Wood Farm Fence with Wire — Overland Park, KS

We installed a split-rail style wood farm fence with wire mesh around a large yard in Overland Park, KS, in April 2026. A rail fence keeps a big property open and easy on the eye, and the wire turns it into a fence that holds a line. Every post is set 36 inches deep in concrete.

Why a farm fence with wire

A wood rail fence is the right call when a yard is big enough that a solid privacy fence would feel like a wall. The rails mark the property line and keep the view open across the lawn, and they cost less per foot than a privacy fence because there's far less wood in each section. On their own, though, open rails won't keep a dog or small kids inside. Adding wire mesh along the rails closes those openings while keeping the fence see-through, which is why the combination is common on larger lots where people want the open look and a yard that actually contains their pets. The tradeoff is privacy: a rail and wire fence defines the space, but it doesn't screen it.

How we build a rail fence to last

A rail fence uses less wood than a privacy fence, but its posts matter just as much. On a traditional split-rail fence, the rails sit in holes cut through the posts, so if one post heaves or leans, the rails on both sides of it work loose. Wire mesh adds another demand, because it's fastened along the whole run and the corner and end posts anchor it. We set every post on a wood fence installation 36 inches deep in concrete, below the frost line, so the line stays straight and the wire stays snug against the rails.

Open fences and Kansas City ground

A rail fence catches far less wind than a solid one, but it sits in the same clay-heavy Johnson County soil. That clay holds water after spring rain and freezes hard in winter, swelling and pushing up on anything set shallow. On a long run across a big yard, that movement adds up post by post, and a single heaved post can pull the rails out of line on both sides. Footings set below the frost line keep the whole run true through the freeze-thaw cycles every Kansas City winter brings.

Finishing and caring for a rail fence

Rail fences are often left to weather naturally, and plenty of people like the silver look they take on over time. If you'd rather keep the fresh wood color, a stain and seal holds it and slows the weathering. We handle fence staining and sealing in Overland Park in-house, too. If you have a large yard and want a fence that keeps it open while keeping your pets in, we can walk the line with you at a free estimate.