Follow my progress on removing my old chain link fence across the front of my property and replacing it with a nice looking wood fence. The posts are pressure treated 4 x 4’s and the fence panels are made from 2 x 4’s and hog wire. I will update this project as I make progress building and installing the new wood fence.
Before
After
The fence is now finished. See above.
brwarrickengineering 
May 20, 2015 at 10:41 am
This is a great looking wood fence that you can see through and will last for years.
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March 16, 2016 at 8:59 am
That is beautiful!! Do you have instructions on how to do this?
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March 16, 2016 at 10:16 am
No instructions. I just looked at neighbors fences and modified mine a little from what I saw. Used all treated 2 x 4’s for the fence and treated 4 x 4’s for the posts. Just sandwiched the wire between the 2 x 4″s and used deck screws to hold each section together.
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March 19, 2016 at 7:12 am
Did you frame the sides of the hog panels? What did you use to attach the framed panels to the posts? I am getting ready to do a version of this around an orchard using 8 ft posts and 3 strands of cable above the hog panels to keep dear out.
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March 19, 2016 at 7:37 am
Bret, did you frame the sides of the panels as well? How did you attach the panels to the posts? Getting ready to start a similar project and would appreciate the advice.
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March 19, 2016 at 10:24 am
Caryl – Here’s how I built the panels. I laid out 8′ lengths of the hog wire (cut from 16′ pieces) on top of a 4’x8′ sheet of plywood placed on sawhorses. Use a bolt cutter to cut the wire. Then I placed 8′ 2×4’s under the long edges of the hog wire using the plywood sheet edges to keep everything square. Next I placed two more 2×4’s on top of each edge and drove in 3″ deck screws to sandwich the wire between the top and bottom 2×4’s. I drilled clearance holes in the top 2×4’s for the screws. Overlap the hog wire about half the 4″ width of the 2×4’s. I used 4-5 screws for each long edge. Then I cut a 2×4 to the width of the panel (around 3′). I ripped these pieces in half to obtain 2×2’s for the panel vertical pieces. I pre-drilled these pieces on the sides for screwing the finished panels to the 4×4 posts. Next I drilled holes through the top 2×2’s and screwed them to the ends of the panel sandwiching the wire on the ends. Now the panel is ready to attach to the posts. Make sure the distance between the posts is slightly longer than the panels. Use 3″ screws to screw the panels to the posts through the pre-drilled 2×2’s. I raised each panel about 4″ from the ground for attachment to the posts and put a top 2×4 piece on each panel after each panel was installed. This gives you about a 4′ high fence. Good luck with your fence.
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July 18, 2019 at 3:03 pm
do you think you could make 16′ sections?
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October 14, 2019 at 11:33 am
Yes you can build 16′ sections but they would be very heavy and it’s easier to buy 8′ lumber and keep the posts 8′ apart.
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July 5, 2016 at 10:46 am
Bret, Just came across your fence, love how simple & sharp it looks. I can’t believe that’s treated wood. What stain did you use to get that rich look? Thanks!
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July 5, 2016 at 11:33 am
Ben, that’s the beauty of using good quality treated lumber. No stain is required and that look will last a long time.
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August 18, 2016 at 8:26 pm
Looks great! What gauge hog wire did you use? Also may I ask where you got the lumber? Thanks!
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August 20, 2016 at 2:33 pm
See my comments about this.
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August 18, 2016 at 8:28 pm
Bret, What gauge hog wire did you use and where did you purchase your lumber? Thanks!
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August 20, 2016 at 2:32 pm
Melisssa, I used a galvanized steel wire just a little over .200 in. diameter (4 gauge wire). It’s available from lots of home improvement or lumber yards. The store sells 3′ x 16′ panels and I had them cut them into 3′ x 8′ pieces so I could haul them home in my truck. I bought my lumber at a local lumber yard near Lynden, Washington called Western Building Supply. They had better lumber in the sizes I needed than Lowe’s or Home Depot.
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March 20, 2019 at 10:46 am
Hi Bret,
Where did you purchase the hog wire panels? They’re exactly the size I’m looking for but having trouble finding at Home Depot or Lowe’s in my area – Olympia, WA
Thanks!
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April 1, 2017 at 1:12 pm
Hi, Are those regular treated 8′ 4’x4′ posts? How much did you burry vrs the hight left above the ground?
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April 1, 2017 at 1:12 pm
Hi, Are those regular treated 8′ 4’x4′ posts? How much did you burry vrs the hight left above the ground?
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April 12, 2017 at 10:09 am
Yes they are treated posts and I buried them about 18 inches.
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May 8, 2017 at 12:43 pm
Thanks for all of the information and I hope you have it in you to answer one more question! I really want to build a similar fence but I’m worried about building the panels and not spacing the posts properly. I’ve never built a fence like this before so I was hoping you could explain how you set your posts at the proper spacing for your panels. Thanks, in advance.
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May 8, 2017 at 5:30 pm
Joseph, I found it easiest to set the posts first and then cut the pieces for the panels about 1/4″ shorter than the inside spacing of the posts. I tried to set the posts so the spacing is 8ft or a little less. That way I could build the panels using standard lumber without having to cut each panel piece. But if the post spacing ends up a little less than 8ft, I just cut the panel pieces before making the panels. You just don’t want the spacing too wide because you can’t make the 8ft lumber longer. Hope this belps.
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May 12, 2017 at 3:51 pm
Thank you for all the great information! I am having a fence built (no way could I do it myself)! I am getting so much contradicting information from builders. Your information will help me make informed decisions.. I do have one question, you said you used all pressure treated lumber, is that better than cedar.? Your fence is beautiful and it looks like cedar,
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May 12, 2017 at 6:46 pm
Pressure treated lumber is less expensive than cedar but both will last a long time. Cedar will weather and look gray after a long time in the sun. You can paint the cedar but that’s more work. Pressure treated lumber will maintain the brown color for a very long time without any painting. It all depends on how you want the fence to look.
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June 4, 2017 at 4:47 am
Could you talk a little about the gate: the hardware you used and the dimensions? It looks like it’s maybe 6′ across instead of 8? Thanks!
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June 7, 2017 at 10:23 am
The gate by the mailbox is a little over 3 ft wide. I just went to a hardware store and bought some large strap hinges available anywhere.
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May 23, 2019 at 8:22 pm
Bret, this is the most straightforward, helpful site I have ever seen on the internet. We would love to see this fence in person. We are mdiway between Lynden and Bellingham. I particularly interested in seeing how you adjusted the panels to fit snugly between the 4×4’s. Seems the 2×2 uprights on the panels would have to be able to move a bit but doesn’t that create a gap between the 2×4’s and the posts? Also isn’t all the weight on the 2×2’s.since the 2×4’s aren’t attached to the posts?
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May 14, 2021 at 11:44 am
I know that this is an older thread, but I found it a month or so ago. It was exactly what my wife and I wanted. I started building it using your instructions last week. I made a few slight modifications and adjustments to suit our needs, but your help was spot on! Our entry to our property is looking amazing. I expect to finish up this weekend.
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