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How to Talk to Neighbors About a Privacy Fence

Having a privacy fence installed around your property can be a big undertaking. Depending on where you live, you may need to get permission from your homeowners’ or neighborhood association. Even if you have no such association to answer to, it can be very beneficial to talk to neighbors about a privacy fence. Here’s what you need to know to succeed in these conversations.

Boundary Issues

Are you certain that you know where your property line is? If not, you need to contact a surveyor to get a legal description of the property and boundaries marked. This will ensure that your neighbors cannot sue you for encroaching on their property with your privacy fence. If you and your neighbor agree on the boundaries, a surveyor may not be necessary.

Neighborhood Appearance

The biggest complaint of most privacy fences is that they break up the landscape, and that they are eyesores in general. A big part of this has to do with the color, size, and material of your privacy fence. Talk to neighbors about a privacy fence and what they feel is reasonable in these areas. You don’t have to do as they ask, but taking their opinions into consideration could keep you from having to talk down the fence later.

Hazards

Does one of your neighbors have a dog that likes to dig holes and might undermine the integrity of the privacy fence? Does one of your neighbors have a garden plot at the edge of the property that might be affected by the fence or that might hinder the fence from being built? These issues should be addressed before installing the privacy fence so that everyone is on the same page.

We can help you plan, talk to neighbors about a privacy fence and the city, and get the fence you want legally and within reason. Please contact us today for more information.