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Question about setting a post line on a steep hill
I had a job in Asheville last month where the backyard sloped about 15 degrees. The big choice was whether to step the fence panels down the hill or to rack them to follow the slope. I've always been a stepper guy, it's clean and you get level panels. But the homeowner wanted a solid privacy fence for their dogs, and stepping leaves those gaps underneath. I decided to rack it for the first time on a slope that steep. It was a fight with the cedar panels, and I had to custom cut every post to match the angle. It took two full days longer than stepping would have. The final look is great and the dogs are secure, but the extra labor ate most of my profit. For those of you who have done both, when does racking a fence make sense over stepping it?
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drew_jones3113d ago
Racking cedar on that grade is a real bear, no doubt. Emery's right about the profit hit, but sometimes you just can't step it. If the client needs a solid barrier for pets or privacy, those stepped gaps are a deal breaker. The real question is, did you charge enough for that extra two days of custom work? That's where the math has to make sense before you even pick up a saw.
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emery29013d ago
Honestly you racked cedar panels on a 15 degree slope? That sounds like a nightmare. Tbh I would have tried to talk that client into stepping it just to save the headache. Ngl losing most of your profit on extra labor is rough even if the final look is good.
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