Field spec & BOM Burien, WA rev. 2026 DIY build

Side-yard fence rebuild

One printable sheet: materials with sourcing, the anchoring decision, the back-to-gate build sequence, and the site-specific fixes. Built so each bay is a finished section you can stop on.

Height
5 ft 60 in
Run
68 ft 10 + 58
Spacing
6 ft O.C.
Clearance
3 in off grade
Posts
14 3× 4×6
Projected
~$2,410
01

Bill of materials

prices = 2026 Seattle-area retail, verify locally
ItemQtyUnit $ Ext $Source
Posts — pressure-treated
4×4 × 6 ft — line posts
11 line posts (1 in the back section + 10 main run); rides in anchor above grade, trim to ~66 in
1111.00121.00 HD ›
4×6 × 8 ft — gate + straining
2 gate posts + 1 straining/corner; resists gate racking
334.00102.00 HD ›
Anchoring — the "single rod," engineered
OZ-Post T4-850 driven anchor
34 in hot-dip galv; no concrete, replaceable, keeps end-grain off soil. Line posts only
1129.88328.68 HD › OZCO
OZ-Post manual driver kit
One-time. Or rent a jackhammer + buy the driving head
166.0066.00 Hoover ›
Simpson ABA46Z standoff base
4×6 standoff base for the 3 heavy posts (gate rigidity, still unbolt-to-replace)
330.0090.00 HD ›
Quikrete fast-set 50 lb
3 footings × 2 bags. Only the gate + straining posts get concrete
69.0054.00 HD ›
Rails
2×4 × 12 ft — rails
3 per bay (bottom/mid/top); span 2 bays, stagger joints on posts
1811.00198.00 HD ›
Infill & gate
Cedar dog-ear picket 5.5″ × 6 ft
Western red cedar, natural — matches your existing All City fence. ~150 for 68 ft butted + gate leaf; ordered 160 for culls. Cut to ~57 in. Bulk pallet ≈ $3.31/ea
1603.90624.00 HD › Lowe's
2×4 × 8 ft — gate frame + brace
Perimeter frame + diagonal compression brace
48.0032.00 HD ›
Gate hardware kit
Heavy hinges + latch + anti-sag bracket in one kit
175.0075.00 HD ›
Fasteners — HDG / coated only
Structural screws 3.5″ (rails)
HDG or coated structural; cedar tannins eat bright steel
228.0056.00 HD ›
Picket screws 1-5/8″ coated (5 lb)
~1,000 needed; star-drive coated deck screws
145.0045.00 HD ›
Post caps 4×4 / 4×6
Sheds water off post end-grain — cheap life extension
142.5035.00 HD ›
Bamboo & site fixes
Rhizome barrier 60 mil × 24″ × 50 ft
Bamboo will bow/break a new fence without it. Trench 24–30 in, edge 2 in proud. You only need ~25–30 ft — a 30 ft roll runs less
1100.00100.00 HD › Amzn 30ft
1/4″ hardware cloth 24″ × 25 ft
Re-run the base critter mesh; the 3 in gap needs it
130.0030.00 HD ›
Consumables
Blades, drainage gravel, cedar-tone sealer for cut ends
170.0070.00 HD ›
Materials subtotal2,026.68
Waste / cull contingency (8%)162.13
Sales tax (Burien ~10.1%)221.07
Projected total — materials, DIY labor≈ 2,410

Budget levers

  • Post spacing 6 ft → 8 ft: removes ~3 posts + 3 anchors (≈ −$130).
  • Cedar pickets → PT cedar-tone (~$2.30/ea): ≈ −$250, but won't match existing cedar.
  • Reuse sound existing concrete piers for the heavy posts instead of new footings.
  • Rent a jackhammer + buy the driving head instead of the $66 manual kit.

Where a row lists two links, the first (bold) is the cheaper source found; the gray one is an alternate. Store-browse links open a search when there's no single stable SKU.

02

Anchoring decision

no concrete, replaceable

The eleven line posts ride on OZ-Post T4-850 driven anchors — a 34 in hot-dip galvanized spike with a sleeve that holds the post above grade. That's the "single metal rod, replaceable, no concrete" idea done right: unbolt or re-drive to replace, and nothing wood ever touches wet soil. Your reference fence uses this exact detail — cedar boards on a post held above grade by a driven galvanized anchor, bolt through the post, gap underneath.

The one place to break the no-concrete rule

A bare driven anchor can't hold a swinging gate — the hinge post racks loose. The three heavy posts (two gate, one straining) go on a standoff base set in a small fast-set footing. Still replaceable (unbolt), but rigid. Your existing standoff-on-pier setup is exactly this — reuse those piers if they're sound.

