Yes. A fence on a slope is either racked, with the rails angled to match the ground, or stepped, with level panels that drop one after another. Clarksville yards roll, and many fall away toward a creek or a drainage swale, so we build one or the other on a large share of jobs.
Racked or stepped: which is better?
- Racked: the rails follow the grade and the pickets stay plumb. The bottom stays close to the ground, which is what you want with dogs and on gentle to moderate slopes.
- Stepped: each panel is level and the next one sits lower. It handles sharp drops and panels that cannot be angled, but it leaves a triangle of open space under every panel.
- Stick-built: the frame goes up first and each picket is cut to the ground. It is the slowest method and gives the closest fit in wood.
I have a dog that digs and a yard that drops. How do I avoid gaps?
Ask for a racked or stick-built fence so the bottom tracks the ground, and then secure the base. Options are a pressure-treated kick board along the bottom, wire mesh buried a short way under the line, or pavers set along the inside. With chain link, a bottom rail or a tension wire stops the dog from pushing the mesh up.
My yard is steep and rocky and two companies turned the job down. Who does this?
Phone us and we will walk it before answering. Rock is normal here. Montgomery County sits on limestone, and on ridges and hillsides it can be a foot or less under the clay, with loose chert above it. Posts in rock are cored with a rock bit or set in drilled holes and anchored. On a steep bank we may also shift the line a little to better ground. It takes longer, and it can only be priced after seeing the site.
Do installers dig by hand or with a machine?
Both, depending on the hole. A skid steer or power auger does most of the line in open clay. Near marked utilities we dig by hand, as the 811 rules call for care inside the marked zone. Hand digging is also used along a house wall, around tree roots and where a gate in the old fence is too narrow for a machine.
The only real price is one based on your yard. Call (931) 293-9766 for a free on-site estimate, or text us a photo of the fence line.