Fence Costs All Time High. Need a Dog Yard. Overwhelmed First Timer!

[Bicoastal]

Another fencing question, I know. I’ve read all of the threads I can find. I’ve gotten several quotes and was floored by current fencing prices. High $30,000’s for posts and wire for about 5,700 linear feet in VA. There is a nationwide shortage, record-high sales (at least in residential), and prices reflect that supply vs demand.

I got a referral from a friend and that guy charges $15,800 for everything. Compared to $38,000 that’s a steal! But it’s still $15,800. Posts are drilled instead of pounded. :no: I’m feeling overwhelmed keeping the different companies & quotes straight, trying to ensure I’m comparing apples to apples. The pastures can wait for prices to come down. I need to fence in a yard around a house for the dogs. Back and sides have three-board post and rail that needs wire added to it, front needs to be built from scratch: fencing companies quoting $4 - $5000 for the 525-linear feet yard. Well, maybe I can do the yard myself…

For a fence company to just pound 20 posts costs about $1200, depending on cost of posts at the time. That sounds better! But I want this done right the first time and I am a first-time home buyer without a tool to my name. How do I pull this off?

How do I get my hands on 20 posts right now?! A company asked if he can drop materials on the property now (closing in a couple weeks) because prices are increasing that fast and supplies are running out. Red Brand is running out of wire (I prefer 2x4 woven wire but 4x4 will do -no horses), but KenCove has what I need. If I’m ordering from the manufacturer, should I suck it all and buy ALLLL the wire I need now, or pay shipping twice and hope prices drop? How do I even get the rolls off their truck?!

All questions and confusion. Can someone break it down in COTH-style reason? Help :sadsmile:. PMs welcome.

[DinkyDonk]

I don’t know what size dogs you have, but I had to build a temporary “dog run” while all the windows in our house were replaced. My dogs were ~70 lb each. I built an 8’ X 12’ run in our detached garage using a cattle panel for the front, and plywood sides, 4 x 4s in the corners. You could possibly do the same using capped t-posts and all cattle panels and make it any size you need to. T-posts are simple to install with a manual t-post pounder, and simple to remove with a t-post puller, you could use double end snaps to secure one end of a cattle panel to the end of another for an entrance/exit. It’s a matter of if your dogs will try to jump out of a 52" high barrier. Everything you’d need to build this will be able to be repurposed down the road–trust me on that one. The cattle panels are around $25 each. We also this year used t-posts and cattle panels to make a firewood seasoning area that’s about 10’ wide and 24’ long. It’s working out great also.

[DinkyDonk]

Dog run

[SuzieQNutter]

For that you should be able to buy a tractor with an FEL and a post hole digger. Even if second hand.

With a tractor with an FEL a girl can do just about anything. You use the tractor to carry the logs to dig the hole to pull out the wire and to tighten the wire.

Add a cement mixer, a wheelbarrow for concrete which has a flat metal bottom and a good shovel. Now you can fence as much as you want.

If prices are going up then yes store the materials on your land, as long as they are safe from theft.

[bdj]

@Bicoastal

How do I get my hands on 20 posts right now?! A company asked if he can drop materials on the property now (closing in a couple weeks) because prices are increasing that fast…

I would NOT agree to this. Unless you can get the seller of the property to sign a legally binding agreement that allows it, but still, no. Stuff happens and what if closing is delayed (or worse)?

Fencing is always expensive - long before I bought my place I talked to a guy from FarmCredit who told me that fencing would cost more than my barn -he was right, and I hadn’t even found property yet! It’s just one of those things…

On to your specific situation:

How badly do you really need that area fenced? I lived on my property for nearly a year (with several dogs, of various levels of trustworthiness off leash) before fencing went up. It can be done, it’s just not as convenient as opening the door, but long lines are your friend! (My dogs aren’t out in their yard if I’m not home anyway.)

How reliable are the dogs? I know folks who made due with t-posts and mesh fence - not as pretty as professionally done no climb on wood posts, but very diy-able. How about a solid wood privacy fence? Have no idea on pricing or availability of those panels, but they might be another option. If the yard is for “supervised t/o” only and you have well behaved dogs, what about a temporary set up of green plastic snow fence? Its not pretty (but better than the orange stuff), but in a pinch, with the right dogs, it’ll do. You can even order it on Amazon.

Deep breaths, OP, deep breaths. In situations like this I use the saying “fast, good, cheap - pick two” to help guide my decision making process. It really helps me clarify my thinking.

[Chall]

Craig list, hunt for housies being auctioned, look around, if you see construction workers ask them or their boss if their doing any demolitions that involve chain link fencing (for the dogs) or scrap yards. For the horses drive around and if you see new fencing going up ask the owner what their doing with the old fence.
In other words put up temporary until you can afford the permanent pretty you want.
Re: tools, around here we can rent professional tools for projects and it’s a good way to start out.

[clanter]

…and when you sell the property that $40,000 of fencing will be worth near zero as its valued at nothing …at least that is what most appraisers will add to the value

[SugarCubes]

For a fast, temporary (or permanent), cheap DIY fix, put in an invisible fence! You can get the PetSafe version from Amazon (I would upgrade the wire that comes with it with a stronger gauge) along with the collars for a few hundred bucks. Then, take a week or so training your dogs on the boundary. It’s extremely easy to install, the most time consuming part is burying the wire, but if you own or can rent an edger/trencher that makes it super simple.

