Post-and-rail that holds its line across northern New Jersey
Two, three and four rail in cedar and pressure-treated pine — for boundary lines, driveways, large lots and horse property, with mesh backing where you need containment.
The right fence for land you can actually see across
Split rail is the fence you choose when the point is to define a line, not to hide behind one. It marks a boundary, edges a driveway, frames a paddock and keeps vehicles off the lawn — while leaving the view, the light and the sense of open ground intact. On a large property that matters more than most people expect, because a solid fence around acreage stops feeling like privacy and starts feeling like a wall.
It happens to fit the northwest of our service area particularly well. Sussex, Morris and western Somerset are horse country and large-lot country, with rolling, wooded, rocky ground — and post-and-rail is the style that handles that ground best, because each section pivots at the post instead of demanding a level panel. Where a privacy fence needs stepped sections or racked panels, split rail just follows the contour.
The catch is that the casual look invites casual installation, and split rail is less forgiving than it appears. There is no panel bracing anything: the posts carry the entire fence. Set them shallow and a few New Jersey winters will walk them out of line — a heaved post on a 600-foot run is visible from the road. Every post we set goes below the 36-inch frost line, and on ground with ledge we core in rather than shorten the hole.
The four decisions on a post-and-rail job
Rail count sets the look and most of the price. The rest is what keeps the line straight for the next fifteen years.
The choice that sets the look
Two-rail sits lower and reads as a boundary marker — driveways, garden edges, front-yard definition. Three-rail stands taller and closer to a working farm fence, and is what most horse properties want. Four-rail exists for taller livestock containment. The rail count changes the price per foot more than the wood species does.
Posts below the frost line, no exceptions
Split rail looks casual, which is exactly why it gets installed badly. The posts carry the whole fence and there is no panel bracing them. Every post goes below the 36-inch northern New Jersey frost line on a compacted base, or the run starts heaving out of alignment after the second winter.
Built for ground that is not flat
Post-and-rail is the style that handles rolling, wooded and rocky ground best, because each section pivots at the post rather than needing a level panel. On the ledge and glacial till common through Morris and Sussex we core in where we have to instead of shortening the hole.
Add containment without losing the look
On its own, split rail keeps horses in and cars out — it will not hold a small dog or a determined one. Welded wire or black poly mesh fixed to the back of the rails closes it up for pets and gardens while the fence still reads as post-and-rail from the road.
From the survey corners to a finished run
Four steps, permits and utility markout included, with a lifetime workmanship warranty at the end.
Walk the property line
Long runs make small errors expensive, so we start at the survey and the corners. We look at grade, tree cover, rock, drainage and where gates need to go for equipment, not just for people. Free written itemized estimate.
Rails, species and gates
Two, three or four rail; cedar or pressure-treated pine; round or square profile. Gate widths get decided here too — a tractor, a trailer or a truck needs a very different opening from a garden gate, and retrofitting one later is the expensive way.
Permits, markout, posts
We file the zoning permit and call in the utility markout, then set the posts — below frost, plumb, evenly spaced and following the contour of the ground rather than fighting it. Corner and gate posts are set deeper and braced against the pull of the run.
Rails, mesh and walkthrough
Rails seated so the line stays true across the grade, mesh added on the back where the job calls for it, gates hung on adjustable hardware. We walk the full run with you, clear the site, and hand over your written lifetime workmanship warranty.
What you get when Fence Pro by Bruno builds your split rail fence
We know the northwest counties
Sussex, Morris and western Somerset are where post-and-rail belongs — horse properties, large lots and long boundary runs. That ground comes with rock, slope and tree lines, and we quote it having seen it before.
Long runs, set out properly
A 600-foot run shows every mistake. We lay out from the survey and the corners so the line reads straight from the road and the spacing stays consistent the whole way.
Rock and slope are normal here
Glacial till through the northwest means ledge in the first three feet on plenty of properties. We core in for real post depth rather than quietly digging a shallower hole and hoping.
Honest about what it contains
Split rail stops horses and vehicles. It does not stop a small dog. If containment is the goal we will tell you what mesh it needs, or point you to a style that does the job on its own.
200+ five-star Google reviews
Family-owned in Wayne, 15+ years across northern New Jersey, same crew and same written warranty on a 40-foot driveway edge as on a full paddock perimeter.
Permits filed for you
Rural and large-lot properties can carry farmland assessment, wetland buffer or conservation-easement conditions on top of the zoning ordinance. We check what applies at your address before quoting.
"Eleven hundred feet along the road and the driveway, most of it over ledge. Another contractor wanted to skip half the corners to save time. Bruno's crew set every post properly and the line is dead straight three winters later."
Split rail installation across northern New Jersey
Post-and-rail is heaviest through the large-lot and equestrian northwest, but we build it everywhere below. Each county page covers its towns and local permit rules.
0% interest financing available
Long boundary runs add up fast. Do the whole line in one go rather than leaving the back half for next year.
See financing options- 0% interest for qualified buyers
- Quick approval through our financing partner
- Pay over 12, 24 or 36 months
- No prepayment penalty if you pay off early
Split rail questions, answered
Rail count, dogs, horses, lifespan, slopes, cost and permits — including what post-and-rail will not contain.
What is a split rail fence?
Should I get a 2-rail or 3-rail split rail fence?
Will a split rail fence keep my dog in the yard?
How long does a split rail fence last in New Jersey?
How much does a split rail fence cost in New Jersey?
Do I need a permit for a split rail fence?
Can a split rail fence be installed on a slope?
Is split rail good for horse property?
Ready to mark your property line?
Free written estimates. Long runs and rocky ground are normal for us, anywhere in northern New Jersey.
Available Monday – Saturday, 8am – 8pm
Comparing wood styles
Split rail is one of several wood fence styles we build — see wood fence installation, or privacy fencing if you need the view blocked instead of framed. Further reading: split rail post installation and post depth and the NJ frost line.
See all fence types →