The Guide to Sharing a Fence
We get many questions from homeowners looking to purchase a fence that borders their neighbor’s property. One of our most common questions is “Which side do I own?” People who are looking to buy a fence will be concerned about how to fix their fence while still respecting their relationships with neighbors. It is not a good idea to just put in one post without doing some research.
The location of your fence on your property line determines who owns it.
Your fence should not be placed on the property line of your neighbor and your property. It is a shared responsibility. According to Texas fencing laws, if the fence is on one side of the property lines, it becomes the property owner’s property.
Before you buy a fence, it is important to determine if the fence will be shared. Be friendly and open to discussing any changes that you would like to make to the fence. You should ensure that the fence you choose is compliant with all structural and design guidelines for Homeowners Associations.
To learn more about Texas Fence’s Guide for Sharing a Fence, visit Texas Fence.com. This guide will show you how to locate your property line, talk to your neighbor and follow the HOA guidelines.
How can you tell if a fence is yours or belongs to your neighbors?
To determine if you share or own your fence, it is important to have a visual and clear understanding of the location of your property lines. There are two methods to determine property boundaries.
Do it yourself
Hire Humble Fence Company
Ground pins are iron rods that are 6-10 inches below the property’s outer corners. They are used to mark property lines. When property lines were first drawn, they were installed by a licensed surveyor. To locate your property lines, you can use a metal detector. To mark your property line, you can place a flag at the spot where you found the pins.
If you decide to go DIY and dig the ground pins yourself, it is important to identify the location of any utility or electrical lines before digging. Call 811 before you begin the project to avoid any injuries or damages.
Contact a surveyor if you are unable to locate your ground pins, or need additional measurements. A surveyor will use GPS coordinates in order to pinpoint the exact location of your property lines. After they complete your survey, don’t forget about the report. You will need to survey certain areas in Bellaire or West University before you can construct any type of fence, private or shared.
Talk to your neighbor!
You and your neighbor are responsible for the fence if you share it. Do not assume that your neighbor will be okay with you making assumptions. Your neighbor may be annoyed if someone comes to their property and takes down or replaces a fence they partially own. Before you make any changes to the fence, talk to your neighbors to find out what design and financial agreements you can reach. They might be willing to split the cost with you and negotiate which fence will face your property and which one faces theirs.
There are two sides of every fence. The ugly side has rails and the pretty side has pickets only. If your neighbor has a driveway and garage wall on their side, and you have a swimming pool on yours, you may be able to have the pretty side face your pool. Sometimes, your neighbor might want the ugly fence facing their property. If you have young, curious children, they might want rails on their property to stop them from climbing up and injuring their children. It is impossible to predict what your neighbor will say. However, if you share a fence, it is best to have a discussion about it. Bake some cookies and knock on the door of your neighbor to find a plan for your fence.
What does your neighborhood think about your fence?
After having a conversation, you can contact your neighbors to verify that your fence plans are within Texas’ residential fence laws. To ensure uniform fences, some HOAs and communities have adopted fence regulations.
We’ve seen a rise in the popularity of the “good neighbor fence”. A good neighbor fence will alternate the rail and picket sides of the fence every 7ft so that each neighbor has equal access to the ugly and pretty parts. Fences must face any public roads in Houston and the Woodlands. These rules are necessary to maintain a safe environment for pedestrians and drivers, as well as to stop trespassers climbing over fences.
Do you have any questions about maintaining a shared fence. Our company has over a decade’s experience in building fences on private property lines. Humble Fence Company can help you and your neighbors agree on a fence and build the perfect one to satisfy both parties.