How To Attach Your Fence To Your House The Right Way

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It's OK, everyone asks the question. "What's the best way to attach my fence to my house?" We'd like to answer that once and for all.
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[@BSSVIDEOS]

In Florida if you attach the fence to your house it will be covered under your house insurance as it becomes structural. Learned this right after hurricane Ian. So there is a great reason to do it.

[@SWiFence]

I think this may depend on the insurance company. Best to check with your carrier.

[@MsBrobox]

My Vinyl fence was not attached to the house, it 10 feet away. UPC insurance covered it along with my well pump after Ian. They also went broke shortly after ☹

[@raystraining3206]

We do it in Florida because after hurricane Micheal, every homeowners insurance denied the fence replacement cost because it wasn't attached to the house. Every fence we install the owner ask to have it attached because their insurance company stiffed them. We still put a post next to the house, whether it's wood, chain link, or vinyl.

[@SWiFence]

Sounds like they need better adjusters and attorneys. We routinely have fences replaced under a homeowners policy. Here's some reading straight from Progressive on the matter. www.progressive.com/answers/does-homeowners-insurance-cover-fences/

[@chrishuber4853]

That's funny! Like that's gonna keep your fence anchored to the earth.... 🤣. Criminals. They'll find any way possible to not do their job and screw you over. In all fairness though, Florida rarely uses wooden framework in their houses right? Metal studs and cinder block walls? If so, then there's no risk attaching to the house and would be the obvious choice. 🤙

[@SWiFence]

Yeah it's rare to find an insurance company that's really out to truly serve the customer. Florida has a ton more wooden framework then you would think.

[@dimaantfrancis1656]

Omg wen I was watching the video and looked at ur comment cuz I’m in Florida and I do Fencing so we kno hurricanes are no joke but yea Michael we tapcon the post in the home owners walls

[@chadbamab489]

​@@SWiFence So, Im in a situation RIGHT THIS SECOND where I ran an 8' section of fence where it butts up to a 4' section of concrete (that's a sidewalk). On the other side of that 4' section of concrete is my vinyl sided house. The 4' section of concrete is where my gate is going to be. I have purchased a nice and sturdy 4"x4" base that will be drilled into the concrete and that screws into the 4"x4", but there's no way that by itself is going to be enough for a gate or even as a stand alone fence post. With that being said, what is the solution for this particular situation ? Hope you see this soon......

[@Bacrenfencing]

I attach to houses all the time as it is impossible to dig a hole through the drainage pipes that often run along the base of house walls......it is common to do this in the UK. All new build properties in the UK have their fences running off the house walls. Gates are usually hung off of the house walls as well. I know you are based in the US where things are obviously different.

[@gussygoro2469]

My neighbor attached his fence to his house and though it looks awful I was jealous of the simplicity. This video has saved my mortar. Thanks!

[@tdtommy196]

Don't attach your fence to your house. But, if you do, definitely DON'T drill into the mortar. Use masonry anchors and drill into the brick.

[@JasonHoningford]

In Florida there is concrete overpour from the slab, so there is usually no room to dig a hole next to the house. 5/16 lag bolts with concrete anchors do the trick on a block house. Patching and painting is easy peasy if you take it down after 20 years.

[@P_double_H]

The question would be... Does this pass building code?

[@joeo953]

Thanks for that reply. I'm in that situation and for me to do what was suggested I would have to hire a contractor (no go) so this video just does not apply to all situations. Maybe a better header would have been " How To Attach Your Fence To Your House. An Alternate Way"

[@landmarkcreations1183]

A lot of houses where I’m at have 6” drain lines running around the house. In some cases when the job calls for 4x4 you have no choice but to attach unless you want some hokey small panel (like the one in the video). Certain styles of wood fence you can face nail and get around it but sometimes there’s no other way but to attach

[@andrewc9790]

I haven't had drain tile be an issue yet, but you have a good point. I did have some conveniently end right where I needed the hole recently though.

[@SWiFence]

We will have to disagree. I have yet to see anyone address the potential for moisture penetration, make sure they anchor to studs, or in general make this look good. Every time we see it, its a cobbled mess. We offered several ways to accomplish this without drilling into a foundation. They did miss mentioning the optional Z post though which steps over the foundation/drainage or whatever with no need for funny little sections or drilling of concrete. It should also be noted that we are talking about bolting a plated post to a footing. If that causes failure in the concrete, there were problems long before we arrived.

