Connecting To A Neighbor's Fence? (Here's What You Can Do)

Fences are a great investment. They provide you and your neighbors with privacy and keep pets and children in your yard. They can even add value to your home.

But building a fence, or connecting to a neighbor’s fence without consulting them could cause major issues. Fence disputes can cause even the friendliest neighbors to hold a grudge.

There are ways to connect two fences, but you should always check with your neighbor first. When connecting to a neighbor’s fence, be sure you’re following proper fence etiquette, respecting property lines, and considering local regulations.

A lot of the traditional styles of fencing have a “good side” and an unfinished, or backside. The good side shows the smoother, finished fence while the backside shows the posts.

It’s common courtesy in fence etiquette to give your neighbor’s the good side of the fence. This is also standard practice, and your fence would look backward if you faced it the other way. There are also “good neighbor” fences you can purchase, which are fences that look the same on both sides.

Building a fence without asking your neighbor is impolite. But connecting to your neighbor’s fence post without asking is even worse.

From your neighbor’s perspective, they invested a lot of time and money into installing a fence in their yard. If you’re connecting to their fence, you’re directly benefiting from the money they spent to build that side of the fence. Your neighbor might even want you to contribute to some of the costs of that side of the fence.

Before you think about building a fence, make sure you know where your property line is. A lot of homeowners mistakenly think their property is bigger than it is. They often rely on what their real estate agent told them when they bought the house.

But If you don’t have an official property map, you should clarify this before you build a fence. Without this, you won’t have a leg to stand on if your neighbor claims you’re encroaching on their property.

To find out where your property line is, call a property surveyor. A land survey usually costs around $500 and will tell you exactly where your property line is. Many homeowners who have had one agree that it’s well worth the cost to have proof of their property boundaries.

Kevin Cooper is a real estate agent from New Hampshire. He has a good example of why some neighbors might be hesitant to let you connect to their fence. When Kevin had new neighbors move into the house behind his, he noticed fence builders on his property. The fence company was attempting to connect to Kevin’s fence, and build part of their fence on his property.

Why? Because the new homeowner mistakenly thought that the fence was the official border between their yards. In reality, Kevin’s fence was built a few feet into the border of his property. The new homeowner was understanding and politely asked if he could tie into Kevin’s fence.

Kevin agreed to let him do this, as long as the new neighbor maintained that part of the fence. The new neighbor agreed, and everything was peaceful. That is until that neighbor sold his house a few years later.

Kevin called his neighbor’s listing agent to make sure his neighbor told them about the fence agreement. The listing agent was unaware, which caused a slew of issues with the title and insurance policy. Having one person’s fence extend onto another’s property can be difficult to mitigate legally, and could turn off prospective buyers.

Luckily, Kevin worked out an agreement permitting the next owners to use his property for the fence. But situations like these are a reminder of why it’s important to have open communication with neighbors about fence building. It also proves why it’s essential to know where your property line is.

If your border extends out past your fence, you might be concerned about losing part of your land. If you let your neighbor connect to your fence, you will lose that space outside of your fence.

But if it’s only a few inches or feet, try not to stress about it. Since you already had a fence built inside of the property line, did you ever use that space anyway? Letting your neighbor connect to your fence is a worthy sacrifice to maximize your privacy, and build neighborly trust. If you’re concerned about the loss of some of your land, ask them to reimburse you to make up for it.

This is a valid concern when neighbors share a fence. Just make sure that you communicate your concerns with your neighbor. If your fences are connected, consider having an agreement in place to protect both you and your neighbor.

A written agreement can state that you own the fence, but you are letting your neighbor connect to the fence. You can include that any damage to the neighbor’s side of the fence needs to be repaired by the neighbor. You can also specify maintenance you’d like them to complete to their side of the fence, like refinishing as needed.

Related Questions

Can I join two different styles of fence together?

If your neighbor has a different style of fence than the one you’re installing, you can still make it work. Many professional fence companies are skilled at joining fences together, even when connecting different materials. There are ways to do that tastefully that will compliment the landscape.

How much will it cost to build a fence?

Fences can get costly, especially with labor costs. But many homeowners will agree it’s worth the cost – fences are a lot of work, and take a long time to build. The cost depends on the length, height, and type of material. Wood fences cost anywhere from $17-$45 per linear foot.