Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Pond Boss Field fencing cost

As you all know I've got 20 acres and six dogs. I intend to be a great neighbor and keep what's mine on my property.

I've priced my wire and posts and have a good idea of what it is going to cost. However, the big variable seems to be the labor to install the fencing.

Is there an average price per linear foot? Also, is it bad manners to ask the neighbors who share the fence line to pitch in a bit? All of my neighbors have either cows or horses. The entire perimeter is fenced but it would not keep anything small enclosed. Most of the posts are rotten and the wire is so rusted you can blow on it and it will disintegrate.

Any ideas or opinions? We will need approximately 4000 feet of fencing.

I don't know costs. That's a local deal.

It's fairly normal to ask neighbors to share fencing costs. However, the people with livestock might not be too interested in anything that contains small animals. You might say that if a calf or colt gets through, you wouldn't want dogs chasing them. Most of them have probably been waiting for someone like you to come along.

What is your goal with the fence? keeping your dogs in? would a smaller area work? Keep other animals out? Never hurts to ask a neighbor, are you willing to have a survey to set the fence/property lines? will the neighbors share that cost as well?

Is there an immediate need or can you do this piece meal? Or can you avoid the cost altogether? a really great option if doable.

I have 5 pieces of property and only one did I need to fence, or at least thought I needed to. 3 others put me in a position where I discussed the option with neighbors, just the discussion solved all problems. I am an alien in a foreign world and often over react, but I have found that patience is cheaper than a fence. I am not trying to be trite, but I might have already been through what you are experiencing.

I am going to do 6x6 high tensile field fencing. That will keep big dogs, goats, and sheep in and cows and horses out.

The fencing that is there is probably old redtop 6x6.

What do you mean by "Most of them have probably been waiting for someone like you to come along."?

Do you mean waiting to replace the fence and only pay for half?

DD,

"Most of them have probably been waiting for someone like you to come along."

Man, do you have a splendid way with words. That is Tennessee Williams kind of wisdom.

Yes Rad, a smaller area would work but would not be preferred. The need is pretty immediate. As soon as we get the house done we will be moving there. It would be a great deal of work to leash walk six dogs several times a day. I'd like to have fencing in place within two to three months.

I mean waiting for you to pay all of it.

6 by 6 is overkill for livestock. The silence you hear will probably be deafening.

Anna:

Are you just trying to keep the dogs in, or others out? I know in your situation that continually training new arrivals might not be an option, but if you only want to keep yours in, wireless might be the way to go for the larger area, and just fence a smaller area for the new arrivals? It also depends on the prey drive of the current residents as well.....

I know some of the terrain might preclude burying the wire, I don't know how well system would work with the wire partially above ground. If that's an option, maybe run the transmit wire closer to the ground and have an upper wire that is hooked up to a fence controller to keep any livestock from breaking the lower wire?

Yes for livestock 6x6 is overkill but it is what is already there. However, barbed wire won't keep the dogs in either, so it's not an option.

Essup we do plan to have some small livestock that will need to be contained as well as the dogs. We will do the cross fencing to divide up the land for different uses, but the perimeter needs to be done.

Underground systems can fail if you don't have a backup generator. I'd rather rely on the physical fence and since the dogs will be swimming in the pond a lot I'm not sure how those collars would hold up to water exposure.

I think your confusion has to do with what you conceptualize as a "good neighbor". In your view, a good neighbor keeps all her animals on her own property, maintains fencerows for same, etc.

In Texas, a good neighbor gives you one warning before he shoots your trespassing dog.

Anna,I just built about a 1000 feet of fence.I used a skidloader to push the t-posts in the ground.It went quick and easy.I can tell you how if your interested.

In most places keeping your animals on your property is a legal requirement not being a good neighbor. Recently in El Dorado a cattle owner shot a dog for trepassing on his property and harassing his cattle. An investigation insued and the rancher was deemed to be within his legal right. Of course the same goes in reverse, cattle and horse owners must contain their live stock.



Personally, I don't think it's "bad manners" at all to ask. Just don't be offended or get angry if they refuse. IMHO be friendly and respectful when you approach them.

Last year I put in 300 feet of T-post and hog wire fence between a neighbor's property and mine. I didn't ask the neighbor for any funds since I knew he had fallen on hard times (injured his back and lost his landscaping company). When I mentioned installing the fence he gave me a bunch of T-posts and a post pounder, I figured he did what he could and that was neighborly enough for me.

The neighbor on the other side of me put in a vineyard and decided to replace the barbed wire fence between us with a 8 foot deer proof fence. He didn't ask for funds and I didn't offer. I had no need for an eight foot fence and the barbed wire fence, although old and somewhat worse for wear, was still standing.

