How Tall Should a Picket Fence Be?

23 March 2015

A hand-crafted picket fence radiates charm, adding timeless ambiance to your property border. Tilt your head to one side and you see a traditional fence style that connects to old world values. A slight twist in perspective, a slant toward utilitarian matters, and you see the inherent functionality and dramatic allure of the design. While descriptive, these embellished terms only serve to underscore the beauty and practicality of a picket fence. You need a bit more to chew on than flowery words. For instance, you’re fence designer relies on nothing more than the outline of your residence when plugging in the two dimensions that create the flow of your picket fence around your garden, but what of height? This third value depends on less fixed specifications, requiring only your input to balance aesthetic concerns against security matters.

Slanting Your Picket Fence Toward Visual Allure

Purpose, circumstance, and location are initial factors to consider when deciding on the height of the fence. The typical height of the vertical boards in this scenario trend toward a 4 or 5 foot height (between 1.2 and 1.5 meters). Isn’t there a moment in your own life where you strolled down a street, passing between giant trees, and found yourself sub-consciously pressing a hand against the points that crowned each board? That’s because this layout is favoured along residential streets for showing off gardens while using the decorative wood of the picket fence to highlight the property. The gaps between the boards enhance this experience and act as a climbing frame for flower beds.

Celebrate Charm and Incorporate Privacy

In theory, you can opt for taller picket fences. The panels would stick with the same length and be built from the same wood, vinyl if wood isn’t an option, but the height of the format would reach for the sky. Logically, the tallest board would be measured to keep prying eyes away from your garden, meaning the boards would top out at 6 or 7 feet (1.8 to 2.1 meters). Gap elimination enters this situation, leading to the placement of the vertical boards on an edge-to-edge basis. The only addendum to this format is some form of interesting pointing to offset reduced decorative influences, perhaps the inclusion of a scalloped theme where boards alternate slightly in height to restore the classic allure of the fence. The final note at this point is a practical one. Keep in mind a possible need for planning permission as you may end up obstructing a neighbours view, an act that will plant a sour face on the friendliest residents.

Plan your picket fence, have it installed panel by panel to your specifications, and sit back with a cool glass of lemonade as you enjoy the classic look of the new border.

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