Wire Mesh and Farm Fencing in West Chester, PA

Drive west of the borough toward Marshallton, or south toward Pocopson and the Brandywine, and wire fencing is everywhere once you start looking for it: around vegetable gardens, lining split rail, enclosing young orchards and running along pasture edges. 76 FENCE West Chester installs wire mesh and farm fencing across West Chester, PA and the surrounding townships. Here is how to pick the right wire and the local rules that shape where it can go.

Which kind of wire fence do you need?

Match the wire to the animal: what you are keeping in, or what you are keeping out.

How tall does a deer fence need to be in Chester County?

Plan on about 8 feet. The WeConservePA deer management handbook says deer exclusion fencing should be 8 to 12 feet high.

The same handbook reports that Pennsylvania averaged about 30 deer per forested square mile in 2007, three to six times the desired level, and that suburban areas can exceed 100 per square mile. Anyone who gardens near the Brandywine or along a wooded lot line in Westtown or East Bradford will recognize that. The complication is that most townships cap residential fences at 6 feet in side and rear yards, so an 8-ft deer fence may need a permit or a variance; check with your township first. Our deer fence height guide goes through the options, including fencing only the garden rather than the whole yard.

What works for horses and pasture?

For horses, the fence needs to be visible and forgiving. Board fencing or split rail lined with mesh is common, because horses see the rails and the mesh keeps hooves and foals from slipping through.

Some townships address pasture directly. West Bradford’s zoning, for example, states that grazing and pasture areas shall be fenced. Gates deserve as much thought as the fence: size them for tractors, trailers and mowers, not just a person and a horse. See horse fences and the Pocopson page, where creek country and horse farms meet.

Can you run wire fencing near a stream or on preserved land?

Sometimes, with care. Streamside setbacks, floodway limits and conservation easements can all restrict where a fence goes.

East Bradford and Chadds Ford restrict new construction within 50 feet of the top of the stream bank, and fences in a FEMA floodway are limited because they can trap debris in a flood. Open wire catches less debris than a solid fence, but the rules still apply. The Brandywine Conservancy has helped conserve more than 158,000 acres in Chester County, and if your land is under a conservation easement, read the easement before you plan a new fence line, because many limit new structures. See fences near streams and conservation easement fencing.

What about the ground under the fence?

Around West Chester the answer depends on where you are. Upland properties often sit on schist and gneiss, and post holes can hit rock within a foot or two; crews may core drill or set posts shallower with more concrete where the inspector allows. In the Chester Valley around Exton and Malvern, the bedrock is limestone, and sinkholes have been reported in the Exton area. There, avoid directing downspout or sump water toward fence posts, and tell us about any depressions you have noticed in the yard.

How should you plan a wire fence project?

1. Name the animal. Deer, rabbits, dogs and horses each need different heights and mesh sizes.
2. Check the rules. Height caps, stream setbacks, easements and HOA guidelines can move or limit the line.
3. Plan the gates. Mower width at a minimum; tractor and trailer width on farms.
4. Choose posts. Wood posts suit rail-and-mesh looks; steel posts are less visible on tall deer fencing.