How do I avoid gaps?
Ask for a racked or site-built fence, and close the bottom. Options are a pressure-treated kick board along the ground, boards cut to follow the grade, or wire mesh buried a few inches below the fence line for a digger.
My yard is steep and rocky and two companies turned the job down. Who does this?
Ledge and boulders are common around Boston, in parts of West Roxbury, Roslindale, Milton and Newton. When a post lands on rock, the hole is cored or the post is pinned to the ledge. It takes longer and costs more than digging in soil, and not every crew takes it on. We look at the line before quoting.
Do installers dig by hand or with a machine?
Both. A powered auger is faster in open soil. Hand digging is used next to foundations, near marked utilities, around roots and in tight side yards where a machine does not fit.
The fastest way to get a real number is a free on-site estimate. Call (617) 917-2681 or text us a photo of the fence line.