Building a wood fence yourself in Kansas City can save you 30–50% on labor — if you do it right. The catch: the most expensive mistakes (shallow posts, wrong concrete, no kicker board) don't show up for 2–3 winters. This is the exact step-by-step we'd use on a paid install, adapted for a DIY homeowner with a weekend or two.
Quick answer: how long does it take to install a wood fence?
For a typical 150 ft cedar privacy fence with one walk gate, a 2-person crew with the right tools needs 2–3 working days. A DIY homeowner with a borrowed auger should plan on 3–4 weekends — one for layout and post setting, one for concrete cure, one for pickets and rails, one for gates and finishing.
Tools and materials you'll need
- Power auger (rent — 8 to 12 inch bit, $80–$120/day in KC)
- Post hole digger (manual, for clean-up around utilities)
- 4 ft level and a torpedo level
- String line and mason stakes
- Cordless drill/driver, exterior screws (3 inch deck screws, ceramic-coated)
- Circular saw and chop saw
- Wheelbarrow and mixing hoe (or rented mixer for 50+ posts)
- Cedar pickets (1×6 × 6 ft Western Red Cedar — count = total feet × 2.1 to allow for cuts)
- Cedar rails (2×4 × 8 ft — 2 per section, top and bottom; add a third middle rail for 6 ft fences)
- Posts — 4×4 × 8 ft cedar OR (better) 2 3/8" galvanized steel posts with cedar sleeves
- Quikrete fast-setting concrete (one 50 lb bag per post for 4×4; two for steel)
- Gravel — half a bag per post hole for drainage
- Kicker board / rot board — 2×6 pressure-treated, runs the full bottom
Step 1 — Confirm property lines and call 811
Before you dig anything: call 811 (Kansas One-Call or Missouri One-Call) at least 3 business days ahead. They mark gas, electric, water, fiber, and cable lines for free. If you can't find a current survey, get one — installing a fence on a neighbor's property is the most expensive mistake in this entire guide.
Step 2 — Check the permit and HOA
In KCMO, Overland Park, Olathe, Lee's Summit, Leawood, and most KC suburbs you need a building permit for any fence over 4 ft. Most subdivisions also require HOA architectural approval first — see [our Overland Park permit guide](/fence-permit-overland-park-ks) for the exact process. Build first, ask later = potentially tear it out at your own cost.
Step 3 — Lay out the run
Drive a mason stake at each corner and at every direction change. Run mason string between them at 6 inches off the ground so you can sight the entire run. Mark every post location with marking paint — for cedar privacy, post spacing is 8 ft on center (you'll cut 7 ft 4 1/2 in rails to fit between 3.5 in posts). Skip the temptation to stretch spacing to 10 ft — the rails sag and the fence wobbles.
Step 4 — Dig the post holes
Kansas City frost line is 36 inches. That means post holes need to be 36 to 42 inches deep minimum — anything shallower and freeze-thaw will heave your posts in 2–3 winters. Hole diameter should be 3x the post width (so 12 inches for a 4×4, 10 inches for a 2 3/8" steel post). Drop 4–6 inches of gravel in the bottom for drainage before setting the post — water sitting against wood is what rots posts.
Step 5 — Set the posts
Drop the post in, plumb it with a 4 ft level on two adjacent faces, brace it with scrap 1×4s nailed to stakes. Pour in a 50 lb bag of fast-setting concrete dry, then add about 1 gallon of water on top — it cures in 20–40 minutes. Crown the concrete slightly above grade and slope it away from the post so water runs off, not down the post. Let it cure overnight before applying any side load.
Step 6 — Hang the rails
Cut rails (2×4 × 7 ft 4.5 in for 8 ft on-center posts) and screw them flat-side against the posts using 3 inch exterior screws — top rail flush with the post top, bottom rail 4 inches above the kicker board, middle rail centered between for 6 ft fences. Pre-drill every screw hole in cedar or you'll split it.
