If you have an old fence that has been on your property for some time chances are good that portions of it are in bad shape or are falling down. You will most likely want to tear down the fence for replacement at some point. Before you get your hammer and gloves, there are a few things you should do to make sure the project goes off safely and properly. There are several steps a good homeowner takes before making any changes to his property. Some are legal steps and others are just common sense. When you get started with your tear-down project, you want to take the proper safety procedures to make sure you and no one else gets hurt.
Before any tear-down is performed it is extremely important to make sure the fence is yours to remove. If you are unfamiliar with the history of your property and you moved in after your neighbors were already there, then that fence you are thinking about removing may not be yours. The other problem you face is that some installation projects are done without city approval and could be on your neighbor’s property line. If you do not own the fence, then you should probably give some thought to installing a fence that is on your property. Your other option is to discuss the situation with your neighbor and see if he would be willing to tear down the fence so that you can install yours.
Regardless of where you live, you should always contact the local utility companies before you start digging. Your fence posts are installed several feet into the ground and may have been there for a very long time. If the utility companies have done any installation of lines near your fence, then you will need to know that before you start digging up fence posts. The last thing you want to do is get fined because you knocked out phone service to half the neighborhood when you took up one of your old fence posts.
Article Featured from “The Fencing Specialists” blog in Tacoma Washington.
