Wood Privacy Fence Installation — Shawnee, KS

We installed a new wood privacy fence in Shawnee, KS, in April 2026, replacing the old fence around the backyard. It's a dog-ear picket privacy fence, one of the most common styles in Kansas City backyards, built finished-side-out on posts set 36 inches deep in concrete, below the frost line.

Why dog-ear privacy is so common

Dog-ear pickets, with their top corners clipped at an angle, are one of the most popular privacy fence styles around Kansas City, and the reasons are practical. The design is simple, it looks at home on almost any house, and it costs less than more elaborate styles like board-on-board or shadowbox. The tradeoff shows up as the fence ages. A single layer of pickets sits edge to edge, and as the wood dries and shrinks over its first seasons, small gaps can open between boards. If complete privacy matters more than budget, board-on-board overlaps the pickets so no gap ever opens. For most backyards, dog-ear gives the privacy people are after at a price that leaves room for gates and staining.

How we build a privacy fence that doesn't lean

When an old privacy fence starts to lean, the problem is almost always at the bottom of the posts, not in the pickets. Wood at ground level stays damp and rots at the base, and a solid fence face catching the wind eventually pushes it over. That's why we put the effort where you can't see it. Every post on an RKC wood fence installation goes 36 inches deep and is set in concrete, below the frost line, and Josh, RKC's owner, walks every install. We also build finished-side-out, so the smooth face of the pickets points toward the neighbors and the posts and rails face your yard.

Why post depth matters in Shawnee

Shawnee sits in northern Johnson County, where much of the ground is clay-heavy. Clay holds water after a rain, swells as it wets and shrinks as it dries, and in winter the frozen layer pushes up on anything set shallow. A post that stops above the frost line gets lifted a little with every freeze and thaw, while a privacy fence gives the wind a large, solid surface to push on at the same time. Setting posts 36 inches deep in concrete puts the footing below the layer that moves, so the fence stays plumb through winters that would tip a shallow one.

Protecting a new wood fence

New wood looks its best the day it goes up, and sun and rain start graying it right away. Once the boards have had time to dry, a stain and seal slows that down and helps keep them from checking and cupping. We handle fence staining and sealing in Shawnee in-house, so the same company that built your fence can protect it. If your old fence is leaning or rotting at the posts, we can look at it at a free estimate and tell you whether it needs repair or replacement.