First, check on the zoning rules in your neighborhood. Next, if it's a go, talk with your neighbor because it's their fence too, they should share costs and have input. This means you both should approve of who will do the work, cost, etc., and I'd add to put it all in a nice friendly little agreement so there aren't any squabbles later.

Years ago when a very large fence needed replacing around my property, I contacted my neighbors (who were so relieved I wanted to replace it) sharing the cost wasn't an issue and they allowed me to choose the contractor, materials and design. It turned out beautifully and stands, like new, all these 27 years later.

I'm putting up a fence this year mainly because our neighbour refuses to keep his Argentine Dogo in check. It jumped his teeny fence and attacked our cat last year. I am hoping he pays for half for sure!

Neighbor's fence that divided our back yards was falling apart. Tried for 4 years to get him to go half on a new one; he "wasn't ready." I was. So I had my own fence installed 6" inside the property line and paid for it myself. I put the whole good side facing my yard since the back is hidden by his fence anyway. I totally expect him to take his down now and use mine (he's probably 'ready' now that I have paid for it), but at least it looks lots better here.

Our neighbors have an ugly, decrepit 8-foot fence. About 6 inches away, we have our well-maintained chain link fence. I cannot wait to move us into the country away from other people where neighbors (and their ugly fences and barky dogs) will be a distant memory.

In two different homes, I put up fencing. The first was a really nice 6-ft privacy fence, all wood, all expensive. Worth every penny; kept the deer out, kept the dogs in. I did not consult the neighbors because it never crossed my mind.
In the second home, finances were a bit tighter, plus I was in town. I put up a 4-ft chain- link fence. Sounds dreadful, and looked pretty institutional until vines, climbing roses, etc covered it and it then was really beautiful (I thought). Kept the neighbor's awful dogs and cats out, kept my dogs in, looked nice (after a season). Didn't ask the neighbors, never crossed my mind.

Depends on your neighbors. By back yard neighbors are wonderful, we share fence costs. My side yard neighbors are NOT so wonderful. If I want my fence fixed I do it myself. They only let things deteriorate with no regard for the neighborhood.

Would love to share the cost -- but it doesn't always work out. A former neighbor agreed to split the cost UNTIL the day of installation when he said he'd changed his mind ! Lucikly I was prepared to pay for it entirely ... what he also did not tell me was that he had decided to sell and move to another state. The new owner knocked the house down and built a monstrosity which made me wish I'd had a 15' foot fence (not allowed of course). These are things you must be prepared for if you live near neighbors.

I have to look at clothes drying on a makeshift clothesline, I will pay for the fence myself when I can afford to. Can't wait but also doing other things yo house.

I share my backyard with two neighbors and then I have the neighbors on the sides of my house. my fence fell down just after moving in on one of the sides and they agreed to split the cost with me. About a yr later my fence stated falling in the back but only on the side of one of my two back neighbors. The neighbor who I shared the falling fence with agreed to pay half but we had to agree on everything (which was no easy task). The other neighbor would not agree to splitting cost in replacing the fence, nor would he take down his fence after I said I would pay for all of it. This meant I had to not only pay for his half but I had to put my fence up on the inside of his fence which made my property line shorter than it should be.
conclusion: get to know your neighbors before something happens that you might need them to agree to. If you have HOA'S find out your rights and if they can help you with the neighbors.

I share my backyard with two neighbors and then I have the neighbors on the sides of my house. my fence fell down just after moving in on one of the sides and they agreed to split the cost with me. About a yr later my fence stated falling in the back but only on the side of one of my two back neighbors. The neighbor who I shared the falling fence with agreed to pay half but we had to agree on everything (which was no easy task). The other neighbor would not agree to splitting cost in replacing the fence, nor would he take down his fence after I said I would pay for all of it. This meant I had to not only pay for his half but I had to put my fence up on the inside of his fence which made my property line shorter than it should be.
conclusion: get to know your neighbors before something happens that you might need them to agree to. If you have HOA'S find out your rights and if they can help you with the neighbors.

