Fencing is expensive no matter how you cut it. There are different options for fencing which can impact your cost.
However, when you are homesteading your main goals are to do it yourself, the fencing has to be functional, and you don’t want it to break your bank.
I present to you a fencing option that will satisfy all three criteria:
Pallets.
Pallets are your new fence! Pallets are durable and most importantly, you can actually get them for free!
Pros and Cons of a Pallet Fence
Pros:
- Super cheap!
- Easy and quick to build
- Quite sturdy than it may seem
- Can be easily moved and reconfigured
Cons:
- May be too low for some animals
- Not as beautiful as store-bought fence
- DIY (not really a con for some people)
- Vulnerable to termites and pests
- Won’t exclude small rodents like rabbits and mice
Considering the pros and cons, pallet fence is perfect for people who just starting out homesteading and don’t have big bucks to spend. It won’t be as good as store-bought fencing but can be really good for its price.
How to Build a Pallet Fence in 4 Steps
1. Collect Your Pallets
Building a fence from pallets obviously requires pallets. So where do you find them?
The best places to look are at small businesses. A lot of times, small businesses will give pallets away for free because they have to pay a recycling service to take them away otherwise.
Or simply go to this site to find out if there’s anyone nearby giving away pallets for free.
A standard pallet is 40″ x 48″, but you’ll find pallets with different sizes and shapes. If you want to build a neat fencing, make sure you’re getting pallets with similar dimensions. Also, make sure you know how many pallets you’ll need so you won’t have to do more trips than needed.
Next, you have to make sure the pallets you’re collected are safe to reuse. Read this guide from TreeHugger.
2. Put The Pallets Together
Building a pallet fence is so simple. All you must do is arrange the pallets so they line up as equally as possible.
Use either 3” bolts or the large roofing nails and put them together with a hammer or impact.
You may also choose to buy stakes and place them in the ground. Then you can simply slide the pallets over the stakes. This way would create more costs but is easier to assemble.
3. Create A Pallet Door
Once your pallet fence is complete take one additional pallet to use as a door for a walking space. If you are using your pallet fence for an area you would need to drive through this would not be an option.
Take the last pallet and place hinges and a latch on the pallet.
This will create a door for your fence.
If you are like me and your fence has a bigger gap that doesn’t allow you to simply attach a latch to another pallet to create a door, then place a pole in the ground and use it to attach your latch to.
4. Predator Proof Your Fence
If you decide to use your fence to keep your animals in their designated areas it is recommended to predator proof the fence.
You can do this by using chicken wire and stapling it to the inside of your pallet fence.
A slap stapler is best in this case if you have one.
A pallet fence is great for keeping the smallest of critters in while also keeping their predators out. A pallet fence can also be used as a perimeter fence. It can be painted for a more polished look or left as is for a more rustic approach. It is very versatile and the options are limitless.
5 Pallet Fence Ideas
As you read above, building a fence from pallets is easy. But a standard pallet fence may not suits your need. If so, here are some ideas if you want to build more interesting, useful, and beautiful fence from pallets.
1. Picket Fence
If you can only find old, rusty pallets, this is your best bet. The older it gets, the cooler your fence.
2. Pallet Top Garden
This is a brilliant idea from Loriel to convert normal looking pallets into a multi-functional fence and mini container garden for herbs and shallow rooted veggies.
Build this Pallet Top Garden >
3. Flower-Dressed Pallet Fence
The idea is similar with the one above, but instead of planting on the top of your pallets with herbs or veggies, you’ll plant flowers around the fence to make it look beautiful. Whichever floats your boat.
4. Double High Pallet Fence
If you need higher fencing for privacy, this one is for you.
5. Pallet Fence for Goats and Pigs
Goats and pigs are known to be hard on fence. Normal pallet fence wont be able to contain them. For those two animals, you need this higher, sturdier pallet fence.
6. Movable Pallet Wood Gate
Not just a fence, you can add wheels to your pallet and it’ll become a gate. This is perfect if you have a large fencing area that needs bigger gate.
