Garth Allen Fence Builders wrote this guide for Allen owners planning a fence around a date: a new dog, a pool opening, or a sale.
The construction itself is the short part: most Allen backyard fences take a few days on site. The longer stretches are before it: HOA approval, the City of Allen permit, utility locates and getting materials. Rain on clay soil and drive gates are the usual reasons the on-site work runs longer.
There is no fixed number of weeks for the paperwork, because HOA boards and City review queues vary. What is predictable is the order, and knowing it lets you start the slow steps early.
The sequence, step by step
| Step | What happens | What can stretch it |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Measure and design | Line, height, style, gates, slope | Unclear property line; corner sight lines |
| 2. HOA approval | Submit style, height and stain | Board meeting schedules, resubmittals |
| 3. City permit | Application through Allen’s online portal, $75 fee | Missing information, alley gate details |
| 4. Utility locates | Texas811 marks buried lines | Marks in the way of planned posts |
| 5. Materials | Steel posts, cedar, hardware, gates | Custom iron or automated gates |
| 6. Tear-out | Old fence removed and hauled | Concrete collars, poor access |
| 7. Posts | Steel posts set in concrete | Rain, roots, rock or fill in holes |
| 8. Rails, pickets, gates | The fence goes up | Slope, long runs, drive gates |
| 9. Inspection | City checks the finished fence | Fixes and re-inspection if it fails |
Before anyone digs
Measure and design. Length, height and gate locations set everything else. On a corner lot, the City’s clear-vision rules can move the line: 20 ft back from the projected curb line where an alley meets a street. Fences must also stay on private property. If the line is uncertain, sorting it out now saves a rebuild; the property line guide explains how.
HOA first. The City of Allen asks owners to check with their HOA, if they have one, before applying for the fence permit. HOAs typically look at height, style, the finished side and stain color. Because boards meet on their own schedules, this is often the slowest step of the whole project, so start it as soon as the design is settled.
The City permit. Allen requires a permit for fences, filed online with a $75 fee, and the contractor must be registered with the City. A sliding gate across an alley drive must name one of the City’s two trash-bin layouts on the application, so decide the gate type before you file. The Allen permit rules guide lists what the City checks.
Locates. The City directs owners to contact Texas811 before any digging. Gas, electric, water and communication lines get marked, and post locations shift around anything in the way.
The build itself
Tear-out. Removing an old fence usually takes part of a day for a typical backyard. Old wood posts in concrete collars take longer to break out than steel.
Posts. Posts go in first, set at least 18 in deep in concrete under the City guideline, deeper for gates and taller fences. Houston Black clay is the variable here: dry, it digs hard; wet, holes fill with water and the sides slump, so a rainy week can pause this step. The clay soil guide explains why. The concrete needs time to firm up before rails load the posts, which is why post day and panel day are often separate.
Rails, pickets and gates. Once the posts are firm, rails bolt to the steel and the pickets follow. A straight run of board-on-board goes up steadily; slopes need each section racked or stepped, which slows things down. Walk gates are quick; double drive gates and automatic gates take longer, especially with power runs and sensors.
Inspection and after
The City inspects the finished fence, which has to match the guideline the permit was issued under: height, metal posts, the 3 in clearance above grade in the lot-line drainage easement and, around a pool, self-closing and self-latching gates. If something fails, it is fixed and re-inspected, which adds days and a fee.
A new cedar fence is not quite finished at inspection: it needs to dry before staining. The stain timing guide gives the water test, and fence staining covers the work.
Ways to keep the timeline short
- Get HOA approval moving before collecting quotes on the final design.
- Decide gate types early, especially alley drive gates.
- Clear the fence line of plants, furniture and stored items before tear-out.
- If a pool or dog depends on the fence, plan a temporary barrier; see pool fence installation.
For budgets, see the fence cost guide; for the build itself, wood fence installation.