Yes. A fence on a slope is either racked, with each panel angled to follow the ground, or stepped, with level panels that drop in stages. A racked fence keeps the bottom closest to the soil.
Racked or stepped: which is better?
- Racked: rails follow the slope and pickets stay vertical. Best on gentle to moderate grades and when a dog is in the yard.
- Stepped: panels stay level and each one sits lower than the last. Common on steep ground and with pre-made panels. A triangle of open space is left under each step.
- Cut to grade on site: every board is trimmed to the ground. With redwood or cedar this gives the cleanest hillside line.
I have a dog that digs and a yard that drops. How do I avoid gaps?
Ask for a racked or cut-to-grade fence, then close the bottom. A pressure-treated kick board set on the soil, or wire mesh buried a few inches along the line, stops most digging. Under a stepped fence, each triangle has to be filled in separately.
My yard is steep and rocky and two companies turned the job down. Who does this?
Call us. We will walk the line before we give an answer. Mountain View itself is flat, but the lots we work on in Los Altos Hills, Woodside, Portola Valley and the upper streets of Redwood City are not. Hill jobs take longer because materials are carried from the driveway, holes are dug by hand and downhill posts are set deeper. Where rock stops the digging, the hole is cored or the post is anchored to the rock. Those towns also have their own fence permits, so the plan is checked before work starts.
Do installers dig by hand or with a machine?
Both. A power auger makes quick work of open, level ground. We dig by hand on slopes, in narrow side yards, near marked utility lines, next to foundations and around tree roots. Near an oak or redwood that the city protects, hand digging is the only sensible way.
Will a fence keep deer out on a hill lot?
A tall enough one will, but check the town rule before you plan it. Deer are common in Los Altos Hills, Portola Valley, Woodside and the edges of Stanford. Those towns limit fence height and favor open designs so wildlife can still cross, so many owners fence the garden or orchard and leave the rest of the lot open.
We can only give a real price after seeing the yard. The on-site estimate is free. Call (408) 539-2396 or text us a photo of the fence line.