You can see the difference just by driving down I-20 or past Sloss Furnace. One yard in Mountain Brook has a fence that looks brand new after a decade. 

Right next door, a fence is leaning and turning gray after just four summers. It is not a mystery why this happens. 

In Birmingham, the dirt and the damp air decide how long your fence lives. If you want a fence that lasts 20 years, you have to build for the local ground.

Most people think a fence is just wood and nails. But in our area, the ground is full of red clay and rocks. This soil acts like a sponge. 

It holds onto water every time we get a heavy rain. When that water sits against a fence post, the clock starts ticking. A cheap fence fails fast because it was not built for Alabama. As a local alabama fence company, we build fences to handle our specific hills and heat.

If you live in Vestavia Hills or Homewood, you know about red clay. This soil is very heavy. When it gets wet, it grows. When it dries out, it shrinks. 

This movement puts a lot of stress on your fence. Cheap contractors often take a major shortcut here. They do not set the posts deep enough in the ground.

In Vestavia Hills, the heavy red clay expands after rain. That is why we set every post deep to stop moving during wet winters. You can check the Birmingham climate data to see how much rain we actually get. 

When a post is shallow, the clay simply pushes it out over time. This is why you see so many wavy fences in neighborhoods like Stockton or Trussville. We see this mistake all the time when we talk to folks at the Birmingham Home Show. 

To stop this, you have to dig past the top layer of dirt. A deep post stays still even when the clay moves. If the post stays still, the whole fence stays straight.

Birmingham is not flat. Areas like Highland Lakes and Liberty Park are full of hills and mountains. 

Building a fence on a slope is much harder than building on a flat lot. You often see gaps at the bottom of fences in these hilly spots. These gaps let pets out and critters in.

We use terraced designs to handle these backyards. This means the fence follows the curve of the land. It keeps the top line looking smooth while staying close to the grass. 

It takes more work to get this right. But it is the only way to make a fence look good in the foothills. We see a lot of these terraced yards in the newer parts of Hoover and Pell City.

The most common repair call we get involves wood gates. Usually, it is because the gate has a wood frame. Wood is heavy and it twists as it gets wet. 

In our humid air near the Cahaba River, a wood frame will sag within a year. Soon, you have to lift the gate just to lock it. It becomes a chore every time you let the dog out.

We solve this by using metal posts and metal frames for our wood fences. Metal does not twist. It does not sag. 

By using a metal frame, we make sure your gate swings easily for years. This is a small change that makes a huge difference. It is a better way to build in a place as damp as our city.

Not all wood is the same. Many people use cheap pine. But that wood struggles in our wooded areas. We trust Japanese cedar wood pickets. Cedar has natural oils that help it fight off rot and bugs. 

This is vital if your yard is near a forest or has lots of trees like you see in Mountain Brook. If you use treated pine, you should check the treated wood standards to ensure it is rated for ground contact.

If you want the least amount of work, low maintenance fencing is a great pick. We use Homeland Vinyl Fence because it handles the sun well. It stays white and clean without you having to pick up a brush. 

For a more open look near Oak Mountain State Park, we suggest aluminum from Digger Specialties. It gives you a great view and it never rusts.

1. Shallow Posts: Not digging deep enough into the red clay causes leaning.

2. Wood Frames on Gates: These sag and break quickly in our thick humidity.

3. Low Quality Wood: Using pine in wooded areas where rot is a major risk.

4. No Permits: Building a fence that breaks local rules in places like Mountain Brook.

5. Cheap Hardware: Using nails that rust and leave black streaks on the wood.

Before you build in Greystone or Highland Lakes, you have to know the rules. Most cities here have a magic height for fences. 

Six feet is the standard height you can build without a lot of extra paperwork. If you want to go up to eight feet, you usually need special approval.

Corner lots are also very tricky. The city often makes you set the fence further back from the road. This is so drivers can see around the turn. 

We see people get in trouble with their HOA in Homewood because they did not check these rules first. 

We handle the permits to make sure your fence stays legal. Most neighborhoods also say no to privacy fences in the front yard.

In our city, moisture is everywhere. The shade from our big oak trees keeps the ground damp. This is the perfect spot for rot to start. Wood rot starts at the base of the fence. It is where the wood meets the wet red clay. 

If your fence is not treated right, the wood will turn soft. Protecting wood fences with a high quality stain is the best way to stop this.

We use Japanese cedar because it resists this rot naturally. We also make sure the concrete around the post is sloped. 

This lets the rain run away from the wood. It keeps the base dry. A dry post is a strong post. If you keep the water away, your fence will easily pass the five year mark.

It is tempting to go with the lowest bid. But a cheap fence is a temporary fence. If you have to replace it in five years, you end up paying twice. 

A fence that lasts 20 years is a much better deal. It adds to your property value. It keeps your kids and pets safe without you having to worry about a falling panel.

When we build a fence, we think about the next two decades. We use metal frames so you never have a sagging gate. We choose materials that can take the Alabama sun. This is how we make sure our fences stand tall while others fail.

Do you want a fence that stands tall for 20 years? We can help. Fencing Unlimited serves the Birmingham area with pride. We build fences that handle the Alabama heat and keep your home safe. Our team focuses on high quality work and good materials.

Stop worrying about rot and leaning posts. Let us build a fence you can trust. We have low lead times because we have the right resources ready to go. 

Whether you are in Oneonta or Hoover, we are ready to help. Come see us at the Trussville Dog Days and let's talk about your yard.

Would you like us to come out and look at your yard for a free estimate?