Step 7 — Install the kicker board (this is the secret)
A 2×6 pressure-treated kicker board runs along the bottom, butted against the soil. It does three things: keeps dogs from digging out, takes the weather hit instead of your cedar pickets, and can be replaced in 10 years for $80 instead of the whole fence. Every cedar fence we install in KC has one. DIY fences that skip it look 5 years older than they are.
Step 8 — Attach the pickets
Start at one post. Use a 1/4 inch spacer (or no spacer for tight board-on-board). Plumb the first picket with your level and tack it. Then nail or screw each subsequent picket, checking plumb every 4–5 pickets — gravity drift is real. Picket tops should sit 1/2 inch above the top rail for a clean reveal; bottoms should sit 1/4 inch above the kicker so they don't wick water.
Step 9 — Build the gate
A 4 ft gate is a rectangular frame plus a diagonal brace — the brace runs from the bottom hinge corner up to the top latch corner. Without that brace, the gate sags in 6 months. Use heavy-duty hinges (3 per gate, not 2) and a self-closing latch if it's a pool gate. Hang it with 1/4 inch gap on the hinge side, 1/2 inch on the latch side.
Step 10 — Stain or seal within 30 days
Cedar UV-greys in 60–90 days. If you want it to stay the warm cedar color, brush or spray a quality penetrating stain (Penofin, Ready Seal, or TWP) within 30 days of install — before the wood weathers. One coat is enough on new cedar; two coats just wastes product.
Common Kansas City DIY mistakes (and what they cost)
| Mistake | Long-term cost | | --- | --- | | Posts set 24" deep instead of 36"+ | Frost heave in 2 years — full fence rebuild | | Skipping gravel in post holes | Posts rot at base in 8–10 yrs (vs 20+) | | Wet concrete mix (sloppy pour) | Posts wobble forever | | No kicker board | Cedar pickets rot at bottom in 6–8 yrs | | Wood posts in clay soil with no steel | Lean within 5 years | | Picket nails instead of ceramic-coated screws | Black streaks down every picket |
When to call a pro instead
- More than 20 posts (renting an auger gets expensive vs hiring out)
- Sloped lots (stepped vs racked fence layout is tricky)
- Rocky/heavy clay soil (manual digging is brutal)
- Anything pool-code (failed inspection = redo)
- HOAs that require specific install methods
If you'd rather have someone else handle it, [request a free Kodiak Fence quote](/quote) — every install includes 36"+ post depth, steel-post option, kicker board, and our written 10-year workmanship warranty.
FAQs
How deep should fence posts be in Kansas City? Minimum 36 inches — that's the local frost line. We go 40–42 inches on every Kodiak install because the few extra inches add years of life and cost almost nothing in concrete.
How far apart should fence posts be? 8 ft on center for cedar privacy. Anything wider sags. For 4 ft picket fences you can go 8 ft. For chain link, 10 ft is standard.
How long does concrete take to set for fence posts? Fast-setting concrete (Quikrete) is workable in 20 minutes and load-ready in 4 hours. Don't hang rails or pickets for at least 12 hours, ideally 24.
Can I install a wood fence over old fence posts? No. Cut them at grade and leave the concrete in place, then offset the new line by 6–8 inches. Old posts are why most "replacement" fences fail early.
Wood posts or steel posts for a Kansas City wood fence? Steel every time, if you can afford it. A cedar fence with steel posts and cedar sleeves lasts 25+ years vs 12–18 for 4×4 cedar posts in our wet-dry-freeze soil. Costs about 15–25% more upfront.
Do I need a permit to install a fence in Kansas City? In nearly every KC metro city: yes, for any fence over 4 ft. KCMO, Overland Park, Olathe, Lee's Summit, Leawood, and most others require permits and many also require HOA approval. See our [Kansas City fence cost guide](/fence-cost-kansas-city) for the permit breakdown.
Have questions about your project? Request a free quote or call us anytime.