A fence does more work than most people give it credit for. For homeowners in Seattle, it creates a safe, enclosed space for your family. It provides privacy. Sometimes a good fence simply makes a better situation for neighbors, just by establishing where the lines are. And aesthetically, it can be a really beautiful backdrop — or forefront — to a beautiful house and landscape.
We design fences from modest and functional all the way to ornate and magazine quality. But whatever direction a fence takes, we're always asking the same question: how long is this going to last?
We're really promoting forever fences — fences that basically don't need to be replaced. Legacy fences.
The traditional wood fence is expensive, and it has a lifespan. You pay for it, and then some years later you pay for it again. So we've been steadily moving clients toward materials and details that don't come with an expiration date:
A living fence is essentially a hedge — sometimes integrated with posts and arbors, sometimes with some wood fencing, and sometimes a metal mesh with vines growing over it. It grows in until it reads as a wall of green, but there's a real fence in there keeping your pets in and everything else out.
These are amazing because they have such a positive environmental impact. They create ecosystems for birds and friendly critters. And they're beautiful. In the city there's just so much concrete and wood and structures everywhere — it's kind of nice to get home from work and stare at a wall of green.
We built a custom 16-foot steam box, and we use it to cook wood so we can bend and curve it. We've been doing a lot of curved fences lately — these big, sweeping curves — and they're really eye catching.
It's a fair bit of theater on site, too: a long piece of wood sliding out with steam billowing everywhere. That kind of thing is why we like this work. We never really repeat the same project twice, which is more work, but it means we're constantly learning new tricks.
One of the bigger parts of our fence work is gates. We build really custom gates, and we install automatic gates as well — sliding gates and double-opening gates — for folks driving into their lot who want a secure space. Gates are also where cheap fence work shows itself fastest, so we pay close attention to making sure they're super functional.
A green screen project we return to often in conversation: metal mesh panels with vines trained across them, set between structural posts. From the patio, it reads as a solid hedge — no fence visible at all — but it holds a property line and contains a dog. Over a few seasons it filled in completely.
Another was a run of steam-bent tight-knot cedar that curves through a garden rather than cutting across it. The curve does something a straight fence can't: it makes the yard feel larger by hiding where it ends.
The fence isn't integrated into the landscape. This is the biggest one. We often come in behind other contractors and find the bottoms of fences sitting at the wrong grades, and we have to redo it. We pay a lot of attention to really clean lines on the tops and bottoms of fences that perfectly match what your landscape grades are going to do.
The posts are set at the wrong depth. Bury a post too much and it'll rot. Set it too high and your pets can get underneath. Either way, it can look really ugly.
No material quality control. A lot of fence contractors don't do much of it — it's more of a slap-it-up approach. We really pick through the lumber.
We're not the cheapest bid, and we won't pretend otherwise. You get what you pay for — really high quality service, careful material selection, great communication, and a fence that's built into the landscape rather than dropped on top of it.
How long does a wood fence last in Seattle?
Traditional wood fences are expensive and they have a lifespan — you'll replace one eventually. That's why we promote forever fences using metal posts, thermally modified wood, Corten steel, gabion walls, or living green screens, so replacement isn't part of the plan.
What is a living fence?
It's essentially a hedge, often integrated with posts, arbors, some wood fencing, or a metal mesh with vines growing on it. It creates privacy and encloses the space while supporting birds and pollinators — and it's beautiful. A wall of green instead of a wall of wood.
What's the best fence material for privacy?
Tight-knot cedar is our most common starting point and can be stained, painted, or left to silver. For longevity, thermally modified wood and Corten steel are excellent. Living screens give you privacy that improves every year instead of degrading.
Do you build custom and automatic gates?
Yes. We build fully custom gates and install automatic gates, including sliding gates and double-opening gates for driveways and secure lots.
Why does my fence look crooked at the bottom?
Usually because the fence wasn't integrated with the landscape grades. When the bottom line doesn't follow what the ground is doing, it looks wrong — and posts set too deep will rot while gaps left too high let pets slip underneath.
Can you build a curved fence?
We can. We built a custom 16-foot steam box so we can steam-bend wood on site, which lets us create big sweeping curves that are genuinely eye catching.
