# Fence guides > Fence guides for Johns Creek and north Fulton homes: permits, HOA approval, surveys and 811, costs, materials, slopes, posts, gates, pool rules and repairs. URL: https://uprightjohnscreekfencing.com/guide/ Guides Straight answers for planning, building and fixing a fence in Johns Creek and north Fulton: the permit and the HOA, where the line runs, what is underground, which material fits, how slopes and clay change the work, and what it costs. Guides are grouped by the service they lead to. ## Fence installation [Fence installation service](https://uprightjohnscreekfencing.com/fence-installation/) Learn Do you need a permit to build a fence in Johns Creek? Yes, for every new fence and every replacement. This guide covers the permit, the zoning rules behind it, HOA approval, property lines, utilities, protected trees, and how the rules change in the cities around Johns Creek. Learn Do you need to call 811 before digging fence post holes? Yes, when the holes are dug with a powered auger, and it is the safe choice even by hand. Georgia requires the request at least 3 business days ahead. Learn Can a fence be built on an easement? Sometimes, with permission and with the risk that it may have to come out. What drainage and utility easements mean for a fence line. Learn Do I need a survey to build a fence? Not always, but often when the fence will sit close to the property line. Here is what a plat shows, what a survey adds, and how to decide. Cost Guide How much does fence installation cost in Johns Creek? Typical Atlanta-area ranges per foot, what a Johns Creek permit adds, and the handful of things that move a fence price more than the material does. Learn How do you build a fence on a slope? Two ways: racked, where the rails follow the grade, or stepped, where level sections drop at each post. The material and the dog usually decide which. Learn How deep should fence posts be? Deep enough to resist the load the fence puts on them. Height, wind, gates and the soil all change the answer, so posts on one fence are not all the same depth. Learn How long does fence installation take? The build itself is usually the short part. Approvals, the permit and the Georgia 811 wait take longer, and weather and special-order materials can add to both. ## Fence replacement [Fence replacement service](https://uprightjohnscreekfencing.com/fence-replacement/) Decision Guide Should you repair or replace your fence? Repair when the damage is limited to a few posts, boards or a gate. Replace when posts are failing along the whole line, or when you want a different fence. ## Wood fences [Wood fences service](https://uprightjohnscreekfencing.com/wood-fence-installation/) Decision Guide Board on board vs shadowbox fence: what's the difference? Board-on-board overlaps boards for full privacy; shadowbox alternates them for a look that is the same from both yards and lets air through. Learn How long does a wood fence last? There is no single number. A wood fence lasts as long as its posts hold at the soil line, and that depends far more on how they were set than on the boards. ## Privacy fences [Privacy fences service](https://uprightjohnscreekfencing.com/privacy-fence-installation/) Learn How do you get HOA approval for a fence? Submit a site plan, the style, the height and the color to your HOA's architectural committee before the city permit. Here is what they look for. Learn Which side of the fence faces the neighbor? The finished side faces out, toward the neighbor and the street. Johns Creek, Sandy Springs and Peachtree Corners all say so. ## Fence repair [Fence repair service](https://uprightjohnscreekfencing.com/fence-repair/) Learn How do you fix a leaning fence post? Find out why it leans first. A rotted post is replaced; a sound post in a failed footing is reset deeper; a post bracket only buys time. ## Vinyl fences [Vinyl fences service](https://uprightjohnscreekfencing.com/vinyl-fence-installation/) Decision Guide Wood vs vinyl fence: which is better in Georgia? Wood costs less to install and repairs easily; vinyl skips staining but cracks on impact and is not allowed everywhere nearby. The right answer depends on your lot. ## Aluminum fences [Aluminum fences service](https://uprightjohnscreekfencing.com/aluminum-fence-installation/) Decision Guide Aluminum vs steel fence: which should you choose? Aluminum for most yards, pools and slopes because it does not rust; steel where strength matters most, such as long driveway gates and security. ## Chain link fences [Chain link fences service](https://uprightjohnscreekfencing.com/chain-link-fence-installation/) Decision Guide What is the best fence for dogs? The one built for how your dog escapes. Jumpers need height, diggers need a barrier below grade, and barkers do better behind a fence they cannot see through. Decision Guide Is chain link cheaper than wood? Usually, yes. Chain link costs less per foot and lasts a long time, but it gives no privacy and local rules limit where it can go. ## Gates [Gates service](https://uprightjohnscreekfencing.com/gate-installation/) Learn Why is my fence gate sagging? Usually because the hinge post is leaning or the gate frame is racking out of square. Loose hinge screws come third. Each has a different fix. ## Automatic gates [Automatic gates service](https://uprightjohnscreekfencing.com/automatic-gate-installation/) Decision Guide Swing vs sliding gate: which is better for a driveway? Swing gates suit level drives with room in front of them. Sliding gates suit slopes, short drives and tight lots, as long as there is room along the fence for the gate to roll. ## Pool fences [Pool fences service](https://uprightjohnscreekfencing.com/pool-fence-installation/) Learn What are Georgia's pool fence rules? Georgia adopts the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code with state amendments, and your city applies it through the pool permit. Federal safety guidance explains the reasoning. ## Fence staining [Fence staining service](https://uprightjohnscreekfencing.com/fence-staining/) Learn When should you stain a new fence? As soon as the wood is dry enough to absorb it, and not before. New pressure-treated pine arrives wet, so it usually needs weeks to months to dry out first. ## Horse fences [Horse fences service](https://uprightjohnscreekfencing.com/horse-fence-installation/) Decision Guide What is the best fencing material for horses? It depends on the horses and the space. Board fences are the most visible, horse-rated mesh stops hooves and dogs, and polymer rail flexes and resists chewing.