Install Fence Panels I Bought — Labor-Only Wood Fence Panel Install
The fence panels are stacked in the driveway, the posts are in the truck bed, and nobody has time to dig forty holes and keep the line straight.
If you want to install fence panels you bought — pre-built wood privacy or picket panels from Menards, Home Depot or a lumberyard — JMB Builders sets the posts and hangs them across the Twin Cities metro. Posts go below the frost line in concrete or compacted gravel, panels are hung level or stepped down a slope, and the tops line up. Priced per linear foot, quoted from photos and a sketch within one business day.
- Priced per linear foot, labor only
- Posts set below the frost line
- Utility locate called before digging
- Quote from photos in 1 business day
Pre-built fence panels are the cheapest way to get a privacy fence, and the store will sell you everything but the installer. Most fence companies only install what they sell. JMB Builders installs the panels, posts and hardware you already bought, labor only.
A panel fence lives or dies on its posts. A post set too shallow heaves in the first Minnesota winter and the panel beside it racks. Posts set out of line leave gaps that no trim covers. The work is laying out the line, digging each hole to depth, setting each post plumb at the exact panel width, and hanging panels so they stay put.
Before any digging, a Gopher State One Call locate is requested so buried utility lines are marked. Where the fence goes and how tall it can be is set by your property line and your city, so check the survey and the city rules before you buy.
What you supply
- The fence panels, posts, post caps and panel brackets or rails
- Gate kits or pre-built gates if the fence has a gate
- Your property survey or marked property pins, and the city's OK on height if it needs a permit
- A sketch of the fence line with lengths, gate spots and where it meets the house
What JMB supplies
- Layout with string line and stakes, and the utility locate request
- Post holes dug to below the frost line
- Concrete or compacted gravel for each post, per the post and soil
- Posts set plumb at panel width, cut to height after the panels go up
- Panels hung level on flat ground, stepped or racked on a slope
- Screws and structural fasteners rated for treated lumber
- Hauling away the spoils from the post holes, or spread on site if you prefer
- Staining or sealing the new fence, quoted as its own line
How it is priced: per linear foot
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- Total length and number of posts
- Soil: sand, clay, rock or roots in the post holes
- Slope of the yard and whether panels are stepped or racked
- Number of gates and corners
- Removal of an old fence along the same line
- Access for a post-hole auger vs. hand digging
Send photos of the yard along the line, a sketch with lengths, and the product labels for the panels and posts.
How long it takes
Most backyard panel fences: posts one day, panels the next once the concrete has set. Long runs or rocky soil add a day.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized quote within one business day. We only come out to measure first when the job needs a tape measure — no pressure, no games.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Wood privacy panels
Solid dog-ear or flat-top panels on treated wood posts. The panels are heavy, so posts are set at the exact panel width and the panels are fastened with brackets or screwed to the posts.
Picket and shadowbox panels
Shorter or open panels for the front yard or a garden. Same post work, lighter panels, and the tops are kept in a straight line or a smooth rise.
Fence on a sloped yard
Panels can step down the slope in even steps, with the gap under each panel filled or left, or rack to follow the ground when the panel design allows it. Which one works depends on the panels you bought.
Install Fence Panels I Bought — Labor-Only Wood Fence Panel Install: questions, answered
Will you install fence panels I bought myself?
Yes. JMB Builders installs pre-built fence panels from Menards, Home Depot, Lowe's or a lumberyard, labor only. You buy the panels, posts, caps and brackets; we lay out the line, set the posts and hang the panels. Send the product labels with your photos and the quote covers the install with no surprises.
How deep do fence posts need to be in Minnesota?
Fence posts in Minnesota are set below the frost line so the ground cannot heave them up in winter. The depth also depends on the height of the fence and the soil. Tall privacy panels catch a lot of wind, so their posts go deeper than a short picket fence.
Should fence posts be set in concrete or gravel?
Both work when they are done right. Concrete holds a post rigid and is common for gate posts and end posts. Compacted gravel drains water away from the bottom of the post, which helps a wood post last longer in wet clay. The choice is made post by post from the soil and the load.
Do I need a survey to put up a fence?
You need to know where your property line is, and a survey or found property pins is how you know. JMB Builders sets the fence where you mark it but does not locate property lines. Many cities also limit fence height and require a permit, so check with your city before you buy the panels.
Can fence panels be installed on a slope?
Yes. Panels can be stepped, where each panel sits level and drops a little lower than the last, or racked, where the panel leans to follow the ground. Most solid privacy panels are stepped. Send photos along the fence line so the quote shows which one fits your yard and panels.
How many fence panels and posts should I buy?
Divide the total length of the fence by the panel width and round up for the panel count; you need one more post than panels on a straight run, plus extra posts at corners and gates. Buy a spare panel or two for cuts at the ends. Send the sketch before you buy and we will check the count against the layout.
Recent JMB work, from our job log
59 installs recorded across 30 Twin Cities communities since Dec 2025. Window and door installs for homeowners and for the builders and dealers we sub for. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough. You hear back within one business day. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
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Read morePage reviewed September 26, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All landscaping pages
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