Living Family Life Together

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DIY Pallet Fence in a Weekend

Build a sturdy fence for the price of a few 2x4s and a box of screws.

Building a fence can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. We built a sturdy DIY pallet fence for our garden, and you can too!

This whole project started with trying to protect the garden from the ravages of our dog. She is a sweet brindle Dutch Shepherd mix, and her favorite hobbies are digging up newly planted beds and eating almost ripe peppers and tomatoes just before we planned to pick them. We tried wire, but the grass and weeds grow through it and it is hard to pull them, and our dog found out she could push it over just enough to jump in.

We wanted a wooden fence, but 8’ panels of picket fence were more than $25 each, and we would still have to buy posts, screws, etc. I began looking for a cheap way to build the fence, and stumbled upon pictures of pallet fences on Pinterest! The results of our efforts are everything we hoped for. The finished fence is approximately 48′ long, and L shape to fence off a corner of our yard. Building a fence is work, but with a bit of effort and resourcefulness, you can create a lovely, functional fence for almost nothing!

Supplies

  • Pallets
  • 2 x 4s or landscaping timbers
  • 2 x 2s
  • Screws or nails

Tools

  • Power drill or hammer
  • Saw
  • Measuring tape
  • Post-hole digger
  • Shovel
  • Level
  • String and Stake

Step 1: Measure to determine the length of your fence. 

Once you know how long your fence is going to be you can figure out how many pallets are needed to complete your project. Pallets can be different sizes, but ours ended up being around forty-eight inches long. We used eleven to complete our fence.

Step 2: Source your pallets. 

How many pallets you need will depend on what size they are, so make sure to bring a measuring tape! Pallets are available from many sources. We acquired almost half of ours from our local Ace hardware for a dollar each. They did not have enough so we checked with the local Lowes, where we got the rest of our pallets for FREE! Facebook market place can also be a good place to find pallets for free or cheap. Always ask before taking pallets, as some places reuse or recycle their pallets.

Step 3: Buy 2 x 4s, 2 x 2s, and screws or nails.

We used one post (2 x 4) every other pallet on the short side of our garden and one post per pallet on the long side. We cut them to the height of the pallet + 18”. You could also use landscaping timbers. We found the 2 x 4s to be the cheapest option.

The 2 x 2s are cut into 18” lengths and screwed over the joints inside your fence to strengthen and bind the fence together. You will need 1-2 cut lengths per joint.

A medium-size box of 2” outdoor screws or nails should be enough for a short fence. Which you get depends on the available tools. I recommend screws, but you need a power drill to install them. If all you have is a hammer then nails are your obvious choice.

Step 4: Make a straight line

A straight line guide will be a must unless you are building a curved fence. We used a length of string and an old broom handle. Tie one end of the string to a stationary anchor at one end of your fence and the other to your stake, which should be pounded in the ground just beyond the end of your fence. 

Step 5: Cut your posts and joiners and build the fence

Cut enough posts and 2 x 2 joiners so you don’t have to continually stop to cut more, and begin installing your fence. It took two people to build our fence…I held up the pallets and my husband made sure things were level and screwed them together. Use your string guide to keep your line straight. 

We developed a sort of build order as we worked: 

  • Hold up the pallet and check if it’s level, clear ground or add dirt to level.
  • Dig a hole for the post.
  • Screw pallet to post and fill in the post hole, while checking for alignment with string and with the level. 
  • Once you have more than one pallet up use precut joiners to bond with the previously installed pallet.
  • Repeat until done. We left a gap for a gate, using a previously constructed gate until we make a new one.

Note:

Choose which way you want the fence oriented. We decided to orient it picket fence style, with the slats vertical. This meant that the open ends of the pallet were on the sides. This led to the choice to use joiners to make the fence stronger. If the solid ends hand been together we could have screwed straight into the pallet. As you can see from the pictures, one of the pallets has the slats going horizontal. It was built differently from the other pallets, and that was the direction that made it the correct height.

I’d love to see your DIY fences! Drop a picture in the comments!