Oh and by the way, don't ask Jhap to build you a fence, mine has more waves in it than the Queen of England in a parade.

1/2 ownership means 50% rights to decision making, today and tomorrow.

Anna, if I'm reading this right you want to keep your small animals and some small livestock on your property and the current fence is in poor condition. Also, you have neighbors that have large animals that currently are staying on their own property despite the fence condition. So, asking if your neighbors want to help pay part of the costs is ok, but like JHAP said, don't be offended. Also, they shouldn't be expected to pay but 1/2 of the costs to put up new barb-wire and not smaller mesh wire.. On that subject, 6x6 wire will result in the goats or sheep or whatever getting their heads stuck in the fence. May want to consider 2x4 non climb wire, I know it's more, but.. you may want to hot wire it 'cause most dogs dig under fences or jump over them..At least my neighbors dogs do..du

One of my Springers could climb a chain link fence to chase a squirrel in the neighbor's yard. That stopped when I strung a hot wire on the top of the fence.

Mom & Dad had their new house surveyed, and it showed that the neighbor's tenant farmer was planting 3 to 4 rows of corn on their property. This Spring we put up Bluebird houses on T-posts every 200' on their side of the surveyor's pin and that straightened out the rows. I'd want the fence barely on my property, that way I control it, like what was said earlier. The neighbor now might be O.K. with splitting the fence, but what happens if the neighbors place is sold and the new neighbors don't want a fence?

Anna:

I want to first say how commendable it is, from both the good pet owner and good neighbor perspectives, that you want to contain your dogs.

We have about a mile and a half of perimeter fence, mostly 48" high tension woven wire with two strands of high tension on top (top most insulated and electrified at times), and what has to be a greater length of interior partitions, mostly six-strand high tension (every other wire electrified when in use). I think your cost for your line fence, material and installation, would be on the order of $4-$5 a foot.

Some other thoughts:

1. Do your dogs dig holes? If so, they will be able to dig under the fence.

2. Can your dogs find holes? Ground that I would swear to be perfectly flat turns out to have an amazing number of holes and dips in it after a nice, taught fence is installed over it.

NOTE: The above problems will make 100% containment difficult. I still applaud your intent to try and believe 95% to 99% containment is a good thing. If the dogs are not released 24/7, and if you keep an eye/ear on them, I think you can be pretty successful.

3. In addition to a hot wire on top of the fence, I suggest a hot wire at the bottom. The latter will help deter the dogs from going under. The low wire will get (partially) shorted by vegetation fairly often (especially when it rains), but IME our dogs are very hesitent to take a chance on getting shocked where they have been hit before (and unlike horses/cattle, they do not a have a greener-grass-on-the-other side reason to push fence and continual test for dead sections).

4. When I was a kid, my Dad had a dog run which was #9 wire stratched between two posts. He attached the dog to the run and it could travel the length on the wire at will. This is not as much freedom as the dog likes, but is a lot quicker to put up than a bunch of fence and will let a dog self-exercise. You may keep that idea on the back brain in case it is needed for an interim solution or if you have one dog that continually escapes despite the fence.

One more note. It may greatly behoove you to find out your local/state fencing law.

In Ohio, adjacent landowners are each responsible for the half of their shared fence on the right-hand side as viewed from their own property. This is only applicable to the extent that each landowner is using the fence. For instance, I couldn't get jack squawt from the subdivision property owners on my South side, since the don't run livestock.

If a landowner is utilizing the fence and doens't maintain their half sufficiently, the controlling authority here is our township trustees. Worst case, they can have the minimum standard fence built (I beleive it is woven wire with two strands of barb on top) and add the bill t\o the negligant owners property taxes.

We have never gotten any monetary contribution from any of our neighbors, as none of them run livestock. We have been able to use the spirit of the law to some advantage, however. We once built about 750 feet of line fence and received a corn crib and a potbelly stove as payment in kind from the neighbor involved. And our maintaining the line fence alongside our oldest (age- and time-wise) neighbors, the only ones now living next door who ever have farmed, has contributed to amiable relations and gotten us some favors in the form of being able to use their land in exchange.

A huge plus one. Reading through these posts it seems at times we were being a little tough on Anna, which I don't think is anyones intention. I completely respect anyone that is going out of their way to control the animals under their care.

subliminal kudos to Sunil at PBconII

I don't know for certain but I think that Bski might be talking behind my back right in front of me. Probably he was referring to Fatty or Tom G though.

Anyhoo, if you had put Sunil in charge of controlling animalistic behavior well, let's just say, that was probably not the best of decisions.

LOL, ahh, I remember that tour well. It was kinda fun and we got to see several neighborhoods in and around Arlington.