When building a fence, the installation techniques and materials you choose are crucial to the fence’s sturdiness and longevity. So, too, is the space between the fence posts. The best distance between your fence posts depends on several factors. Here’s what to consider when designing a new fence for your farm.
Why Fence Post Spacing Is Essential
The distance between your fence posts is a critical factor in determining the durability of your fence. The closer the posts are to each other, the stronger and safer the fence will be and the less maintenance you’ll require down the road. However, if they’re too close, the fence will be too rigid and unable to absorb an impact.
On the other hand, putting fence posts closer together can dramatically increase the cost of materials and installation. For example, let’s say you require 1000 metres of fencing. Placing the fence posts 2.5 metres apart requires about 400 posts. However, if you set posts 3.5 metres apart, you would need only 286 posts. That difference adds up to a significant cost difference in the materials you need to buy and the time and labour required to install them.
Therefore, you must balance durability and longevity with the material and labour costs to ensure you don’t place fence posts closer than necessary.
Standard Fence Post Spacing
The minimum length between fence posts is usually between 2.5 and 3.5 metres. However, depending on the style of fence and the material you choose, that length can increase or decrease. For example, if you decide on high-tensile steel fence posts, you can increase the space between posts to 4.5 or six metres. Here’s a list of some standard fence post spacing recommendations:
Field fence: 2.5 to 3.5 metres
T-post fence: 2.5 to 3.5 metres
Barbed wire fence: 2.5 to 3.5 metres
V-mesh horse fence: 2.5 to 3.5 metres
No-climb horse fence: 2.5 to 3.5 metres
Sheep and goat fence: 2.5 to 3.5 metres
Welded wire fence: 2.5 to 3.5 metres
Yard, garden and kennel fence: 2.5 to 3.5 metres
Deer and wildlife fence: 4.5 to six metres
High-tensile barbed or smooth wire: six to nine metres
What to Do Before Installing Fence Posts
Remember, before digging holes for your fence posts, ensure you’re on the correct property lines using a surveyor plan or other official map. Also, call your local utility companies, including water, electricity and internet companies, to ensure you won’t hit any lines.
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