Fences · Des Moines & the metro
Fencing
in Des Moines, IA
We build privacy, horizontal-board and picket fences and gates in Des Moines, IA, in treated lumber or cedar, with posts below the frost line so the fence is still straight in five winters.
What the job covers
Fencing,
start to finish.
- Layout and locatesProperty pins found, the line agreed with you, and Iowa One Call (811) notified before a single hole is dug.
- Posts4x4 or 6x6 treated posts set in concrete below the 42-inch frost depth, spaced for the panel and the wind.
- Privacy and horizontal fencesSix-foot dog-ear or flat-top privacy fence, or horizontal boards for a modern line, with a cap rail where you want one.
- Picket and yard fencesShorter picket or spaced-board fences for front yards, dogs and pool surrounds.
- GatesWalk and drive gates hung on adjustable hardware so they still latch after the ground moves.
- Repairs and replacementLeaning sections reset on new posts, or an old fence taken down and hauled away before the new one goes up.
Worth knowing
Fence line, utility locates and post depth.
A fence is a row of posts, and the posts are the whole job. Des Moines publishes a frost depth of 42 inches, and a post that stops short of it gets lifted by the ground freezing under it and set back down crooked when it thaws. We dig to depth and set every post in concrete, which is why our fences are still straight when the ones set in dirt have started to wander.
Before any digging, Iowa law requires a locate request through Iowa One Call, 811, so that gas, electric, water and fiber lines are marked. We place the call and wait for the marks. We also find the property pins with you, because a fence six inches over the line is a dispute waiting to happen and the fix is expensive.
Most metro cities limit fence height by yard, front versus side and back, and some require a permit or a setback from the sidewalk. Corner lots have sight-line rules. We check the rules for your address and tell you before we quote, so the fence you pay for is the fence you are allowed to keep.
Signs a fence is due
Signs it is time to call.
Posts lean after every winter
They were set too shallow or in dirt. Frost lifts them a little more each year until the panels fall.
The gate drags or will not latch
Usually a heaved post, not a bad gate. Reset the post and the gate is fine.
Boards are gray, soft or splitting at the bottom
Ground contact and no cap. The posts are probably going the same way.
A new dog, a new pool, a new neighbor
Three good reasons to call. All three want the line settled before the first post.
Get an estimate
Tell us what you want
to build.
We look at the site, check what the parcel allows, and put the scope and the price in writing. Then you decide.
- Footings below the 42-inch Des Moines frost depth
- Drawings prepared for your city's permit office
- Free estimates in writing, after a site visit
- Five-year warranty on our labor, insured
- Within about 40 miles of Des Moines
- If a repair will not hold, we say so before you sign
Fastest
Call us
Describe the project and book a site visit in the same call. Photos help, and you can text them to the same number.
(515) 414-8477In writing
Send the details
Better for larger buildings, additions, and anything you want on record before a visit.