Fence & Gate FAQ
Common questions about materials, steel posts, repairs, gates, staining, commercial work, and planning your project.
Pecos builds wood privacy, wrought iron, and chain link fencing for residential and commercial properties. We also build custom gates, repair fences and gates, and provide fence staining. The right material depends on what the property needs—privacy, pet containment, open views, access, screening, or a practical perimeter.
Yes. Steel posts are Pecos' preferred structural standard for wood privacy fencing. The post is the backbone of the fence, and North Texas fences deal with wind, soil movement, long dry periods, heavy rain, gate loads, and everyday wear. Exact post size, spacing, footing, and attachment still depend on fence height, gate openings, grade, and the property, but we generally prefer putting the wood fence on a steel structure rather than relying on wood posts.
A side-by-side fence places pickets next to one another in a single plane. It is a clean, straightforward privacy-fence style. Board-on-board fencing overlaps alternating pickets, creating more depth and helping maintain privacy as lumber naturally shrinks and moves. Board-on-board uses more material and labor, so it typically costs more. Cap-and-trim details can be added to either design when the property calls for a more finished architectural look.
Yes, where the property, local requirements, and neighborhood rules allow it. Six-foot privacy fencing is common for residential yards, while an eight-foot fence can create more screening in the right setting. Taller fences create more wind load and place more demand on posts, rails, and gates, so height should be treated as a structural decision rather than simply ordering longer pickets. HOA rules, easements, pool requirements, and municipal restrictions should be confirmed before finalizing the height.
Repair usually makes sense when the failure is concentrated and the surrounding fence still has useful structural life. A few failed posts, a broken rail, missing pickets, one sagging gate, or a limited storm-damaged section can often be repaired without tearing down the entire fence. Replacement becomes more attractive when posts are failing throughout the property, rails are deteriorated in many sections, pickets are heavily rotted or brittle, and multiple gates no longer operate correctly. Pecos is comfortable recommending a repair when repair is the better value.
Often, yes. A leaning fence may be caused by one failed post, several moving posts, an old footing, wind loading, drainage, grade, or a gate transferring load into the surrounding structure. Pecos checks the posts on both sides of the visible problem, along with rails, fasteners, corners, and nearby gates. If the rest of the fence is sound, targeted post replacement or a partial rebuild may be enough. If the lean repeats every few sections, broader replacement may be a better long-term decision.
Yes. Fence-post replacement can be one of the most useful repairs when the rails and pickets around the failed post are still worth keeping. The old footing, access, post spacing, rail attachment, and alignment all affect the repair. On wood privacy fences, Pecos may recommend replacing a failed wood post with steel when the existing layout supports the upgrade. Gate posts receive additional attention because they carry moving loads and can create repeated alignment problems when the support is weak.
Yes. Pecos repairs sagging, dragging, sticking, twisted, or misaligned walk and driveway gates. The repair may involve hinges, latches, frame reinforcement or rebuilding, hinge posts, latch posts, rollers, track, guides, or operator components on an automated system. We check why the gate moved before simply replacing hardware. If the opening is too narrow for mowers, trailers, trash bins, or everyday access, the repair can also be a good time to consider a more useful width.
Yes. Pecos builds and plans swing and sliding driveway gates and can include automation. Operator selection depends on gate weight, opening geometry, frequency of use, available power, and site conditions. Depending on the project, the system may use solar or hardwired power and include photo eyes, access controls, safety devices, rollers, track, guides, and operator mounting. The gate itself should move correctly before an operator is expected to compensate for a dragging or poorly aligned frame.
Yes. Pecos installs chain link for both residential and commercial properties. Residential uses can include yards, dog containment, side areas, larger properties, and practical boundaries. Commercial uses can include service yards, equipment areas, secure perimeters, storage, and vehicle or pedestrian access. Galvanized and black-coated options are available depending on the property and appearance goals.
Yes. Pecos can stain new fences, clean and restain existing fences, and prepare older finish when it needs to be corrected or removed before a new coat. Stain helps protect wood and gives the fence a more consistent appearance, but preparation matters. New lumber, weathered boards, failed coatings, sprinkler deposits, dirt, and algae do not all receive the same preparation. Structural repairs should be completed before finish work so stain is being applied to a fence that is actually worth maintaining.
There is not one universal waiting period that fits every fence. Lumber moisture, weather, sun exposure, the wood itself, and the stain system all matter. The important part is that the wood is ready to accept the finish rather than applying stain simply because a fixed number of days has passed. Pecos evaluates the condition of the fence and the product being used before recommending the timing. Once stained, future maintenance should be based on how the finish is weathering rather than one rigid calendar interval.
Yes. Pecos provides commercial wood fencing, wrought iron, chain link, pedestrian gates, vehicle gates, and mixed perimeter systems. Commercial projects often add considerations such as deliveries, employee access, service yards, equipment security, customer-facing appearance, temporary access during demolition, and the need to keep an active property functioning during installation. We prefer to define those details in the scope so the proposal describes the real work instead of relying on a vague price per foot.