I share my backyard with two neighbors and then I have the neighbors on the sides of my house. my fence fell down just after moving in on one of the sides and they agreed to split the cost with me. About a yr later my fence stated falling in the back but only on the side of one of my two back neighbors. The neighbor who I shared the falling fence with agreed to pay half but we had to agree on everything (which was no easy task). The other neighbor would not agree to splitting cost in replacing the fence, nor would he take down his fence after I said I would pay for all of it. This meant I had to not only pay for his half but I had to put my fence up on the inside of his fence which made my property line shorter than it should be.
conclusion: get to know your neighbors before something happens that you might need them to agree to. If you have HOA'S find out your rights and if they can help you with the neighbors.

When I bought my house 9 years ago the fence (three sides for three neighbors) was in good shape. It'll need replacing or upgrading in another two years...especially one section where the neighbor let a bush push on it and now it's off kilter. So we're gonna find out if the neighbors up to the shared expense.

The comment by AnAhita is not quite accurate. While it is true that if you don't identify and protect your property line others can potentially claim it (not necessarily easily), "eminent domain" is different. That is when a government entity claims property "for the public good," often with some payment involved. The definition of "for the public good" is of course almost always highly controversial.

When we had a 6' cedar shadow box fence installed across the back of our lot, we simply informed the neighbors that it was going up. We had grown weary of gigantic underwear flapping on their clothes line. The fence installers pulled the permit; chain link down, cedar up, right on the property line as per our city requirements. At my parents house (different city, same state) the city requires a six inch setback, and the chain link must remain in place, so at the back of the house there are THREE FENCES! Theirs, the chain link, the neighbors-and that stupid space is filled with rogue trees that no one can get to, and now they are 10 feet tall. What a stupid idea!

We put the fence up 20 years ago, my Dad surveyed the lot using his equipment from his business, the neighbors on either side were consulted and in agreement. Neither of those neighbors are there anymore, and if the fence had to be replaced, we'd do it.

We've had basenjis for the those 20 years, and the fence is necessary, especially out here in the country.

To be honest, I wouldn't trust a fence that anyone else put up

We were lucky both neighbors agree to share the cost of fixing the fence. It is not clear if our fence belongs strictly to us or not. It is on the line but it was built at the same time as the house because it was a model home. Theoretically, it is our fence.

Just a little note: When 2 neighbors decide of a style of fence, consider that you may want to paint your side of the fence a different color than the neighbors' side. Some styles do not allow it.

Whatever style of fence you install is likely to conflict with the style of fence already installed by one or more of your neighbors, especially in established neighborhoods. Unless the entire neighborhood agrees to the same style of fence, you will have a certain amount of potential conflict before you even start to negotiate. That said, a chain link fences may be an enduring option, but a hideous one that should be avoided.

most beautiful neighbor and self friendly fence is shadowbox.

in a rural area, where privacy is not an issue, split rail with mesh

The fence style must serve its purpose. Why is a fence needed?

In my earlier post I mentioned we had basenjis, they were really the reason for the fence. We had a split rail when we got our first dog and thought, we'll just put a wire fence on it. My husband and I did the work ourselves and just as we were attaching the fence to the last 20', our dog was sitting on the other side!

Basenjis look as a wire fence, or a chain link fence, as a ladder! Hence, the wooden fence we have now.

Wow..never even thought about asking my neighbors to share the cost. None of the houses on my side of the street had fences. After my grandson moved in with me, we decided it was time to install one for his safety and our piece of mind. We did the research, chose the style and my husband and son-in-law did the installation. I did mention to my neighbors that we would be installing the fence on the property line and they were OK. What I find amusing, is now all my neighbors have fences. We paid for four sides and they attached to ours so they only paid for 3 sides, then their neighbor attached to theirs and they only paid for 3 sides. We all went with the same style (they liked our choice or simply decided it was better to match. It seems we caused a chain reaction but I do think it looks better.

I would not even want our neighbors to share in the cost of a fence. I
want it to be my fence, my decisions, my responsibility.

We bought our house last summer, and the backyard was fully fenced because there's a pool. Neither of our direct neighbors has any fencing, so when we replaced the decrepit fence, it was all on us to pay for it, which is fine because I would've hated to deal with it if neighbors wanted a different style or material than we did. Because of our HOA, the only requirement was that we needed the neighbors' approval on the final layout and design, which was no problem since everyone was happy to see that old fence go.

