How it's done
Fencing a Sloping Garden Without It Looking Wrong
There are two proper ways to fence a slope, stepped and raked, and one improper way, which is forcing standard panels onto a gradient and leaving triangular gaps underneath.
A slope is the most common reason a new fence looks amateurish. The boarding is fine, the posts are fine, and there is a row of daylight wedges along the bottom where panels made for level ground met ground that is not.
Here is how it should be handled, and how to tell from a quote which approach you are being offered.
Stepped: level bays that drop at each post
Each bay is built level, and the whole fence drops down at each post to follow the fall. The top line is a series of horizontal steps, which suits a formal garden and works well with concrete posts and panels. The gap that opens at the low end of each bay has to be closed properly, usually with a deeper gravel board or a second one below it.
- Neat and formal, particularly on a defined gradient
- Works with panels, provided the base gaps are properly closed
- Step size is set by the fall, so the setting out has to be planned along the whole run
Raked: the fence follows the ground
The rails run parallel to the slope and the boards are cut to a consistent height above the ground, so the fence follows the gradient in one continuous line with no gaps at the base. It is built on site rather than from panels, it takes longer, and on a gentle to moderate slope it is much the better looking result.
- No triangular gaps, because the fence follows the ground
- Built on site, so closeboard rather than panels
- Boards are cut individually, which is where the extra labour goes
Which suits your garden
Gentle and moderate falls generally look best raked. Steeper falls, and gardens with a formal layout, usually suit stepping. A run that crosses both a slope and a level section can change approach partway, provided the transition is set out deliberately rather than by accident.
Posts on a slope need more thought
Post depth is measured from the ground at each post, and on a slope that ground is different at every position. Uphill posts also take sideways load from the fence pulling along the gradient, so consistent depth and proper support matter more here than on the flat.
- Depth set individually rather than to one measurement for the run
- Extra attention at the top and bottom of the slope where loads concentrate
- Heights checked against the height rules at each point, since they are measured from ground level
What to ask a contractor
Ask directly whether they are stepping or raking, and if stepping, exactly how the gap at the base of each bay will be closed. A clear answer to that question tells you a great deal about the quote.
Let us have a look at the fall
Sloping boundaries are worth a site visit rather than a phone estimate, because the fall decides the method and the method decides the price. Ring 07885907880 and we will come and look.
Frequently asked
Should a fence on a slope be stepped or raked?
Raked usually looks better on gentle to moderate falls because it follows the ground. Steeper or more formal gardens tend to suit stepping.
How do you stop gaps under a stepped fence?
With a deeper gravel board, or a second board below the first, at the low end of each bay. It should be specified in the quote rather than improvised.
Can panel fencing be used on sloping ground?
Only stepped, since a panel is a fixed rectangle. Following the slope in a continuous line means building on site rather than using panels.
Is fencing a slope more expensive?
Yes, because setting out takes longer and raked runs involve cutting boards individually. The difference is labour rather than materials.
How is fence height measured on a slope?
From ground level at each point, not averaged along the run, which matters when a boundary is near a permitted height limit.
Can part of my fence be raked and part stepped?
It can where the ground changes character, provided the transition is planned deliberately so it reads as intentional.
Sloping boundaries deserve a site visit
The fall decides whether the run is stepped or raked, and that decides the price. We will come and measure it properly.