5 Fence Installation Mistakes We See All the Time in LA

A bad fence install isn't usually one big mistake — it's a series of small shortcuts that show up two or three years later. Here are the five we see most often on properties throughout the LA area, and how to avoid each one.

1. Choosing the Wrong Material for the Climate

LA isn't one climate. Coastal moisture, valley heat, hillside fire risk, and Santa Ana wind all favor different fence materials.

• •Untreated softwood in full Valley sun checks and warps fast
• •Standard chain link in pool environments rusts at the post bases
• •Cheap vinyl without UV inhibitors yellows and turns brittle
• •Wood fencing in HFHSZ-designated areas is increasingly a fire-risk problem

Pick material based on the conditions at *your* property, not what looked good in someone else's yard.

2. Building Without a Real Property Survey

We see this constantly: a homeowner builds along "where the old fence was" or "where the curb seems to line up." Five years later, a neighbor pulls a survey and the fence is 18 inches over the line.

• •Get a current survey if you don't have one
• •Mark the line clearly before any post goes in the ground
• •Have the neighbor walk the line with you, ideally before construction

Property line disputes can require tearing the fence out and rebuilding it — at full cost.

3. Skipping the Permit

Many LA homeowners assume "small fence, no permit needed." Sometimes that's true. Often it isn't:

• •Anything taller than 3.5 feet in the front yard generally needs review
• •Anything taller than 6–8 feet anywhere needs a permit
• •Pool barriers always require inspection
• •HFHSZ projects face additional review

LADBS code enforcement catches non-permitted work routinely. The fines and forced rework cost more than the permit ever would have.

4. Setting Posts Shallow

This is the single most common installation defect we see when we're called to fix someone else's work.

• •Residential fence posts should typically be set 24–36 inches deep
• •Footings should be concrete, not compacted soil or "quick-set" foam
• •Hillside and tall-fence applications often need deeper
• •LA's expansive clay soils punish shallow posts — the fence works fine for a year, then leans

A leaning fence is almost always a post problem, and post problems are almost always installation problems.

5. No Plan for Gates

Gates are where fences fail first. Common gate mistakes:

• •Single hinge instead of three on a heavy gate (it sags within months)
• •No drop rod on a double drive gate (it racks and the latch won't catch)
• •Latch hardware that doesn't meet pool barrier code on a pool fence
• •No diagonal bracing inside the frame (the gate goes diamond-shaped within a year)

A good gate costs more than the equivalent length of fence. There's no shortcut around that.

The Common Thread

Every one of these mistakes is preventable with a contractor who walks the site first, reads the codes, sets posts properly, and quotes the gates honestly.

Get It Done Right

Infinity Fence has built and repaired fences across the LA area for over a decade. We've seen every one of these mistakes — and we know how to avoid them. Contact us for a free estimate.

Ready to Start Your Fence Project?

Contact Infinity Fence Company for a free estimate today.