Yes. A fence on a slope is either racked, with the rails following the ground, or stepped, with level sections that drop like stairs. Racked leaves the smallest gap underneath. Most of Bakersfield is flat, but the northeast bluffs, the foothills toward the canyon and the Tehachapi area are not.
Racked or stepped: which is better?
- Racked: rails run with the slope and pickets stay vertical. Best for gentle to moderate grades and for yards with dogs.
- Stepped: each section is level and set lower than the last. Needed on steeper ground and for many pre-made panels. It leaves a triangle of open space under each section.
- Built on site: boards are cut one by one to the ground line. With wood this gives the tightest fit on uneven ground.
I have a dog that digs and a yard that drops. How do I avoid gaps?
Choose a racked or site-built fence so the bottom follows the ground, then block the bottom edge. A treated kick board at the soil, a strip of wire mesh buried below the fence, or a concrete mow strip all work against a digger. Sandy soil is easy for a dog to move, so in sandy yards the buried barrier is worth doing.
My yard is steep and rocky and two companies turned the job down. Who does this?
Call us and we will walk the line before giving you an answer. Rocky and sloped lots are common in Tehachapi, Bear Valley Springs, Stallion Springs and the hills east of Bakersfield. The work takes longer. Holes in rock are drilled or broken out, or the post is anchored to the rock, and material is carried to places a truck cannot reach. If the fence will sit on or near a retaining wall, say so, because the wall can change how height is measured.
Do installers dig by hand or with a machine?
Both. A powered auger handles open, level ground and is a real help in valley soil that has dried hard. Hand digging is used next to block walls and foundations, near marked utilities and pool plumbing, around tree roots and in tight side yards. Hardpan layers and rock can call for a breaker bar or a rock bit.
The only way to get a real number for your property is a site visit. The estimate is free. Call (661) 475-8961 or text us a photo of the fence line.