[@landmarkcreations1183]

@@SWiFence Agree to disagree. No biggie tho. To each their own. Still love the channel!

[@David-xr4yd]

Sometimes you have to demo hammer against the footing to take out the over pour.

[@NonieDeLong]

This is me. And no footing. On rockbed in mountains no less. Not touching the drain tile because it's essential. We get a lot if rain snd are the middle of a hill. The post is for a 12" section before the gate. No way I'm dighing and damaging tile for that.

[@jschlaud6]

As a fellow tradesman in the construction industry, I like this guy, and I approve this message.

[@JLF201]

I'm not quite finding what I'm looking for. I want to see a video of someone setting a post next to a house with a foundation. Not just talk about it, but actually do it. KZbin keeps throwing me these recommendations that aren't quite what I want. If anyone can recommend specific videos or even search terms, I thank you to share them.

[@showtime4956]

Any suggestions on whether to install a fence for privacy needed, halfway to the side of the property OR the full linear of the property…

[@Username-es1iy]

Lmao thumbnail said the answer”DONT” but I still watched the video Thanks

[@fnceco.7397]

Love the channel, but I’m going to have to disagree with this one. 1) Faded paint or brick shouldn’t be a thought. 30 years from now grab a power washer and move on. 2) Holes in the brick can be filled with a 4 dollar silicone tube. lags into the house are 1/64 smaller than the fastener, interface fit probably get more moisture from condensation on windows. 3) we aren’t drilling into someone’s foundation, I don’t want that liability. … you still build beauty fences. But lagging into a house isn’t as bad as your making it out to be.

[@SWiFence]

We will have to disagree. I have yet to see anyone address the potential for moisture penetration, make sure they anchor to studs, or in general make this look good. Every time we see it, its a cobbled mess. We offered several ways to accomplish this without drilling into a foundation. They did miss mentioning the optional Z post though which steps over the foundation/drainage or whatever with no need for funny little sections or drilling of concrete. It should also be noted that we are talking about bolting a plated post to a footing. If that causes failure in the concrete, there were problems long before we arrived.

[@chrishuber4853]

I totally agree. Scabbing to the house is the way to go. I'm not messing with foundation anything.

[@SWiFence]

Chris! 🤣 Just saw your 5 responses. Sounds like you've got plenty of smart fellas that agree with you. Carry on! 👍🏻 Seriously though, there's things we won't do, but if you do them and do them well, then rock on. 🤘🏻

[@chrishuber4853]

@@SWiFence I believe I do, and I know I will. Thanks man. Fence on!!

[@bluearcherx]

​​​@@SWiFenceepoxy a stud in to holes drilled in concrete, block, stone, attach a ledger with a nut, screw post in to that ? I'm not sure I'd attach to siding or wood sheathing though

[@CyrusKnight-z8y]

Do you have suggestions other than dig a hole? I have a gas line that runs a long my house to my meters and we were trying to look at putting stone kind of fencing there but we're thinking of just attaching it to house because we can't bury it in the ground

[@tubsmctubbifer8579]

What do you recommend for a cedar post that was set next to the siding but has developed a slight lean, causing the gate to jam every time you close it? I tried anti-sag hardware and it did nothing. That’s when I realized it was the post next to the house.

[@chrishuber4853]

I gotta disagree. 22 years as a fence contractor in CA (just so you know I'm not speaking out of school). What about the foundation of the house just below grade? Your best case scenario is to set it next to the foundation which will be around 4 inches at best. Then you have this big ass space that looks terrible. I attach a 2x4 "scab" onto the house using flashing in between the scab and house and fasten with some 4 or 5 inch GRKs into a stud. If there's no stud, I'll use some toggle bolts. It's not gonna get wet because of the eve in most cases, but if it does, it will dry fairly quickly because of the flashing. I'd take another look at your theory before saying it's just flat out wrong.

[@SWiFence]

We will have to disagree. I have yet to see anyone address the potential for moisture penetration, make sure they anchor to studs, or in general make this look good. Every time we see it, its a cobbled mess. We offered several ways to accomplish this without drilling into a foundation. They did miss mentioning the optional Z post though which steps over the foundation/drainage or whatever with no need for funny little sections or drilling of concrete. It should also be noted that we are talking about bolting a plated post to a footing. If that causes failure in the concrete, there were problems long before we arrived.

