Wood Privacy Fences in Tyler, TX

Dog-ear, flat-top or shadowbox

The three styles use the same posts and rails and differ in the pickets. Dog-ear pickets have the top corners clipped off, which sheds water from the end grain and is the most common look on Tyler subdivision fences. Flat-top pickets are square-cut and usually finished with a cap board and trim along the top, which protects the picket tops. Shadowbox alternates pickets on each side of the rails, so the fence looks the same from both yards and lets air move through while still blocking a straight-on view.

Six feet or eight

A 6-foot fence is the default for most backyards. Eight feet is worth it when the house next door sits higher, when a two-story home looks down into the yard, or along a busy road. Inside Tyler, 8 feet is the most the code allows on side and rear lines in residential zones, and anything past the front setback is limited to 4 feet and at least half open, so the solid fence has to turn and stop at the front building line. Outside the city the numbers change: in Kilgore and Jacksonville, a fence that tall needs a city permit, and Whitehouse allows no front-yard fence at all. A taller fence also catches more wind, so we space the posts closer and set them deeper for it.

What the lumber has to be rated for

Pressure-treated pine is sold at different treatment levels. Pickets and rails that stay off the ground can use above-ground lumber, but posts and anything that touches soil need lumber rated for ground contact, which carries more preservative. With Tyler's rainfall and termites in the county, that difference matters most at the base of the post, so we check the tag on every post before it goes in the hole. Where you want wood above and something tougher below, galvanized steel posts with wood pickets are an option.

The rot board along the bottom

A rot board is a horizontal treated board run along the bottom of the fence, just above the soil. It fills the gap under the pickets, helps keep small dogs from squeezing out, and takes the splash and wet leaves instead of the picket ends. When it eventually wears, a single board unscrews and a new one goes in, and the pickets above it are untouched.

Pine first, other options if they fit

Treated pine is the budget choice and it looks rough for its first months while it dries. If you want a straighter board that needs less help, compare it with a cedar privacy fence on the same line. Vinyl is also possible if an HOA calls for it. Whatever you choose, plan on sealing the new pine once it has dried, and on a wide drive gate if a trailer or mower needs to get into the backyard.

What sets the timeline? The length of the fence line, how many gates, whether an old fence comes out first, and how much clearing the line needs.

Frequently asked questions