Line post — driven anchor ×10 · no concrete Gate / 4×6 — standoff footing ×3 · rigid gradegrade 4×4 line post galv sleeve driven steel anchor 34″ 4×6 post standoff base fast-set footing
Post base detail — driven anchor vs standoff on footing
03

Build sequence — back to gate

each bay = a finished section

Order runs back → front: set the 4×6 straining post first (it's the datum every string line references), then the back-section line post and both gate posts, then repeat the bay module down the 58 ft main run. Each finished bay is a section you can stop on.

build direction — back to front Back · 10 ft Gate Main run · 58 ft 4×6 post — footing 4×4 line — driven anchor
Plan — locked layout: 10 ft back · gate · 58 ft main run
#PostTypeBaseTo next
1Back straining4×6standoff + footing5 ft
2Back line4×4driven anchor5 ft → gate
3Gate hinge4×6standoff + footinggate ~3.5 ft
4Gate latch4×6standoff + footing5.8 ft
5–14Main-run line ×104×4driven anchor5.8 ft O.C. to end
Phase 0

Prep — whole run, once

  1. String the line from back post to gate; mark centers every 6 ft; confirm each mark has real soil (slab crowds the fence).
  2. Trench and set the rhizome barrier along the bamboo run before posts go in — 24–30 in deep, edge 2 in proud.
  3. Demo the old fence one section at a time as you go — don't open the whole bamboo wall at once.
  4. Keep the foundation vent clear; don't bury it under base or gravel.
Phase 1

Back straining post (4×6)

  1. Dig the footing (~10–12 in wide, ~24 in deep in our clay).
  2. Set standoff base + 4×6, plumb both faces, brace with scrap.
  3. Pour fast-set, recheck plumb, let it hold before loading.
  4. Cut to height: 60 in above grade + cap.
Repeat

One bay — loop toward the gate

  1. Locate next post 6 ft along the string; verify soil.
  2. Drive the OZ-Post anchor, plumb both faces as you go.
  3. Set the 4×4 in the sleeve, bolt, match previous post height, trim, cap.
  4. Rails: run 2×4s bottom (~5 in off grade) / middle / top; 12 ft lengths span two bays, joints staggered on posts.
  5. Pickets: spacer block for 3 in clearance, butt tight, 2 coated screws per rail. Level the first picket; the rest follow it.
  6. Hardware cloth along the base, pinned to the bottom rail, lapped into the soil.
  7. Move on — repeat from step 1.
6 ft O.C. 5 ft (60 in) 3 in clearance top rail 2×4 middle rail bottom rail 4×4 post dog-ear picket top
Elevation — one finished bay
Phase 2

Gate — build & hang the leaf

  1. Both gate posts are already in (Phase 1 standoff + footing method), ~3 ft 8 in–3 ft 10 in clear for a ~3 ft 6 in leaf; let footings fully cure before hanging.
  2. Build the leaf flat: 2×4 frame, then the diagonal brace from the bottom hinge corner up to the top latch corner (compression).
  3. Add the anti-sag cable on the opposite diagonal — it works in tension against the wood brace.
  4. Skin with matching dog-ear pickets at 3 in clearance.
  5. Hang: shim in the opening, screw heavy hinges to the hinge post, set latch, tension the turnbuckle until square.
4×6 hinge post latch post wood brace — compression cable + turnbuckle — tension hinges latch 3 in clearance
Gate — brace direction (the thing people get backwards)
04

Site pain points → fixes

from your photos
Pain pointWhy it mattersFix
Running bambooRhizomes already push through pickets and shoot up at the base; will bow/break a new fence.60-mil HDPE barrier trenched 24–30 in, edge 2 in proud, deflecting rhizomes down. Non-negotiable if the bamboo stays.
Posts rotting at gradeWet, mossy, shaded channel — concrete-set posts trap water on end-grain.Driven anchors hold every post above grade + 3 in picket clearance + caps. Nothing structural touches soil.
Slab crowds the baseOnly a 4–6 in soil strip between walkway and fence; some posts land on concrete.Drive anchors in the bed just inside the line; core the slab or shift the post where it lands on concrete. Confirm soil before ordering.
Foundation ventBlocking the crawlspace vent causes moisture problems under the house.Keep it clear; hardware cloth over it, never soil or gravel.
Narrow accessTight passage — 12 ft rails and a jackhammer are awkward to swing.Pre-cut rails outside the passage; use the manual driver where a jackhammer won't fit; stage material at both ends.
Gate sagLong lever arm on a cedar gate in a damp spot — the likeliest failure.4×6 hinge post on footing, wood brace in compression + cable/turnbuckle in tension, heavy hinges. Clear the clematis first.
Fastener corrosionBright steel against cedar in this microclimate rusts and streaks in a season.Hot-dip galvanized / coated fasteners and HDG anchors throughout — already in the BOM.