Project Overview

This residential project in Southlake, TX replaced 108 linear feet of fence along a single run at the edge of the
property. The existing fence came out, and 6 ft board-on-board cedar went up in its place with a cedar cap and trim
finish and a stain applied to the completed run.
The complication on this job was access, not length. The fence line runs through an established planting bed —
mature trees standing directly on the line, ground cover, and a stone-edged border with a concrete walk immediately
behind it. There was no room to bring equipment in and no option to clear the bed. Every post was dug and set by
hand in a strip barely wider than a shovel, working around root systems that had been there far longer than the
fence.

Scope and Deliverables

• Site assessment: The single 108-foot run was measured through the planting bed, noting tree positions, the
stone border and the concrete walk behind the line.
• Utility marking: Texas 811 was called before digging. The estimate records wires, gas, pipes or hoses near the
fence line.
• Fence removal: The existing fence was removed and hauled off the property.
• Hand-dug post holes: Post holes were dug by hand through the planting bed to avoid damaging established root
systems and the stone border.
• Post setting: 13-gauge metal posts were set in concrete 24 to 30 inches below grade, each checked for plumb as
it was set.
• Baseboard installation: A 2x6 pressure-treated baseboard was run along the base of the fence at grade.
• Rail framing: 2x4 pressure-treated rails were fastened to the metal posts with Simpson brackets.
• Board-on-board pickets: 1x6 cedar pickets were installed in an overlapping board-on-board pattern across the
full run.
• Cap and trim: 2x6 cedar caps were fitted along the top with 1x4 cedar trim beneath.
• Post caps: Galvanized metal caps were fitted to the posts.
• Stain: The completed fence was stained.
• Haul-off: All job debris was hauled away at no additional charge.

Timeline and Quality

A 108-foot run is a short job on paper. This one was not, because of where the line sits. Posts through a mature
planting bed cannot be augered — an auger hits a root, walks sideways, and either destroys the root or puts the post
out of line. Hand-digging is slower and it is the only way to find a gap between roots and keep the post where the
string says it goes. The videos show each post being checked for plumb against the brick before the concrete went in,
which is what holds a straight top line over 108 feet when the ground beneath it is uneven.
The cap and trim detail does two things on a fence like this. Visually, the 2x6 cedar cap with 1x4 trim beneath gives
the top a finished edge instead of a row of exposed picket ends. Structurally, the cap sheds water off the end grain at
the top of every picket, which is where wood fences take on moisture first. Combined with the pressure-treated
baseboard keeping the picket bottoms off the soil, both ends of every board are protected — which matters more
here than on an open lot, because a fence inside a shaded, planted bed stays damp longer after rain.

Outcome and Benefits

• Preserved landscaping: The established planting bed and the mature trees on the fence line were left intact.
• Full privacy: The board-on-board pattern holds its coverage as the cedar seasons and the boards shrink slightly.
• Finished top edge: A 2x6 cedar cap with 1x4 trim closes the top and sheds water off the picket end grain.
• Protected picket ends: The pressure-treated baseboard keeps the bottoms off the soil in a bed that holds
moisture.
• Structural posts: 13-gauge metal posts in concrete at 24–30 inches replace wood in the ground, the usual first
point of failure.
• Straight line over uneven ground: Each post set to plumb keeps the top line true across the length of the run.
• Longer service life: A stained cedar fence on a metal frame outlasts the wood-post fence it replaced.