A barbed wire fence is simple to describe and easy to build badly. Most of the sagging fence around Lake Livingston was built by someone who skipped one of the steps below. This is the checklist we work from, whether you are hiring it out or building it yourself.
Before the first post
- Find the property pins and know where the line is.
- Clear the line wide enough to build and maintain. Clearing fence rows.
- Mark corners, gates, dips and rises, and water crossings.
- Buy Class 3 galvanized wire, not the cheap roll.
Corners and braces
Every corner, end, gate and the bottom of every dip gets an H-brace: two heavy posts set deep, a horizontal brace, a diagonal brace wire from the bottom of the corner post to the top of the brace post, twisted tight. Double braces on long pulls. Let concrete cure before stretching. Building a proper H-brace covers it step by step. This is the item most often skipped and the reason most fences fail.
Line posts
T-posts driven to depth, studs toward the stock, on 10- to 12-foot centers on level ground and closer on grade changes. Wood posts at intervals on long runs for stiffness. On a rise, a post at the crest; in a dip, a post at the bottom with a tie-down or a brace so the fence does not lift.
Strands and heights
Four strands is standard for cattle; five where they lean or for bulls and calves. Top strand around 48 to 54 inches, bottom strand around 12 to 16 inches, the rest spaced evenly, closer toward the bottom for calves. Never on a horse pasture.
Stretching and tying
- Unroll each strand along the line from the brace, keeping it off the ground where you can.
- Tie off at the first brace by wrapping around the post and back on the strand.
- Stretch with a fence stretcher at the far brace, to proper tension, not with a truck.
- Tie off, then clip to every T-post and staple to wood posts at an angle, loose enough that the wire can move in temperature swings.
- Add stays between posts on long spans so strands stay spaced.
- Splice with a proper splice or crimp sleeves, never a twist alone.
Water gaps and crossings
Where the fence crosses a creek, build a water gap that swings or breaks away in a flood so the main fence does not go with it, hung from a cable or a brace on each bank.
Gates
Tube gates on their own braced posts where you drive, sized for the trailer; wire gaps where you only walk or rarely cross. See driveway gates.
Safety
Heavy gloves, eye protection, long sleeves. Never stand in line with a strand under tension or behind a stretcher. Keep the roll controlled; barbed wire springs. Watch for old wire in the brush. A barbed wire fence is a tool that can hurt you, and the people who build them for a living are the most careful around them.
Keeping it tight
Walk it twice a year, check the braces first, re-stretch slack strands at the brace, and keep the row clear. See barbed wire fence, reasons to choose barbed wire and fence inspection and maintenance.
Frequently asked questions
How high should the top strand be?
About 48 to 54 inches for cattle. Taller where cattle lean or bulls are kept. The bottom strand sits about 12 to 16 inches off the ground so calves stay in without snagging.
How tight is tight enough?
Tight enough that the strand does not sag between posts and rings when plucked, not so tight that it snaps in a freeze. A stretcher with a gauge, or experience, gets it right; a truck bumper does not.
What safety gear matters?
Heavy gloves, eye protection, long sleeves, and never standing in line with a strand under tension. Barbed wire under tension that lets go can cut badly.