ETA: You said most of your yard is already fenced, you can attach this to your existing fencing and not even have to bury wires. It’ll make training very easy too since your dogs will also have a visual barrier

[2DogsFarm]

@SugarCubes Depends on the dog.
Neighbor here has a lovely husky mix that routinely blows through their Invisible Fence - thick coat makes whatever shock she feels worth it, I guess.
I have returned hr twice, how many others neighbors have done the same, I don’t know.

OP: how big are your dogs?
TSC has 10X10X6H kennel for $659, 10X5X6H for $359

[Equibrit]

There’s usually a bunch of fencing stuff on Facebook Marketplace.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace…51127269441092

[Equibrit]

There’s usually a bunch of fencing stuff on Facebook Marketplace.

[Bicoastal]

@clanter

…and when you sell the property that $40,000 of fencing will be worth near zero as its valued at nothing …at least that is what most appraisers will add to the value

OUCH! :eek:

[Bicoastal]

How crazy is it that one fencing contractor is $20,000 less than competitors? And how different is the quality or outcome of drilling posts instead of pounding?

I have decided not to ask about dropping materials on the property now. Too many risks.

I did ask the home owners to throw in the two tractors and accessories into the deal. They agreed and are writing up info on each. All I know for now is the John Deere (with FEL) is likely ten years older than I am! Intimidated is a a huge understatement.

[mmeqcenter]

That’s great you’re getting two tractors in the deal!

$7 per linear foot ($39,900/5700 ft) is actually pretty standard for at least the last ten years every time I’ve looked. The posters that have posted crazy high prices lately were in the $10+ per foot range, I believe. Fencing is just expensive.
I would be wary of someone quoting half of the others - are you sure his quote includes materials and not just labor? Definitely check referrals.

I agree with the poster who suggested T-posts and wire mesh for what you need done right right now. That’s what I put in for the horses when I DIY it, people use it for cows, it should have no problem containing dogs. It is also WAY easier to put as a DIYer. Hammering all those staples into wood posts is a PIA, unless you want to spend $400 on a stapler.

Definitely do not store materials on the property if you have not yet closed. Once close is final, absolutely, buy what you can when it’s cheap and store it.

[Tarlo_Farm]

T-posts and woven wire for the dogs.

And bdj, prices are through the roof right now due to lack of supplies due to the virus. Lowes/HD/Menards/etc can’t get treated lumber and are running low on regular lumber. Bikes, appliances, boats, campers, lawn furniture…you name it, stuff is out of stock and/or extremely costly because of COVID shutting down factories all over the world.

[Equibrit]

@SugarCubes

For a fast, temporary (or permanent), cheap DIY fix, put in an invisible fence! You can get the PetSafe version from Amazon (I would upgrade the wire that comes with it with a stronger gauge) along with the collars for a few hundred bucks. Then, take a week or so training your dogs on the boundary. It’s extremely easy to install, the most time consuming part is burying the wire, but if you own or can rent an edger/trencher that makes it super simple.

ETA: You said most of your yard is already fenced, you can attach this to your existing fencing and not even have to bury wires. It’ll make training very easy too since your dogs will also have a visual barrier

That kind of fencing creates more problems than it solves.

[Equibrit]

@Bicoastal

[I]But I want this done right the first time and I am a first-time home buyer without a tool to my name. How do I pull this off?

Step by step !
You sit down and do THOROUGH research.
Make your most economical list of materials, and tools required. (do not forget safety)
You learn how to perform the task, and use the tools.
Buy materials and tools.
Do the job.

You will also (in time) learn to maintain your equipment and tools.
Make all sorts of cunning repairs, and generally become self sufficient

[SuzieQNutter]

@Bicoastal

How crazy is it that one fencing contractor is $20,000 less than competitors? And how different is the quality or outcome of drilling posts instead of pounding?

I have decided not to ask about dropping materials on the property now. Too many risks.

I did ask the home owners to throw in the two tractors and accessories into the deal. They agreed and are writing up info on each. All I know for now is the John Deere (with FEL) is likely ten years older than I am! Intimidated is a a huge understatement.

We got a David Brown tractor with FEL with our property which is older than I am. It starts with first time if the key even when down in the frost as a hold for the irrigator.

It is probably the most used piece of equipment on the farm. It is used for the irrigator, it helps fence, it removed a blown down shed made with telegraph poles that insurance wanted $15,000.00 remove. It mows, it rakes, or lifts things too heavy. It pulls out fencing posts, it dig holes, it slashes, it feeds out round bales. He will have a shrine when he finally dies.

[SLW]

OP if you need to fence a short run for your dogs look at the pre-fab metal fences at Lowes & Home Depot which are available in various heights and spaces between the vertical bars. We had to re-fence a small space for our small dogs so we purchased some. It’s only been up a year but we are pleased with it.

[Bicoastal]

Hey, the forums are cooperating this morning! So, overall advice sounds like deep breaths.

Got another quote for the 525 foot dog yard at $4,200. Maybe I can rent an auger and do this thing. I’m just so scared of having to do it twice. Or seriously injuringmyself.

Is it a horribly ugly idea to use metal posts like for chainlink instead of wood to affix the mesh? @Bluey has shared some posts of metal fencing that looks great. The front wouldn’t match the back but materials might be cheaper right now, I’ll have to check, and I think there is less maintenance long term.