Fencing

givememoney

We have just had a quite expensive new fence installed. Three panels in the middle are lower that the rest of the fence. They told us they had to do that as the land drops away a bit. Initially excepted this but surely they could have done something to bring them up to match the rest. My DH thinks I'm making a fuss over nothing and we have a fence. I on the other hand didn't expect to have to specify the fence should be level, I would assume it would be.
It has dropped down from the patio which I appreciate it had to do, but having most panels one height and 3 in the centre a bit lower looks strange.

Le_Kirk

Can you post a photo please?

theoretica

How tall are the fence panels?  If they are at the maximum height permitted then they would be too high if they raised them.

givememoney

Perhaps I didn't make it clear. There is a line of fencing 6ft. Near the middle 3 panels have been fitted at slightly lower level which looks strange. The fitters told me they had to do that as the ground is lower. My question is, am I asking to much to expect my line of fencing to all be the same height?

theoretica

You (probably) need planning permission if your fence ends up over 2m high, so how much did the ground lower?  If more than 17 cm the fitter would have had to cut all the other panels down to make them level.

Did you want a gap under the panels instead? If this is a simple post and panel fence I don't think I would have expected either earth levelling works or random bits added under some panels.  This seems to have been poor communication though.

Nearlyold

Is the ground lower where the lower panels are? Are these ready made panels? Normally you would expect the panels (which themselves are a fixed size) to roughly follow the counters of the land, bearing in mind that you can only fit the panels dead vertical this will mean a step up or down at some point(s)between panels unless the land is level throughout, fence fitters have to judge where to put the steps.

Basically if the ground is not level and you've specified a 6ft fence it will not be the same level all round.  

givememoney

Here are the 3 panels bog standard the one to the left is the same height as the one with the tree hanging over and all the others from there on are the same height

FreeBear

givememoney said: There is a line of fencing 6ft. Near the middle 3 panels have been fitted at slightly lower level which looks strange. The fitters told me they had to do that as the ground is lower.

So a slight dip over a distance of 6 metres or so - It shouldn't have been an issue to fit 12" gravel boards dug in to the ground a little in that section and have 6" gravel boards on the rest of the run. Regs suggest a max fence height of ~2m, but this is usually measured from a high point and averaged along the full run.

givememoney

FreeBear said:

givememoney said: There is a line of fencing 6ft. Near the middle 3 panels have been fitted at slightly lower level which looks strange. The fitters told me they had to do that as the ground is lower.

So a slight dip over a distance of 6 metres or so - It shouldn't have been an issue to fit 12" gravel boards dug in to the ground a little in that section and have 6" gravel boards on the rest of the run. Regs suggest a max fence height of ~2m, but this is usually measured from a high point and averaged along the full run.

Hi can I assume that you are experienced in fence work?  I understand what you are saying. Can I ask you this. If you had done my fence, would you have done the same as them or would you have made it all line up?  Am I right to complain that's what I want to know.  Thank you

Nearlyold

Hmmm taking back what what I said earlier that's such a small difference in ground levels, I would have thought the top fence line could have been kept more or less level with a slightly higher gravel board under the lower panels or if really necessary just have the one step down after the 1st panel on the left, its the step down and back up again that looks silly.

FreeBear

givememoney said: Hi can I assume that you are experienced in fence work? 

If you had done my fence, would you have done the same as them or would you have made it all line up?

Not experienced in fencing. Only done a couple around my property.. But if I had been overseeing your fence, I'd have pushed for an even line along the top. Three panels dropping in the middle of the run would look odd to my eye and I'd be asking for an extra gravel board at the bottom to level it all up.

It is you paying the bill, so you have every right to dictate what you want rather than what the fence installers think is OK.