Privacy Fences That Actually Block the View

Maybe a new house went up behind you and its deck looks straight down onto your patio. Maybe you’re on a busy road and tired of headlights sweeping across the yard. Or you just want to sit outside in the morning without waving at everyone who walks by. Whatever the reason, a privacy fence is the most direct fix. 76 FENCE BucksMont installs solid privacy fencing across Bucks County and eastern Montgomery County, and we plan each one around what you’re trying to block.

What “private” really means on your lot

A privacy fence is a solid fence with little or no gap between boards. Simple enough. But whether it actually gives you privacy depends on a few things people don’t always think about up front.

• Height limits. Your township or borough sets the maximum height, and it often differs between backyards and front or side yards. We check before we quote.
• Grade. If your yard sits lower than the neighbor’s, a fence of the same height blocks less. Where the ground slopes, we plan stepped or racked sections so the top line stays useful.
• Sight lines. Sometimes one well-placed run along a patio does more than fencing the whole perimeter. We’ll help you figure out which.
• Gaps as wood moves. Wood boards shrink and swell with the seasons. Board-on-board designs overlap so gaps don’t open up.

Three materials, three personalities

Where privacy fences get tricky around here

A tall, solid fence acts like a sail. During heavy spring storms and the occasional nor’easter, wind loads on it hard. That’s why post depth and post setting matter so much. With frost depth in southeast Pennsylvania commonly around 30 to 36 inches, posts need to go deep enough that freeze-thaw cycles don’t heave them out of line.

Ground conditions vary a lot across our area. Central and upper Bucks County have plenty of shale and rock. Yards near creeks tend to have heavy clay and a high water table. Older lots have mature trees and stone walls right where the fence wants to go. We look at all of that on the walk-through, not on install day.

Style options worth a look

A privacy fence doesn’t have to be a plain wall. A lattice top softens the look and lets in a little light at eye level. A horizontal board layout gives a clean, modern line; see our horizontal fence page. And if full coverage feels too closed-in, a semi-privacy fence screens most of the view while letting air move through.

Gates on a privacy fence

A tall, solid gate is heavy, and heavy gates sag if they aren’t built and hung right. We size the gate posts for the load, use hardware rated for the weight and add bracing so the gate still swings and latches cleanly years from now. Think about what needs to come through, too. A single walk gate is fine for people. A mower, a wheelbarrow or a small tractor may call for a wider opening or a double gate. Our gates page covers the options.

What happens after you call

1. On-site visit. We walk the line with you, measure, and talk through height, material and gates. The estimate is free, with no dispatch fee.
2. Paperwork. We handle the permit, any HOA approval and the PA One Call (811) request.
3. Install. Most residential privacy fences take about a day or two on site once materials arrive.

When a storm took out five panels of one customer’s 35-plus-year-old privacy fence, our crew “restored fence as good as new.” That’s the kind of work we want on every job. We also offer and honor manufacturer warranty coverage on every fence we install.

Ready to get your backyard back? Call 215-602-4334 and we’ll set up a time to look at your yard.