How to Install a Picket Fence
An expert's step-by-step guide to digging postholes and assembling panels for a picket fence
There are few things as warm and welcoming as a white picket fence. A properly built and installed fence can beautify a home's landscape, define property lines and add a modicum of security. Building a fence from scratch, even a short fence, takes quite a bit of time and requires an arsenal of woodworking tools.
Fortunately prefabricated fencing sections make it much easier for the average homeowner to install their own fence. The preassembled fencing panels come in a wide variety of sizes and styles, including picket, stockade, and square spindle.
The hardest part of any fence installation is digging the postholes. The level of difficulty, not surprisingly, depends on the fence length and hardest of the soil. For a short fence, use a manual posthole digger. However, if you've got more than a dozen or so holes to dig, consider renting a gas-powered posthole digger.
Picket Fence Overview

WARNING: Before you start digging, make sure to call 888-258-0808 to have all buried utility lines located and marked.
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