I have stories! bottom line....people expect you to take care of it and don't help. Doesn't keep them from complaining though.

It depends on the neighbors. Ours shared the cost and helped us fixing it.

We are adding fencing along both sides of our backyard and are paying. We consulted with both neighbors - on one side the fence will be on our property and our neighbor wants to keep her existing fence on her side. On the other there is a chain link along the property line that our neighbor is thrilled to see removed. We did not ask for shared cost because it's an older couple having trouble maintaining their large Victorian and it's us who want the cosmetic change.
I have also wondered about the etiquette of nice side of the fence. I am leaning towards the nice side being on my side since we are paying but don't want to be a bad neighbor.

Many years ago my mom's next door neighbors approached her about sharing the cost of a fence they wanted to put in for their dog. At the time she really couldn't afford it (single parent, 2 kids in college) and she said so. Everyone was very friendly about the whole thing and they went ahead without her using a style that looked nice on both sides. A few years later, when money wasn't so tight, she gave them a check.

In case anyone is interested I have just google-educated myself that proper fence etiquette says to put the nice side facing my neighbors. Lucky for them I am a stickler for that kind of thing :)

Our first house was in a neighborhood where everyone had shared fences. Our backyard neighbor had staked 3 trees to the fence on his side and the wind wreaked havoc... We agreed to help do the repairs and the neighbor paid for the materials. He said he'd help with the labor, but he mostly stood there and talked while my husband did the labor. But at least he didn't ask us to pay for the materials.
Our second house was also in a neighborhood with shared fences. We shared cost and labor for repairs on two sides... Our next door neighbor was a good friend of ours and the backyard neighbor was also nice. The lady on the other side was a single mom and we knew she wouldn't be able to help pay so we didn't ask we just did it and she was nice about it.
Our current home has no fences. Part of me kind of misses the fences, but we are blessed again to have great neighbors. We still talk to them about planting things near property lines and such. It's always better to have good communication with neighbors.

Our 3 neighbors said they would split the cost equally for their fence footage (actually we said we'd pay more as we wanted the solid fence on one side). Plus, we also paid for labor and only asked for material costs. When it was all done, two of the neighbors behind us decided not to pay anything. I guess they talked and decided we would have no recourse for payment so stiffed us. It was their ivy that destroyed the fence in the fist place!! One of the three neighbors lost his job and offered to feed out dogs while we were out of town at no charge so at least he tried to make amends. The other neighbors I believe karma will come back to bite them.

I feel it is not fair for intown123 to put the nice side on the neighbors view of the fence since he/she is paying for. I would just try to buy a fence that is nice on both sides.

Suzanne - I agree but where I love a wood fence is most appropriate and they generally have horizontal supports on one side. I read that it's actually better to face the smooth nice side out because it's harder for anyone to climb.

That was supposed to say where I live

my neighbor is so miserable, I have a 3 way driveway which I maintain....they wont pitch anything in for anything - but they sure have room to run their mouths about what I should do

true story #1, came home to find partial fence torn down and boards thrown in our yard! neighbor said " i didn't like your fence.,i told the previous owner"

jdingles, you have very ignorant neighbors! I am sorry for you.

intown123, I am not an expert in fences but do you think a support at the top of the fence and at the bottom would be strong enough for the fence? That should not look too bad, I think.

Depends who is pushing the idea, if it's really needed or just a cosmetic preference and if both neighbors are monetarily in good standing.

Here we have to share and agree on everything if the fence is directly on the limit of the 2 properties...also you have to ask permission to your neighbour to put a new fence, it is the law, unless you put it on your side, then you are free to do whatever you like.

true story #2. we asked a neighbor if they had any input into our new fence. They said "no, do what you want". So we did and they didn't like it... my husband built them another fence next to ours.

intown23, check your town ordinances. Where I live, it clearly states that the "finished" (i.e., nice) side of any wood fence must face outward to the neighboring parcel. But, like you said, that's the smooth side, hard for anyone to climb. I like the rough side facing my property anyway

I would say that it depends on the location of the fence. If it is within the premises of your property line then you will have to bear the expenses of replacing it. If it is on the property line then the neighbors have to share the expenses. http://bit.ly/1b9pWCB

Hated to even try and ask.