[@chrishuber4853]

@@SWiFence the double post is a good solution I'll admit if you're ok with the appearance. There's also the, set post as close as possible to the house and then just run a 1x8x6 or 1x8x7 (however tall the fence is) over the face of it with the extra 4" of the board filling the gap. I am a bit offended though. My shit is on point and looks great. Seamless. I wish I could post a pic. Also, how would you not be sure you anchored into a stud? It's very obvious if you did or didn't. I can also completely waterproof if if need be or on customer request by predrilling where my GRKs are gonna go, and put a big gob of caulking on and around the hole just before attaching it to the house. I'm just saying in my experience moisture isn't really an issue because it's always under the eve, and worst case, there's also the flashing. Scabbing a 2x4 to the house is also fast, easy, and very durable. It also looks the best out of all the other options. Let me ask you, if moisture and termites were magically no longer an issue, would you scab to the house then?

[@Curteman20]

Lol yeah, if I do it the way he is recommending, I have to smash out A LOT of concrete from the house’s foundation OR, like you said, come out from the house several inches. Definitely just using a 2x4

[@Bimmer_MD]

@@SWiFence What's up with the robo cut and paste response to everyone that disagrees with you? You state that you offered multiple ways that you can do this without drilling into the foundation, but yet you didn't. The only workaround you only offered was drilling into the footer in order to mount a plate welded post to it. You repeatedly say that you have yet to see somebody adequately address moisture problems, mounting problems, etc. While we may not be able to visually see this gentleman's work, he has stated his process in a clear enough manner that anybody that has a decent knowledge of construction hardware, materials, and general building know how can understand what he's saying enough to visualize what he means. In his details he addressed each one of your arguments against that method. I'm not knocking you or your work, but your arrogant attitude is not a complimentary to your work.

[@scottsatterthwaite4073]

Almost all new home use perimeter drains. You can't dig close enough to set a post. There are many situations where just saying "Don't" doesn't cut it. Attaching a post to a building (house, garage, etc) may not be the best option, sometimes its the ONLY option.

[@sybo10]

There are sone exceptions, if you have a like a 50" gate and want it stable as hell, attach a 2 x 4 to the corner of the house and mount the gate on it, or even use it on the closure side, its never going to move. use tap cons like I did for brick or stucco, put a little waterfproofing around the screw and your good. I'd say in most instances you don't need to do it but there are cases it makes total sense. Not any different than mounting anything else to house like a hose reel for instance.

[@mrfencesocials]

There's what you describe in this video and then there's reality. Everyone connects to the wall because it's the best way to do it. It does not leak. And it works best and looks best. Mr Fence challenges SWI any day to what's best in fencing.

[@mikekelly571]

What about a shed? On one side of my shed there's a short run of vinyl fencing that is mounted to my shed. Is it a good idea to use the same mount for some fencing my wife to move?

[@SeeLifeBro]

What about a concrete CMU block house? Would that be the exception? I think I'm going to have to do that because of a drainage line.

[@alfonsomendez6633]

I understand that it is not a good idea to attach a fence to the house. However, I have a drain pipe that runs along that side of the house, so I cannot dig a hole next to the house. Can I attach the fence to the house and seal it with caulk every year? Pretty please?

[@ErikWagler]

what if I have a downspout drainage pipe underground near my foundation? I live in the city so things are crammed and there is basically nowhere else to put my fence. Hard to perfectly explain it without pictures, I'm building two gates in a 150" area. The middle of the 150" is the property line, so each gate is for each yard (one for me one for neighbor). The wider the gates, the smaller the fence section is between gate and houses. For 3 ft gates, that leaves about a 2 ft fence section (with posts 5" from house, and thus concrete even closer which will contact the drainage pipe). It seems like I have two options: build a wide gate that places the gate posts close to the house, but far enough to not contact the drain pipe, and then attach a small fence rail to the house (~10"). Or the harder option of moving the drainage pipe, which is also complicated by the close proximity of houses, fireman windows etc.

[@EthanMcLeod-ts7xe]

how do you do it if there's a concrete path leading up the side of the house and you need to make a gate latch tied in from the gate to the house hovering over the concrete path.

[@JackKurtzYPR]

Came here for this

[@Hoppervision]

If I set a post in concrete right up to the foundation, should I put a barrier between the foundation and the new concrete? Just thinking about what it would be like to replace the post in 20 years from now if it’s joined to the foundation.

