The style most backyards use
A wood privacy fence is what most homeowners picture for a backyard: tall, solid pickets that block sight lines and keep pets and kids contained. The decisions that matter are the picket wood, the pattern, the posts and the height you are allowed.
Pine or cedar pickets?
Pressure-treated pine is the budget choice. Contractor sources put its life at roughly 8 to 12 years, or 10 to 15 depending on the source, and say it can buckle, warp and shrink; one Texas contractor reports warping and cracking after just a few summers (Viking Fence, Cool Cat Fence). Cedar is naturally resistant to rot and insects; see the cedar fence page for the full picture.
Patterns: how privacy holds up as wood dries
- Side-by-side pickets: the least expensive layout, but gaps open as boards shrink.
- Board-on-board: overlapping boards keep privacy as wood shrinks, at the cost of more material.
- Rails and kick boards: extra framing helps resist sagging across long spans.
- Dog-ear tops: a common, simple finish; ask whether you want a cap rail for a cleaner look and added protection.
Posts carry the load
Pickets get the attention, but posts take the wind and the weight. Buried cedar rots faster than pine, so many builders use treated pine or metal posts with cedar pickets. In shallow Hill Country soil, ask specifically how posts will be set when the auger hits rock, and whether the quote lists post spacing.
How tall can a privacy fence be?
Height is where a privacy fence meets the rules. The City’s October 2023 public review draft of its Land Development Ordinance (draft, Article 4 section 4.4.2) proposes an 8-foot maximum height in most cases and a 36-inch limit for solid front-yard fences (4.5 feet if the fence is at least half open). The City says that ordinance is still a draft (LDO project page), so the rules that apply to you today may differ. A solid six-foot front-yard fence is the kind of project to confirm with the City before you order lumber.
If you have an HOA, its covenants may control picket style, color and stain. Texas Property Code § 202.023 lets many associations regulate the type of fence, and some may restrict fences in front of the front-most building line of the house (statute).
Sun, rain and finish
New Braunfels averages roughly 35 inches of rain a year, but swings are wide: about 36.6 inches fell in 2021 and 14.3 in 2022 (Extreme Weather Watch). Bare wood works hard through those soaks and dry spells. Ask the installer what stain or sealer they recommend and when to reapply, and whether the first coat is in the quote.
What to ask before you pick a design
- How many rails per panel, and are they on the neighbor’s side or yours?
- Which side faces out, yours or the neighbor’s? Check your HOA covenants if you have them.
- Are posts set in concrete, and how deep?
- Is a gate included, and does it have its own heavy post?
Related: gates, fence repair, the installation process and the cost guide.
Slopes, gaps and uneven yards
Few New Braunfels lots are dead flat. On a slope, a privacy fence is built one of two ways: stepped, where each section stays level and drops down in steps, or racked, where the pickets follow the ground. Stepping leaves wedge-shaped gaps beneath each section, which matters if you have a small dog or want complete screening. Racking looks smoother but is harder to build on steep ground. Ask which method the crew proposes and what they will do to close the gaps at the bottom.
Neighbors and the finished side
Tell your neighbors before the crew arrives. Even when the fence is entirely on your side, a friendly heads-up avoids disputes about access, trimmed branches and where the line really is. Decide ahead of time which side shows the rails and posts. Some HOAs have a preference, so check your covenants, and a few lots are better off with a design that looks finished from both sides.
Maintenance in plain terms
- Keep sprinklers from soaking the bottom boards; constant moisture is how wood starts to rot.
- Keep soil, mulch and stacked firewood off the pickets.
- Trim vines that hold moisture against the boards.
- Replace one failed picket early, before the rails around it are damaged.
- Check gate hinges and latches each season.