Fencing

By Cary Burgess Standard-Radio Post Reporter

Jeff Dittmar is the owner of Jeff Dittmar Fencing and he has been doing fencing projects for over 25 years in the Fredericksburg area.

Dittmar was born and raised here and graduated from Fredericksburg High School.

Dittmar’s experience growing up locally has helped him prepare for fencing projects in many types of terrain across the entire county.

Dittmar offered advice to those who are looking at fencing projects during the spring and summer season.

First thing you need to do

Dittmar said it may seem obvious, but the first thing you need to do is figure out exactly where your property line is located.

“The first thing you need to do is determine your property line,” Dittmar said. “A lot of people, to be honest with you, don’t know what they bought. Property lines define what you can and cannot do. There are a lot of rules in town as far as setbacks. Different subdivisions have different rules and HOA’s (homeowner’s association) that want to weigh in on what you can and cannot do.”

For that reason, Dittmar says you should do the research ahead of time before you call a fencing company to come out.

“Find your property line and read your deed restrictions and go from there,” Dittmar said.

Know what’s under the ground

Dittmar said people need to have their yard or property inspected for underground electrical lines, gas lines and water pipes.

“When you are having new construction done, make a map of what you have underground,” Dittmar said. “By law, you have to call 8-1-1. Anytime you dig more than 16 inches deep, you are supposed to call 8-1-1. That’s the law.”

The purpose of the fence

Once the basics are taken care of, property owners must determine what the purpose of the fence will be.

“The first thing I ask a person is what is the fence for,” Dittmar said. “Is it for an animal, a dog, privacy or strictly for aesthetics? Determine what the function of your fence is going to be.”

If you live on a ranch and have cattle or farm animals, there are different options to look at.

“For cattle, you can get by with four to five barbed wires,” Dittmar said. “For sheep and goats, you need to go with more of a netting type of fence. You just need to cater to whatever you are going to put in there behind the fence.”

Dittmar compared fencing projects to building a house, especially if you are building in town or in subdivisions.

“Anything can be done, it’s really up to your imagination,” Dittmar said. “Fencing is just like building a house. When you see different houses, you see different styles. Fencing is no different. It can match the style of your house.”

Challenges of putting up a fence

Topography can play a significant role in what a landowner can accomplish.

“Hard ground and rocks are not a huge challenge for most in Gillespie County,” Dittmar said. “In certain places, it can be challenging. Everything is so mechanized now because you have pneumatic drills.

“Where it gets challenging is when you can’t drive a vehicle to get to it and you can’t get your equipment to it, so you have to do it by hand.”

Getting bids for fencing projects

Dittmar said people call all the time wanting to know how much it costs to build a fence over the phone.

Dittmar said it’s impossible to do that without inspecting the property first. Every property has different soil conditions, terrain and acreage.

“People always ask me to give prices over the phone and you just can’t do that,” Dittmar said. “There are so many different scenarios such as property lines, neighbors’ fences, etc. Getting permits and stuff like that. It’s not just a simple thing to put a fence up. There’s a lot more to it than that.”

“If I had to give people one word of advice, get more than one bid,” Dittmar said. “Different guys have different things that they kind of specialize in. Get different bids.”

Dittmar explained the benefits of getting multiple bids and why phone bids are not possible in most cases.

“Before you bid a fence, check out your site and keep in mind that you can’t bid a fence over the phone,” Dittmar said. “If you want to get an honest price, you have to look at the site in person. Just because we can do a fence for one price in one area doesn’t mean we can do a fence for the same price in another area.”

Types of fencing

Dittmar said the type of fencing kind of goes hand in hand with the purpose of the fence.

“As far as out in the country, net wire fencing and barbed wire fencing and occasionally deer proof fencing are the most popular type of fencing,” Dittmar said. “In town, it’s usually wood fencing. Either 6-inch vertical dog ear or horizontal.”

Dittmar said that double-wire looping is coming back.

“People are starting to put that back up again,” Dittmar said.

“Fencing is kind of up to your imagination,” Dittmar said. “Just about anything can be done.”

Withstanding the elements

If wood is the source of your fencing project, Dittmar recommended cedar.

“Cedar is probably your best bet,” Dittmar said. “It’s very expensive right now, but as far as lasting, cedar is probably your best bet and longer lasting.”

“It doesn’t rot as easy and it just looks better,” Dittmar said.