[@SWiFence]

Ah, the joys of thinking ahead! Kudos for giving this thought. In reality though, it's not going to bond to the existing foundation anyway, so there's no need to try to create a divider of some sort. It'll be fine. 👍🏻

[@Carrieoline79]

what do you recommend 😢 when you hit footer

[@chriscarmichael483]

What about with a driveway or walkway running the entire fence area? Two posts were set into the slab but for some reason next to the house, they didn’t? Bottom bracket bolted into slab or….sadly, attach to house, or both?

[@Yohann67]

I have a post that is right next to the foundation like the example but the problem is that there is a slope and the soil likes to migrate away from the foundation and it's taking the post with it, causing it to lean away from the house.

[@jonlipi9669]

Is the Postmaster Plus with welded plate that SWI offers on their website appropriate as a gate post?

[@JaimiePiersonMusic]

I am building a fence (because no one would come to quote - all said too busy). I wanted to post on the side of the stars and next to the house, turns out the ones that build the retaining wall and drainage system were sloppy and concrete all in that area. So now I have a 6ft gate instead of a 3ft - oh well. But I need to be able to close it. I was gonna post to the house since it’s the corner of the wall/drainage. How would I put the 4x4 wood post without causing issues? I have a masonry drill, so would I just get a post holder and drill into the concrete?

[@NonieDeLong]

😂😂😂 great video but my mind still thinking about it...

[@jnicholson061905]

So, we had an addition put on the back, and due to a birch tree between the house and street (probably as old as the house) and its roots that have infiltrated the old rain drains, that front portion of the gutters had to be tied into the rain drains around the addition to the other side of the back of the house and then down to the street on the other side. I dont see any other option for me specifically, other than attaching it to the house itself. I dont have a different option, do I? I cannot put a post in the ground next to the house.

[@traceydean263]

It’s the only way your insurance will cover the fence in Florida from what I’ve heard. That’s why people install brackets attaching it to their house. It’s not for durability just insurance coverage.

[@sherylW315]

I have a 2 ft concrete slab all around my house. I can’t dig a post next to the house. How do you deal with that?

[@SWiFence]

You've got options. Attach a plated post directly to your foundation, or use an offset post to reach around the slab.

[@JackKurtzYPR]

@@SWiFencewould love to see a video on it. Haven’t really found one, but I have something similar to the original commenter’s set up

[@5stardave]

My house walls are concrete filled CMUs (cinder blocks), water infiltration in more likely at my windows and doors than the fence attachment.

[@His_Scout_Sixty]

I have concrete, but it’s not straight. It curves in the middle. I can’t use the metal post because they would angle towards each other. Don’t want to drill to my neighbors fence because I don’t want any problems. So what should I do? Cut a square of concrete?

[@KristianOye]

I tried to dig a post hole next to the side of the house, but I found not one, two, or three, but four PVC lines for my sprinkler system, and the sprinkler control wires. The PVC are staggered such that there is no way to dig within 8+ inches from the siding. I'd post a picture here, but I guess I can't. I don't see any other way other than lag-bolting it to the house. Suggestions?

[@SWiFence]

Sounds like you picked the prime spot for the fence! I hate surprises in the ground. You know your situation best. I would consider different available spots for the fence, or depending on what kind of fence you're building, you could use something like an offset post. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZ-1aoWfosmBg6s

[@nancysmalzel2700]

My fence is enclosing shower on deck so can’t use pole. I’ll try large L bracket?

[@lamontaka.boogieboogie7329]

I got cement on the house side what's the best way?

[@SWiFence]

If it's good quality cement just bolt to it.

[@dottyfarrell2102]

Found out through hurricane Ian insurance won't pay for fence replacement unless fence is attached to house..terrible idea..but necessary for replacement cost..

[@SWiFence]

Ah bureaucracy. That makes no sense--stinks that they'd do that to you.

[@hpflax9488]

I know FEMA doesn't pay for fences actually FEMA with hurricane Ian there's a void where your property is covered but fences in Florida are not considered property so are they a nonentity it just is weird because a fence is your property So what is it a figment of all imagination? seems like they're non-existent entity of our imagination. There is no existence for your non fence that you have to fix or replace or remove. No need to even address the fence in the twilight zone

[@JLF201]

Mine is attatched to the brick wall of my garage. I need to take it down and completely rebuild it further back (so that the meter guy doesn't have to come into the yard to read the meter).

[@toronto690]

Good tip. I Don't want rodents! But how about the wheeping holes between bricks? Now I'm worried.

[@SWiFence]

Don't cover up your weep holes. That'll lead to other problems.

