New fence rules

Good fences make good neighbors, they say. Good laws make good neighbors and good fences.
A little slower? If spring fix-up season has you picking up the tab for a new backyard fence that keeps your dog and your brown spots on your side and the neighbor's dog on his, you're being pretty darned considerate, you say. The guy next door says you could be more neighborly if you were to build the fence with the finished side facing his house. After all, he has to look at it, too. Several Mineapolis suburbs, such as Bloomington have addressed this controversy about fences and views of them by enacting “pretty-side-out” ordinances. These ensure that the neighbors and passersby on the street see the best side of your home improvement. For the best view on both sides of the fence, contractors promote what they call “good-neighbor” fences, with two finished sides, posts hidden in the center. “m“When money doesn't see to be a problem, I always suggest a Lagacy Batten board,” which features vertical boards nailed alternately on both sides of horizontal rails. In general terms, a fence with two finished sides costs about 15 percent more than a similar fence with only one finished side, local fencing contractors said. While most homeowners are inclined to do the neighborly thing, others are annoyed to learn — depending on the suburb — there are restrictions that can affect their plans. “Sometimes we have trouble explaining the rules to customers,” said Dale Eads

“Sometimes they think they can specify exactly what they want because they are paying for it." Unfortunately that is not always the case.