Building a fence in St. George
Most of the work in a St. George fence is below ground. The posts and footings have to get through hard layers and sit in soil that may swell, dissolve or wash away, and everything above ground has to take the desert sun.
Hard digging
The Utah Geological Survey's hazard maps for the St. George–Hurricane area include caliche and shallow bedrock. Caliche is a layer of soil cemented with calcium carbonate; a post-hole auger can bounce off it. Bedrock can sit only inches down on some lots. Ask the installer what equipment they bring, whether breaking through caliche is included or billed extra, and how they'll anchor posts where they hit rock, such as core drilling and setting pins.
Soil that moves
The same maps cover expansive soil and rock, which swells when it gets wet, and gypsiferous soil, which can dissolve. A post or wall footing in clay that swells after every irrigation cycle slowly tilts. Keep drip emitters and sprinkler heads away from the fence line, and ask the installer how they size footings for your soil. For long block walls, a soils report for the subdivision may show what the builder found.
Heat on materials
A reading of 117°F at the St. George cooperative weather station on July 10, 2021 tied Utah's all-time maximum temperature record. Vinyl softens and sags in that heat if the rails are long and unsupported; ask about reinforced rails and post spacing. Wood dries, splits and grays fast and needs a UV-blocking finish. Steel and aluminum get very hot to the touch, which matters for gates children use.
Block walls
Concrete block walls are common in desert neighborhoods. They need a footing sized for the wall's height, steel reinforcement and grouted cells. Ask about the footing, the rebar spacing and whether your wall height requires engineering or a permit.
Sand and runoff
Wind-blown sand also appears on the survey's maps; it drifts against solid walls and jams gates. Storm runoff needs a way through: leave weep openings at the base of block walls and keep fences from damming natural flow toward a neighbor.
Gates and hardware
Gates fail before fences do. A wide gate on a block wall needs a steel post or a pilaster with embedded hinges, and the latch side needs a stop so the gate doesn't swing past and sag. Sun dries out wooden gate frames until the joints loosen; ask about a steel frame with wood or composite infill. Self-closing hinges and latches for pool gates should be checked every season, because heat and dust slow them down.
Before you sign
Confirm property lines and HOA rules, ask for a utility locate, and get a written quote that lists depth, spacing, materials, gates, rock-breaking charges and cleanup. For jobs of $7,000 or more, ask for the installer's Utah contractor license.