Backyard trends: Save money installing your own vinyl fence

If you want the maintenance-free benefits of a vinyl fence but are intimidated by the price tag, you're not alone. Many homeowners are initially surprised at the cost of a vinyl fence, particularly since the installation costs are generally as much as the materials. Recent trends show that more and more homeowners are saving money by installing their own vinyl fencing.



In the past few years, the market has surged with DIY-friendly fencing products, making it much easier for a homeowner to install a vinyl fence without the use of specialized equipment. In the past, heavy auguring and cement mixing equipment was required to install a fence, making the project much more intimidating, time consuming and dirty.



The modern way is to install a vinyl fence post much like you would a chain link fence post - by driving a pipe anchor deep into the ground. After leveling the pipe, a vinyl post is sleeved over top. The result is a level fence post installed without the labor-intensive process of digging a deep hole and pouring concrete to set the post.



"The no-dig installation method makes vinyl fence installation so much easier and cleaner," says Denise Esser of WamBam Fence. "You manually drive the posts with a pounder, but for those who don't like the idea of manually driving pipe, there are new gasoline powered pounders on the market. Although certainly not required, renting one for an afternoon makes the job even easier."



The no-dig way of installing vinyl fence has been used in Western Canada, where weather conditions are particularly harsh, for almost 20 years. In the past decade or so, it has also gained traction in the States as fencers and homeowners embrace the simpler installation method, particularly after the method passed wind load tests withstanding the class 1 hurricane category winds of up to 75 mph.



"We believe every homeowner with an average skill set can install their own vinyl fence, which can save their family thousands of dollars," says Esser. "It's important to make sure that the fence you buy has detailed installation guides, videos, and technical support available so that if you run into a snag, you're not left feeling stranded."



This may be one of the reasons that homeowners have been hesitant to tackle their own fencing projects. Along with the labor-intensive and tedious installation method of digging holes and pouring concrete, fencing wasn't previously sold with installation guides and other helpful resources. Fortunately this has changed with the DIY-friendly fencing products currently on the market.



In a day when consumers everywhere are looking to save money, it's refreshing to see that this is one home project that just got a lot easier for homeowners to tackle.