Do I need a permit for a wood fence in Brunswick?

Most of the time, yes. It depends if you're within the city limits of Brunswick, in that case the application goes to the City of Brunswick. But if you're in Sterling, Dock Junction, Blythe Island or otherwise unincorporated Glynn County then it's the County. They both have different rules for height and set-back so we'll make sure we know which one you're on before we quote you.

Can I build a six-foot privacy fence in my front yard?

Typically no. The city and county usually make front yard fences be about 4ft in height. Privacy fences for sides and back tend to be 6ft in height. There are also additional sight lines to worry about at intersections if it's a corner lot. We make sure to explain all that at the time of estimate, so there aren't any surprises after we get the permit review.

What if I am not sure where my property line is?

We require that homeowners locate their property pins or get a survey prior to building. In the older areas of Brunswick the pins are usually under ground or missing. It's very expensive to move your fence when it is built a foot over the line. Far less expensive to perform a survey rather than re-build.

Why do wood fence posts rot so fast in Brunswick?

Most of the city has a high water table. So the post is sitting in moist soil for months on end at the base. We pour our posts into concrete (where we crown the top of the footing so that water runs away from the post) and we use ground contact rated treated pine. It is treated to a higher level than the regular boards.

How does a wood fence handle a tropical storm here?

When you are dealing with a solid privacy fence, it is like a sail. We brace for it. 6 by 6 post. Closer posts on long, open runs. Screwed pickets (not nailed). We've weathered the storms of the last few years. Shadowbox designs allow some breeze to pass through and are good when you have an open lot near the marsh.

When should I stain or seal a new fence in this climate?

After 4-6 weeks from installation to let it dry out (pressure treated wood), use a penetrating oil stain or a water repellent. Depending on Brunswick humidity you will want to reapply every 2-3 years to prevent the boards from turning gray and checking. Also, a quick wash in the spring will help prevent mildew on the shaded side.

Wood fencing in Brunswick, GA: privacy fences built for wet ground and city rules

A wood fence in Brunswick has to survive the water table before it ever sees a storm.

Brunswick lies low. Much of Brunswick is only a couple of feet above the waterline. The dirt under Sterling, the Old Town grid, Dock Junction and Windsor Park is wet for weeks after a good summertime thunderstorm. This is what we first consider when a homeowner in Brunswick wants a wood privacy fence. If the posts were only dug in shallow in the soft, wet sand, your fence looks great on the day it's installed. But after two years, it's leaning. Every wood fence we put in Brunswick here at Golden Isles Fencing and Excavation is made with this dirt in mind. And we build your wood fence in Brunswick on the job, picket by picket, not dropped in panels.

We're a family owned, Christian-based business out of Brunswick. This is our home turf. We know which streets get flooded after a good rain. Which older lots have property pins that disappeared long ago. Which neighborhoods are inside the city limits vs. the county limits. These things affect how we build and permit a fence. Getting all this right from the start saves you time and money and a callback.

City lot or county lot: it changes the permit

Brunswick is different in that much of what people refer to as "Brunswick" is actually unincorporated Glynn County, but the city lines so tightly hug the historic area that Union Street and Windsor Park are inside the city lines, while a house on Blythe Island or Sterling or Altama Avenue beyond the county line is not. City of Brunswick has their fence permits. Glynn County Community Development has theirs. The allowable fence height and setbacks and corner lot sight lines aren't the same.

It's all part of the job for us. We look up the jurisdiction and what's allowed before we give a quote. In the Old Town historic area, the city historic preservation review process may also have input on street facing fences so a front yard picket fence there may have to look different than in Country Club Estates for instance. We'd rather spend an hour up front looking at this than have to redo a portion after an inspector visit.

Long wood privacy fence at dusk on a new-build lot with sandy ground at its base — Sandy coastal ground like this is exactly why posts here go deeper and get more concrete.

Setting posts in Brunswick's soil

Most of the city has fine coastal sand and occasional clay, and around the edges of the marsh areas of the Marshes of Glynn and Terry Creek area we have some pretty bad soft organic muck that will not support a post at all. Our standard for a 6' privacy fence in Brunswick is a 6x6 ground contact treated post that is set at least a third of the length of the post deep, into the ground. And in concrete. The concrete has a top that is raised at grade such that water will not sit on the wood. And we will go deeper in the ground for low lots. Sometimes with marsh edge lots we will suggest moving the fence a few feet further in on the firm ground so as to avoid the muck battle.

We are also an excavating company so we can help out with the ground as well. So if you have a low area where the fence runs that is holding water we can grade a shallow swale. This lets the rain travel along the fence and around the posts instead of sitting against the posts. Just this one step will add years of life to your bottom rail and pickets.