Those items should be resolved as early as possible. Pool barriers can have specific height, opening, gate, latch, and local-code requirements. HOAs may control material, height, stain color, and placement. Texas 811 is part of responsible excavation planning for participating public utilities, but private irrigation, landscape lighting, pool lines, septic components, and owner-installed electrical may need separate attention. If a property line, easement, or setback is uncertain, a current survey or other reliable boundary information is better than assuming the old fence is correct.
We look beyond linear footage. The site walk can include total runs, corners, fence height, grade changes, drainage, gates, demolition, haul-off access, utilities, irrigation, trees and roots, AC equipment, pools, masonry, retaining walls, neighboring fences, pets, parking, and how materials can move through the property. Gate openings receive their own attention because their posts and frames carry different loads. The goal is a scope that explains the actual project before construction begins.
Start with your city, the type of project, approximate footage if you know it, whether an existing fence needs repair or removal, the project address, and a short description of what you want to solve. For repair work, photos are especially useful. After submitting the Pecos free estimate form, you will receive a confirmation email and can reply to it with wide photos of the fence line plus closer photos of posts, rails, gates, or damaged areas.
Yes. Discounts are available for first responders, active-duty military, veterans, and educators. Mention it when you request your free estimate.
Pecos is based in Fate and serves Rockwall County and a focused group of East DFW communities: Fate, Rockwall, Royse City, Caddo Mills, Greenville, Farmersville, Nevada, Josephine, Lavon, Rowlett, Wylie, Garland, Sachse, Sunnyvale, Forney, McLendon-Chisholm, Terrell, and Quinlan.
Pecos can build with cedar or pressure-treated lumber depending on the project, budget, and finish goals. Cedar is often chosen when appearance, stain quality, and a cleaner finished look are priorities. Pressure-treated material can make sense where utility and budget are more important. The visible wood is only part of the decision: post structure, rails, fasteners, picket layout, gate framing, trim, and finish all affect the final fence. We prefer steel posts on wood privacy fencing so the structural backbone is not dependent on the same wood material used for the visible fence.
Yes. Cap-and-trim detailing can give a privacy fence a more finished architectural top line and can work especially well with board-on-board construction. The trim should be planned as part of the fence rather than added as an afterthought because material quantities, section layout, gate transitions, and top-line consistency all change with the design. Pecos can also coordinate stain so the cap, trim, pickets, and gates read as one finished system instead of a group of separate add-ons.
Yes. Sloped properties require a little more planning because the fence still needs to follow grade, maintain useful clearances, and look intentional. Depending on the style and slope, sections may be racked with the grade or stepped. Gates need special attention because a swing path that works on flat ground can drag or bind when the grade changes. Pet containment, drainage, low spots, retaining walls, and the way the fence meets neighboring sections should all be considered before choosing the final layout.
Demolition and haul-off can be included in the project scope. Before work starts, Pecos looks at how the old fence can be removed, where debris can move through the property, whether existing concrete or post holes create extra work, and whether access is tight around pools, landscaping, AC equipment, or side yards. We prefer to spell demolition and haul-off out in the free estimate so the customer knows whether the free estimate includes complete removal rather than finding out after installation has already started.
Sometimes, but reusing an old hole should not override good layout. If an existing location lines up with the new fence, the old footing can be removed cleanly, and the spacing works for the new structure, reuse may be practical. In other cases, old concrete, damaged soil, a new gate width, or a different section layout can make a slightly different post position the better choice. Pecos evaluates the fence line as a whole instead of forcing every new post into the exact footprint of the old fence.
Pets should be part of the project plan before demolition starts. If dogs depend on the existing fence, the sequence of work may need to keep portions of the yard enclosed as long as practical, or the owner may need a temporary containment plan while sections are open. Gate placement, under-gate clearance, grade changes, low spots, and kick-board options can also matter for pet containment. Tell Pecos about pets during the free estimate so the fence can be planned around how the yard is actually used.
The timeline depends on the size and type of project, material availability, demolition, access, weather, utility locating, custom fabrication, concrete, and whether the project includes a gate operator or electrical coordination. A targeted repair and a long commercial perimeter should not be expected to follow the same schedule. Pecos prefers to discuss timing after the site conditions and scope are understood rather than promise one standard number of days before seeing the property. If you have a deadline, event, closing date, pet-containment need, or business-access requirement, include that timing in the free estimate request.
Two free fence estimates can show similar footage and still describe very different projects. Compare fence height, wood species or metal system, post material, post spacing, rail count, picket style, board-on-board overlap, cap and trim, gate width, gate frame, hardware, stain, demolition, haul-off, concrete, access, and specialty details. A lower number can be legitimate, but it should be clear what was removed from the scope to get there. Pecos wants the proposal to be specific enough that you can compare the actual fence rather than guessing from a single price-per-foot figure.
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Pecos can start with the fence type, city, approximate footage, existing condition, and what you want the finished property to do better.
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