With spring quickly approaching, I will be doing a lot of work in my yard. My back yard has a chain link fence all around it, which I find useful but ugly. The neighbors on either side of me have taller, wooden fences, so what I would like to is take down my chain link fence on the sides that have a wooden fence on the neighbors property, and then put up a wooden one in the back for more privacy.
Obviously I would have to ask their permission to use their fence (at least that is where the etiquette would come in), but are there any other issues with this that I could run in to? The idea of 2 fences within 3" of each other just seems silly to me. Here is a picture I took last night for reference:
There really isn’t a need for you to attach your fence to his. Just dig a post in right up against his and call it quits. My father had a fence put in at a place I used to rent from him and the fence company just put a post in right next to the existing neighbor’s fence.
The short answer is that you do not have to ask, but if he ever takes it down, it’s on you to fill in the gaps if that is what you want.
Yeah, I wouldn’t attach my new wooden fence to theirs, I would just butt it up against it. I just don’t know if there is anything about me taking mine down and using theirs, but… it’s just a structure, it shouldn’t be any different than me just removing my fence all together, right? It will just clean up my lawn a lot, and make it look better in my opinion.
what if you never had that chain link fence? Then you’d be in the same boat. If the chain link fence is on your property you can do whatever you want. If you just need one stretch of fence, then you just need one stretch of fence. You aren’t really “using” his fence.
yeah i would agree. just put up a wood plank fence along the back and call it quits.
if your neighbors get upset, explain what boardjnky4 said and say it seemed dumb to put up a fence back to back.
yeah exactly…it’s already there, and VERY common for neighbors to just link up. Fencing isn’t cheap so it makes 0 sense to double up. They probably doubled up on the chain link fence because it’s ugly lol.
Yeah don’t double up the fence, and you don’t have to ask to “use” their fence. I would talk to them but I would definitely use their fence to attach yours too. I did the whole “put my own post right next to theirs” thing in my yard and I regret my mistake. It looks like shit.
While you’re asking about etiquette, it’s customary to put the “nice” side facing the neighbors, meaning you keep the posts inside your yard. Not mandatory, but that is the custom.
I would get a permit for the putting the privacy in place of the chain link in the back if your worried about neighbors complaining. Should be very straightforward since there already is chain link. You might not even need a permit. The best way about doing it is to talk to you neighbors and tell them your plan and get their buyoff.
Do like everyone said… I’d call the town to find out about the permit though.
I’m fencing in most of my yard this spring; I called the town; I don’t need a permit, but they want/need to approve the plans of where I plan on putting the fence and what type of fence it is. Sounds strange; but it’s free. So I dropped off my plans the other day; we’ll see what comments they come back with.
Being the one that added a fence between my neighbor and myself…
You need no permission what so ever to us that as your yards boundary, but don’t treat it like it’s your fence.
Should you damage it or suck as a neighbor, you fix it or your neighbor paints shitty orange lines on it so your yard looks like shit.
You should call about the permit though just to be sure. I did not need one as mine is DIY.
I LOVE my fence… no more annoying neighbor kids in my yard, and no more neighbors standing in my driveway at the opposite side talking with the other neighbors. On the downside, now they walk across my front lawn
I would say, take out the chain linked fence on all the 3 sides then just replace the back portion with the wood fencing to match both of the exisitng wood fence.
From what i learned if there is a existing fence that was already in your survey, no premit is needed as it will just be replacing the existing one without any changes, but that was in the town of tonawanda. it might be different i suggest calling the building inspector they should know the information.
Im putting a fence up currently and i spoke with the buidling inspector and he said there is no permit needed and if its replacing a existing property line, you should be ok.
I usually just want to check with my neighbor on this as i always take my neigbhor opnion on it so i dont become the bad neighbor who put up a fence and didnt notify anyone of it being put up.
In Erie that is also the case. You have to put the good side out. My dad came home one day and one of his neighbors put a new fence up and did it the other way and the police told the guy he had to fix it. That must have cost a pretty penny… and it was definitely a good laugh because the fence posts had to be pulled because if it was done the other way it would have somehow been on my Dad’s property.
Now that neighbor and my dad don’t get along. Sadly, it could have all been avoided if the guy wasn’t an idiot and forced my dad’s hand. What the hell was he thinking?
So, as an update, I ended up asking my neighbor just to be polite, and started to rip down the fence. Here are some before, and during pictures. All that is left now is the poles.
