Wood Fence Installation Lakeland FL

Wood Privacy and Picket Fences Across Lakeland

Stained wood privacy fence bordering a backyard lawn with a child's swing

Wood is the traditional fence material in Lakeland. It suits a bungalow in Dixieland as well as a newer house in a south Lakeland subdivision, it can be built tall for privacy or low for a front yard, and it takes whatever stain color you like. Lakeland Fence Co. handles wood fence installation across Lakeland and nearby Polk County towns.

Backyard privacy is the usual goal: room for a dog to run, a pool screened from the street, or a little distance from the house next door. Others want a short picket fence out front or a new gate set into an existing run.

Pricing begins with a visit. We walk the line, talk about styles and gates, and give you a free quote. If wood turns out to be wrong for the spot, vinyl or aluminum may suit it better, and they can be priced at the same visit.

Call 863-216-6430 or send the form with a rough length and the style you have in mind.

Privacy, picket and shadowbox styles
Walk gates and double drive gates
Old fence removal can be priced too
Free quote at your property

Free Wood Fence Quote

Free quote. No obligation.

Wood Fence Styles Seen Around Lakeland

Dog-ear privacy. Flat boards set edge to edge with the top corners clipped. A very common backyard fence in Florida subdivisions.
Board-on-board. A second layer of boards covers the gaps in the first, so the fence stays solid even as the wood shrinks. The most privacy, and the most lumber.
Shadowbox. Boards alternate from one side of the rails to the other with an air gap between them, so both yards see a finished face and the breeze gets through.
Picket. Low, spaced pickets for a front yard or a garden, a good match for the older houses near Lake Morton.
Cap and trim or lattice tops. A flat cap rail or a band of lattice above the boards, as in the banner at the top of this page.

Before settling on one, ask your HOA what height and style it allows, and which side it wants facing out.

New cedar privacy fence with a cap rail and square posts beside a path

Newly built wood double gate between a brick house and an older gray fence

Red-stained wood double gate with a slide bolt

How Wood Fence Installation Is Generally Done

The fence line is staked and strung, and post spots are marked along it, with gate posts placed where you want the openings. Buried lines need to be marked before any digging starts.

Post holes are dug and the posts are generally set in concrete, which matters in the sandy soil found across Polk County. Corner and gate posts take the most strain and are usually the heaviest posts on the job.

Once the concrete has set up, rails go between the posts and the boards are fastened to them. Gates are hung last and adjusted so they swing freely and latch without a shove.

If an old fence is coming out, that happens first. Mention any sprinkler heads or lighting wire near the line so they can be worked around.

Keeping a Wood Fence Sound in the Florida Climate

Sun, rain and humidity work on wood all year here. Unsealed boards turn gray, then begin to cup and split. A stain or water-repellent sealer, put on once the new wood has dried out and renewed every few years, slows that down.

Termites are the other concern. Subterranean termites live in the soil throughout Florida and go after wood that stays damp or touches the ground. Keep mulch, dirt and firewood from piling against the bottom of the fence, and aim sprinklers away from it.

Lakeland’s big shade trees bring their own wear. Branches rub the top rail, leaves gather at the base and hold moisture, and roots can shove posts out of line. Cutting back limbs that hang over the fence helps.

Wood or a Different Material?

Wood gives the most freedom with style and color, and it can be repaired one board at a time. It also asks for the most upkeep. If you never want to stain a fence, vinyl fencing is worth a look. If the back of your lot faces a lake or pond, an aluminum fence keeps the view open.

For a dog that just needs an open run, chain link is another option worth pricing. Whatever you pick, the plan for a wood fence installation and the alternatives can be talked through on the same visit.

What Wood Fence Installation Costs Depend On

Every quote starts with a tape measure. The main things that move the figure:

Length. The number of feet sets how many posts, rails and boards the job needs.
Height. A tall privacy fence takes longer boards and sturdier posts than a short picket fence.
Style. Board-on-board and shadowbox use more lumber than boards set edge to edge.
Gates. Each gate adds hinges, a latch and a stout post to hang from.
The old fence. Taking down and removing an existing fence adds a step at the start.
The ground. Slopes, large tree roots along the line and soft ground near water all add work.

The quote is free. Call 863-216-6430 to set up a time for someone to come out and measure.

Getting Ready for Wood Fence Installation

Find your survey and confirm where the property line runs.
Get HOA approval in hand if your neighborhood has an association.
Check with the city or the county about whether a permit applies to your fence.
Have buried lines marked, and flag sprinkler heads and low-voltage wire yourself.
Talk with the neighbor, especially about which side will face their yard.
Move plants, pavers and stored items back from the fence line.

Wood Fence Questions From Lakeland Homeowners

Which side of a wood fence should face the neighbors?

Many HOAs ask for the finished side to face out, toward the street or the house next door, so check your guidelines. A shadowbox fence looks much the same from both sides, which settles the question.

When is a new wood fence dry enough to stain?

New pressure-treated lumber usually needs to dry out first, and how long that takes depends on the weather. Sprinkle some water on a board: if it beads up, the wood isn’t ready, and if it soaks in, it probably is.

How tall can my wood fence be?

That depends on your address and your HOA, not on us. Check with the City of Lakeland’s permitting office, your own city’s building department if you live in another city (Auburndale, Bartow, Winter Haven, Mulberry and Polk City have their own), or Polk County in unincorporated areas, and read your HOA’s guidelines. Bring what they tell you to the visit and the quote can match it.

Ready for a price on a wood fence? Call 863-216-6430 or use the form and we’ll set up a visit.

More Fence Work Around Lakeland and Polk County

Vinyl fences for a solid fence you wash now and then instead of staining.
Aluminum fences for pool enclosures and lake or pond lots where the view should stay open.
Fence repair for leaning sections, soft posts, storm damage and gates that drag or won’t latch.

Chain link and the full rundown of services are on the home page. The contact page has the number and a short form.