As I read the other comments it reminds me exactly why my wife and I choose to live on a farm! Between some of the silly zoning requirements, population density, and crazy neighbors it makes rural life look pretty good. Granted, we have some crazies too, but there is more distance between us. In most farm country there are very clear traditions as to cost sharing and maintenance (I'm responsible for the right half of any shared fencing). The logic seems to be that everybody benefits from the fence. Even if I don't have animals to contain, the shared fence keeps the neighbors cows from fertilizing our property. Plus, out here fence selection is pretty easy. It's generally barbed wire (smile).

My advice to city folks is that collaboration is always a good thing, even with tough neighbors. I would try to include the neighbors in the process even if you know they won't (or perhaps can't) share the costs. They might not think so, but they do benefit from your fence (especially if you are fencing in your dogs).

Here was what we did for a client that wanted to redo the fence as part of their complete remodel. The neighbors home was very stark and contemporary so each wanted the fence to match their "side". When all was said and done each client loved their side. THey agreed to split the cost of the actual fence and each client paid for the aesthetic additions to their side. Very amicable.

No, we have high walls, having said that we have our home on a corner, so noone on one side and we own the smaller house next door-it is rented.

Having said that, we have a farm that has a long wooden fence, the neighbour has put a pen of chickens etcs. right at the place where the outdoor barbecue area is located on our side. We can't move this area as it is concrete, so hubby has asked our neighbour if he could move the pen further away as it is stinking the whole area and it has become very noisy- the neighbours put the chickens etc there after we had our barbecue area done, until this now, this is an ongoing issue. :o

No, after dealing with a crazy neighbor, I would never want to get into the legal dilemma of "who owns what" -- not only is this a nightmare for the existing owners, but it might scare potential buyers away. After what I've been through, I would walk away from a property like that where it wasn't clear who owned what.

Pay for it yourself, call it your own, and avoid the legal drama when you have a psycho neighbor.

I do let my neighbors know out of courtesy, and they of course get the "good" side of the fence which is ordinance anyway.

Most of all, be sure to look at local ordinances in advance and make sure you know where your property lines are.

Allowing another neighbor to attach their own fence to yours also opens up issues regarding your homeowners insurance. If their fence goes down and pulls yours with it, who pays? Avoid the legal drama and potential crazy neighbors.

Get the wrong neighbor and it's a nightmare waiting to happen.

It depends on the neighbors. I have in the past. I've also had neighbors that there was no way. Our present neighbors we probably will but we get along very well with them. The fence is only bad on their side and we have both recently moved in.

I have not had this dilemma yet but if I did and needed a new fence, I would just pay for it. Right now, no one next to me has a fence so it is not an issue. We do not need a fence since we have indoor cats.

neighbor took down the fence that was there and put up a privacy fence which his former wife wanted. Asked our ok to take it down and put up the fence on their property with the nice side facing them. Now it is literally falling down and since we have a dog we have tried to make minor repairs to be able to keep our dog out of his yard. Last year in July he requested that we trim the vines in the back as he had bought new fencing and was having someone install it. That is the last we have seen of him. It is a rental property so I don't know if he is required to keep it up. Our dog stays right with us when we need to let her out but we don't want the neighbor kids running through our yard; the rest has chain link which we paid to have installed. Not sure what to do since we haven't seen him in almost a year. He doesn't live in town either.

my yard my fence , I put in the fence that I want and I dont need to ask neighbors permission !

I agree with sharing the cost. In my situation there are 2 rental properties on one side of my house that are owned by the same person. I replaced the rotting fence between my backyard and the renter of the house in the back part of the property. Now the renter in the front house wants me to go half on the section between our houses. I explained that I paid the full amount for half of the fence already and that her property owner should pay the full amount for other half. The fence in the back benefits me because it encloses my yard. The fence in front is a partition between our homes that blocks light to my windows, this clearly doesn't benifit me. Plus, it's 4 feet to the property line on the side of my house. It isn't usable space for me. Am I not being reasonable?