[@dropndeal]

Weep holes are there for a reason, however, here in the Alabama Gulf Coast, they’re typically home to spiders, fire ants, and every small insect known to human-kind😂

[@929RRCBR]

You are wrong. You never mess with an engineered footing. You know most fences go to the end of the house. That is 9/10 times a shear wall. You adding a post can weaken that footing, cause it to crack and on top of everything else, one of your watchers may just jack hammer the footing out and really mess things up because you made it sound like a bad thing to attach to the wall. After you get your hole in the siding or stucco add caulking to the hole and a circle around it to seal the hole while you install your Fastners. Not sure if you noticed but a house has a ton of holes in it. Windows, doors, vents, waterlines and such. That was a lot of drama with those clips to emphasize how wrong you are.

[@SWiFence]

We will have to disagree. I have yet to see anyone address the potential for moisture penetration, make sure they anchor to studs, or in general make this look good. Every time we see it, its a cobbled mess. We offered several ways to accomplish this without drilling into a foundation. They did miss mentioning the optional Z post though which steps over the foundation/drainage or whatever with no need for funny little sections or drilling of concrete. It should also be noted that we are talking about bolting a plated post to a footing. If that causes failure in the concrete, there were problems long before we arrived.

[@chrishuber4853]

I'm glad I'm not alone. I've been scabbing to the house for 22 years and yet have any issues come up. 🤙

[@robertconley4437]

Wouldn’t cementing the post next to the foundation join the fence to the foundation?

[@SWiFence]

If you've exposed the foundation you might get a light bond between the two. Typically though fresh-set concrete doesn't bond well with old concrete.

[@hpflax9488]

Would you be able to do that with a product like welcrite for bonding agent concrete on concrete I don't know if it would work concrete on stucco Etc? I don't even know if I spelled the product correctly yikes

[@autumnwolfmoon]

My 'cut corners' home builder hired the crappiest fence builder they could find. They attached the post to my house. It's now coming loose from the brick, so I'll have to patch the holes and then dig a hole and set it in concrete 😤

[@stefencruthirds2310]

I think the whole attaching to house comes from insurance companies refusing to cover damages unless it is attached….

[@CoJoGrizzlo]

*Great video, way too much work. I’ll leave that for the next person to worry about* 🤪

[@striker1211]

I made it to the third cut scene and I had to bail.

[@gunnersplace]

Always attach to the house.

[@tdtommy196]

How did this guy find the time to shoot this video. Shouldn't he be coaching AFC Richmond right now?

[@SWiFence]

😆

[@toooes]

Abutting structures to a home are also a cause of pest infestation

[@CyrusKnight-z8y]

Some kind*

[@davidpleitez6995]

Insurance don’t cover your fence if not attached to your home.

[@SWiFence]

I've heard that may be true for some companies.

[@bugginout3169]

Actually, your house is covered under Coverage A, your unattached fence is covered under Coverage B, and if your fence is attached to the house then it is covered under Coverage A. HOWEVER, there are a few odd ball policies out there that don’t care if your fence is attached or not, it’s covered by Coverage B.

[@christopherlee6195]

The cut-always to videos are annoying. Would have liked to watch the entire video but the videos were annoying.

[@SWiFence]

Duly noted, Chris. You would not believe how hard it is to make everyone happy.

[@peterzinia3767]

Quit with the stupid movie clips please. They ruin the video & they aren't funny.

[@SWiFence]

Haven't used them in quite a while

[@EliteSniper-ro9sy]

Everyone is an expert

[@SWiFence]

Especially us. 😋

[@mertz313]

Gonna have to disagree. At my company we aren't allowed to mess with the foundation of the house. We will dig as much as we can, set post, cut post if needed, and then we attach post to house using literally 1 3/8 bolt. It's super effective, nobody has ever cared, and we've never received a call about it.

[@SWiFence]

We will have to disagree. I have yet to see anyone address the potential for moisture penetration, make sure they anchor to studs, or in general make this look good. Every time we see it, its a cobbled mess. We offered several ways to accomplish this without drilling into a foundation. They did miss mentioning the optional Z post though which steps over the foundation/drainage or whatever with no need for funny little sections or drilling of concrete. It should also be noted that we are talking about bolting a plated post to a footing. If that causes failure in the concrete, there were problems long before we arrived.

[@chrishuber4853]

I'm glad I'm not alone. Been attaching to the house for 22 years and have yet to hear about any problems. Looks like just because you're able to make a video doesn't mean you're right. 🤙

[@CyrusKnight-z8y]

Some kind*