Board on board vs dog ear vs gothic point: which privacy fence style?

Same fence underneath

A wood privacy fence is cedar pickets fastened to rails between posts. The style is only about how the pickets are arranged and how their tops are cut. All three styles are built the same way underneath, on steel posts set in concrete, and all three come in 6 ft or 7 ft.

Board on board

Pickets go on in two layers, with the outer boards overlapping the gaps in the inner row. Cedar shrinks a little as it dries, and on a side-by-side fence that opens small gaps between pickets. Board on board has no gap to open. It gives the most privacy and the most wind block of the three, and it looks the same from both sides, which matters on a line you share with a neighbor. It uses the most material, so it is the heaviest and costs the most to build.

Dog ear

Pickets sit side by side on the rails, each with its top corners clipped at an angle. It is the most common back-yard fence in Lubbock: plain, even and the quickest of the three to build. As the cedar dries, hairline gaps open between boards. Most people never notice; if you want none at all, that is what board on board is for.

Gothic point

The same side-by-side build as dog ear, with each picket cut to a shaped point at the top. It reads more traditional and suits a front yard or a corner lot where the top line is on show. The pointed tops take a little more care to line up along the run.

Height, cap and trim, and how to choose

Six feet is the standard back-yard height. Seven adds privacy where a two-story house, an alley or a busy street looks into the yard, and it catches more wind, which is one more reason we build on steel posts. Check your HOA rules before choosing 7 ft. A cap board along the top with a trim board under it covers the picket ends, helps them shed water and finishes the top line on any style.

• Privacy and wind block first: board on board.
• A clean, even back-yard fence at a fair price: dog ear.
• The top line is on show from the street: gothic point, or any style with cap and trim.
• A shared line with a neighbor: board on board.

Finished fences in each style are in the project gallery. Not sure? Tell Blake what you want the fence to do and he will point you to a style during the free in-town estimate.

Written by the A+ Fence Repair & Installation team from the way our crew builds and repairs fences around Lubbock. It is general guidance; Blake looks at every fence in person before a bid.