Choosing the Best Fence Height for You and Your Family

It’s every dog owner’s worst nightmare: you open the back door to let your dog outside while you finish eating lunch, and when you open the door and call them back in, there’s no response. You search your yard, but can’t find your dog anywhere. Usually you watch your dog closely in the yard, but you were almost done with lunch and thought it would be fine. Your dog loves to jump. Did they jump the fence?

At least 14% of dog owners lose their dog at least once in the first five years. While a lot of those instances are inevitably due to the dogs squeezing out when you open the front door or someone leaving the back gate open, that number would probably be lower if everyone had the proper fence for their dog. Some dogs can jump high, and some can even climb fences.

Whether you have a dog you want to keep contained in your yard, or you want to make sure your neighbors can’t look in your back windows, you’ll need a good fence. What if you have a garden you want to show off, but want to keep any animals that might eat your plants out? There are a lot of things to keep in mind when choosing the best fence height. Northland Fence has been in the business for 20 years, so we have lots of tips to share.

Common Fence Heights for Common Fence Types

With each type of fence comes a different height of fence. Let’s look at them now.

Decorative Fencing

Decorative fencing is typically on the shorter side: three to four feet. It’s usually built for aesthetic purposes, not practical ones, so the height isn’t necessary. In some cases, decorative fencing might be built specifically to be seen alongside your house and yard, serving as part of your landscaping. 

Privacy Fences

Privacy fences are definitely not built to show off your house like some decorative fencing may be. Instead, they’re built for, as the name suggests, privacy. The standard privacy fence height is six feet. That should be plenty of height to protect your backyard from prying eyes, and to protect your eyes from any unpleasant views your property has the pleasure of existing alongside.

Pool Fences

Pool fencing has additional regulations that other fence types don’t. This is for safety purposes. You’ll have to check your local regulations to be sure, but pool fencing almost always has to be at least four feet tall.

Garden Fences

You have a lot of options when it comes to garden fencing. If you’re worried about chipmunks and skinks, you can probably make do with a low fence. If deer are a problem, however, you’ll need a fence that’s eight feet tall, or else they’ll be able to jump over it. If you want something for more aesthetic purposes, a short metal fence might look nice.

Shorter Fences

Shorter fences usually serve as boundary fences. They can mark the edges of large properties, or mark front yards. Usually, these are three feet. Sometimes short fences multi-task as decorative fences. If you don’t think you’ve ever seen a fence shorter than four feet, you at least know of one: the stereotypical white picket fence.

Fence Style Options

There are a lot of different fence styles, from aesthetics to materials, so let’s do a quick overview of the most common options:

• Metal fencing. These can be installed at any height, but because there are gaps, they aren’t the right option for anyone looking for a privacy fence. They’re great for curb appeal, though. They tend to work best at lower heights. You can also get spear-topped ornamental metal fencing, which will dissuade anyone from climbing over at higher heights. If you want to go with metal fencing, we’d recommend galvanized steel for the material.
• Vinyl fencing. Vinyl is solid with no gaps, so it’s great for your standard six-foot-tall privacy fence. It’s highly customizable, with different colors and styles available. It also helps block out noise if your property is by a busy street.
• Chain link fencing. While installing a chain link fence is another option that won’t work for privacy fencing, it’s great for keeping pets in your yard. It comes in all sizes, so if you have dogs that jump high, you can go with a taller fence, too.
• Wooden fencing. While popular and versatile, we recommend against wooden fencing, especially in Minnesota. Sure, wood makes a great privacy fence, but that’s only before it starts rotting, fading, or falling apart. Vinyl can achieve any goal wooden fencing can with far more durability and less maintenance.

If you aren’t sure what style to go with, or where exactly you want your fence, we have an online fence builder that’s worth checking out. It won’t cost you anything, and can help you develop the perfect vision for your yard.

Retaining Walls and Other Materials

If you need to build a fence on a retaining wall, things get a little tricky. Make sure to check your city’s regulations for details on what to do. In Minnesota, you can build retaining walls under four feet without a permit, but anything larger than that needs one.

As far as other materials go, some locations limit the materials your fences can be made from. Barbed wire and electric fences are outlawed in Minnesota, so if you’re looking to build one of those, you’re out of luck.

Next Steps for Fence Installations in Minnesota

Now you’re an expert in fence heights! Between this blog and our online fence builder, you might have an idea of the height and kind of fence you want now. While you’re welcome to try to tackle a DIY project, that will be hard with any of our recommended materials. Instead, consider giving Northland Fence a call. We’ll handle everything you need.