Tall board-on-board wood privacy fence in a long straight run with freshly dug soil at the base — Board-on-board: pickets overlap, so there is no gap to open up as the wood dries.

Designs that hold up to coastal wind

We get all the tropical storms the islands get, but with less salt spray. Most common request in town is a good solid board on board privacy fence as it will keep you blocked from the street and neighbors, but a solid wall will catch the wind. We will often recommend a shadowbox fence design for an open lot by the river or causeway where pickets are alternated on each side of the rail for air flow but keeping your view blocked. In yards that are set back in some of the older neighborhoods where you have big oaks to block the wind for you, often times a full privacy fence with a decorative cap rail is acceptable.

Board-on-board privacy. Good solid overlapping pickets, no gaps. 6ft high. Common in back yards in Brunswick. Good for the pet owners.
Shadowbox. Good wind friendly privacy fence that looks finished on each side for a good design on marsh lots and the Golden Isles Parkway corridor.
Picket and split rail. Smaller front yard fences to code for the city and fit into the design for Old Town and Windsor Park.
Gates. Walk gates and double drive gates framed to be square. Heavy hinges so they won't droop in the humidity.

Our process on a Brunswick job

Site visit and estimate. We string a line and mark for pins. Look for low spots and utility marks. See if your permit is county or city.
Prep. If we have brush, an old fence or a stump to remove, we will have our crew handle it. We can get the line graded the same week.
Posts. We dig the holes to depth and make sure the posts are plumb, in concrete. give it time to cure before any framing.
Framing and pickets. Six foot fence we will do three rails. screw in the pickets. every board scribed to match the ground. No dog holes.
Walkthrough and cleanup. We will check every gate with you and every run. We will remove old material and scrap.

Wood privacy fence with a top cap and trim rail running past a small outbuilding — Cap and trim on top of a privacy fence. It costs a little more and it stops the pickets cupping.

Caring for a wood fence in Brunswick's climate

You want to use treated pine. It's the best wood for your environment, but you will still want to give it some help in this humid environment. Let a new fence sit for 4-6 weeks to dry, then apply a water penetrating stain or water repellent. Redo that finish every couple years. For the north side of the fence (which is in the shade), give it a good washing every spring to keep the mildew at bay. Make sure sprinklers aren't flooding the bottom rail. Cut back vines and shrubs so that you have air flow between the boards. If you do this, then you'll still have an upright fence in 15 years from a fence we put in Brunswick today.

Want to talk about your yard? Free onsite estimates anywhere in Brunswick. Flexible financing available on bigger projects. Give us a call or send us a message and we'll come check it out.

Wood fencing on the islands and beyond

Building on an island lot is a different job. Read about wood fencing on St. Simons Island, wood fencing on Jekyll Island, and everything we do as a fence company in Brunswick, or go back to the main wood fencing service page.

Other Brunswick fencing options

If wood is not the right fit for your lot, see our vinyl fencing in Brunswick, aluminum fencing in Brunswick, fence repairs in Brunswick, and wood fencing service overview.

Newly built wood privacy fence along a cleared back yard

Questions and answers

Common questions about wood fencing in Brunswick

Straight answers to what Brunswick homeowners ask us before we set the first post.

Most of the time, yes. It depends if you're within the city limits of Brunswick, in that case the application goes to the City of Brunswick. But if you're in Sterling, Dock Junction, Blythe Island or otherwise unincorporated Glynn County then it's the County. They both have different rules for height and set-back so we'll make sure we know which one you're on before we quote you.
Typically no. The city and county usually make front yard fences be about 4ft in height. Privacy fences for sides and back tend to be 6ft in height. There are also additional sight lines to worry about at intersections if it's a corner lot. We make sure to explain all that at the time of estimate, so there aren't any surprises after we get the permit review.
We require that homeowners locate their property pins or get a survey prior to building. In the older areas of Brunswick the pins are usually under ground or missing. It's very expensive to move your fence when it is built a foot over the line. Far less expensive to perform a survey rather than re-build.

Most of the city has a high water table. So the post is sitting in moist soil for months on end at the base. We pour our posts into concrete (where we crown the top of the footing so that water runs away from the post) and we use ground contact rated treated pine. It is treated to a higher level than the regular boards.
When you are dealing with a solid privacy fence, it is like a sail. We brace for it. 6 by 6 post. Closer posts on long, open runs. Screwed pickets (not nailed). We've weathered the storms of the last few years. Shadowbox designs allow some breeze to pass through and are good when you have an open lot near the marsh.
After 4-6 weeks from installation to let it dry out (pressure treated wood), use a penetrating oil stain or a water repellent. Depending on Brunswick humidity you will want to reapply every 2-3 years to prevent the boards from turning gray and checking. Also, a quick wash in the spring will help prevent mildew on the shaded side.