Guide - Installation
How a fence is installed in Winnetka
A fence goes in the same order every time: locate, set terminal posts, set line posts, cure, hang panels, then gates and drainage. On a flat Winnetka lot the work is quicker, but the shortcuts people take are exactly what make a fence fail early.
How a fence actually goes in, post to panel
Before the myths, here is the real sequence on a Winnetka lot. It is the same order every time, and getting each step right is what makes a fence last:
- Locate and mark. We confirm the property line, mark the run, and call for utility locates so no post hits a line.
- Set the terminal posts. The end, corner, and gate posts go in first, in concrete footings, because they carry the whole run.
- Set the line posts. Evenly spaced between the terminals, plumbed, and set in concrete to standard depth in the level soil.
- Let the concrete cure. Posts need time to set before they take the load of panels or mesh, and skipping this is where leaning fences come from.
- Hang the panels or stretch the mesh. Wood pickets, vinyl panels, or tensioned chain link go on once the posts are solid.
- Set the gates and drainage. Gates are hung to swing true and latch, and the bottom gap and grade are checked so the run does not dam water.
The flat-lot myths that cost Winnetka homeowners money
Level ground makes a run faster to set, but the footing depth is about frost, wind load, and the height of the fence, not the slope. A six foot privacy fence is a big sail whether the lot is flat or not, and a shallow post leans in the first wind. We set to proper depth in concrete regardless of how easy the ground looks.
This one is backwards. A flat lot is exactly where drainage matters, because water does not run off on its own. A solid privacy fence set tight to the ground can act like a dam in a winter storm, ponding water against its own posts. We plan a bottom gap and grade the line so the fence sheds water instead of trapping it.
It is tempting on a quick flat-lot job, but posts loaded before the concrete sets are the number one cause of a fence that leans within a year. The cure time is not padding, it is what lets the footing carry the load. We build it into the schedule.
Height rules still apply: about six feet in the side and rear, three and a half feet in the front, with a corner visibility triangle. And a boundary fence is shared under California law, so a quick word with the neighbor before you build saves a dispute later. Flat ground does not change the rules.
What the crew brings to a Winnetka install
The reason those myths cost money is that they all skip a step that protects the fence, and on an easy flat lot it is tempting to skip. A good install does the opposite: it treats the flat ground as a chance to set a truly straight, plumb, well-cured line rather than an excuse to rush. That means terminal posts sized and set first, line posts to depth, real cure time, gates hung to latch, and the drainage detail a level lot needs. It is not glamorous, but it is the difference between a fence that stands straight for twenty years and one that leans after the first winter.
When you are ready to plan the job, the cost guide lays out what each step and material costs, and the wood fencing page covers the most common Winnetka install in detail.
Have it installed right
We set posts to depth, cure before we load them, and plan the drainage a flat lot needs. Free on-site estimate, no obligation.
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Everything here sits inside our wider work on Winnetka fence and gate installers.