# Picket Fence Installation in Hammond, LA > Picket fence installation in Hammond, LA: 4 ft front-yard fences in wood or metal, Covington historic district pickets, spacing, paint and posts for wet ground. URL: https://palisadeshammondfence.com/picket-fence-installation/ Service Front-yard wood picket fences built to Hammond's 4 ft limit and Covington's historic district guidelines, primed, painted or stained, with walk gates. Get an Estimate [(985) 866-3827](tel:+19858663827) Last Updated: November 1, 2026 In front of the house the limit in Hammond is 4 ft, and the materials list is short: wood, metal, iron or masonry. A picket fence lives in the front yard, so the code says more about it than about any back-yard fence. Mon to Fri 8 to 6 · Sat and Sun 9 to 2 A picket fence is a front-yard fence, and the front yard is where fence rules get specific. [Palisades Hammond Fence](https://palisadeshammondfence.com/) installs wood picket fences across Hammond, Tangipahoa Parish and the nearby towns of western St. Tammany and eastern Livingston Parish, from a 4 ft painted run along a Hammond sidewalk to a 3 ft cottage fence in Covington’s historic district. Installation is carried out by licensed and insured fence contractors. This page covers what sets a picket fence apart from the [wood privacy fences](https://palisadeshammondfence.com/privacy-fence-installation/) behind the house: the height and material limits in front, the historic district guidelines, the spacing and paint choices, and the details that keep a short, open fence standing in wet ground. ## What happens on the first visit The first visit walks and measures the front line and notes the gates, slope, soil and drainage, as on any fence. In front, it also finds where the property ends and the street right-of-way begins, since Hammond’s code bars any fence from extending into the right-of-way. The front property line can sit well back from the curb, so the edge of the grass is not necessarily the line. The survey or parcel map decides, and the City approves the location from it. The walk marks the walk and the drive, any culvert or roadside ditch, and whether the lot is a corner. It also checks whether the address sits in the Hyer-Cate overlay, Hammond’s Historic District or Covington’s historic district, because each adds a step before the permit. The [fence permit guide](https://palisadeshammondfence.com/guide/fence-permits/) covers the Hammond process. ## Hammond’s front-yard rules In front of the house, Hammond allows a fence of wood, metal (not chain link or barbed wire), decorative wrought iron, simulated wrought iron or masonry, up to 4 ft. Woven wire is prohibited beyond the front building line. Height is the greater of the two measurements from the ground on each side, so on a front yard that slopes toward the street, the street side sets the limit. ### Corners and driveways Within 30 ft of a street intersection, no fence, shrub or planting may stand more than 3 ft above grade at the street centerline. Driveway-street intersections and corner lots also need a clear sight triangle. A picket fence on a corner lot usually steps down near the corner or stops short of it; the layout is drawn with that triangle on it. ### Hyer-Cate and the Historic District The Hyer-Cate Preservation Overlay, bounded by W Dakota St, W Morris St, NW Railroad Ave and Arnold’s Creek, limits front-yard fences to wood, metal or masonry at 4 ft and bars chain link beyond the front building line. Inside the Hammond Historic District, any fence on property fronting a street or alley goes to the Historic District Commission with plans showing its appearance, color, texture and materials. Both steps come before the permit. Key takeaways - Hammond front yards: wood, metal, iron or masonry, 4 ft maximum, no chain link or woven wire. - Within 30 ft of an intersection, the limit drops to 3 ft. - Vinyl is not on Hammond's front-yard materials list; confirm with the Building Department before choosing it. - In Covington's historic district, a front picket fence is 3 ft, with pickets under 4 in wide spaced under 3 in, painted to suit the house. ## Covington’s historic district picket Covington’s historic district guidelines are unusually specific about fences. A wooden front fence there is no taller than 3 ft, with pickets less than 4 in wide spaced less than 3 in apart, painted to complement the house. New metal front fences stay under 3 ft, and historic fences are kept rather than replaced. The Historic District Commission issues a Certificate of Appropriateness before the city’s $5 fence permit. Built to those numbers, a 3.5 in picket with a 2.5 in gap gives two pickets per foot, a dense, traditional look that goes into review already matching the guidelines. The [Covington page](https://palisadeshammondfence.com/service-areas/covington/) covers the city’s permit form, and Mandeville’s front-yard limit of 4 ft, as quoted in city staff reports, is confirmed per address on the [Mandeville page](https://palisadeshammondfence.com/service-areas/mandeville/). ## Pickets, tops and spacing A picket fence is mostly air, so the details that would be hidden on a privacy fence are on display. The layout starts from the picket width and gap and is adjusted so each bay ends evenly at its posts and gates, rather than with a sliver picket at the end. Top shapes are more than looks. A flat-cut top exposes end grain that soaks up rain like a straw; pointed, rounded and gothic tops shed water faster, and a flat-top picket under a cap rail is protected entirely. The bottoms stop an inch or two above the grass, because a picket sitting in wet turf rots from the bottom up. On a yard that slopes, the pickets are racked to follow the grade, which keeps that gap even along the run. ### Dogs and small children A picket fence marks a boundary more than it contains. Gaps wide enough to look pleasing are often wide enough for a small dog’s head, and horizontal rails on the inside can act as a ladder. The [best fence for dogs guide](https://palisadeshammondfence.com/guide/best-fence-for-dogs/) covers spacing and height for pets. ## Paint, stain and wet ground Front fences are usually painted, and paint is the finish most likely to fail early here. Hammond averages about 64 inches of rain a year (NOAA), and water that gets behind a paint film at a cut end or a picket bottom lifts it from behind. Priming all faces and cut ends before the pickets go up, and painting once the wood is dry enough to take it, slows that. A penetrating stain doesn’t peel at all, and renewing it is simpler; [fence staining](https://palisadeshammondfence.com/fence-staining/) explains both finishes. The posts face the same wet ground as any fence, even though an open picket face carries little wind. USDA soil survey points around Hammond map mostly poorly drained silt loams, so front-yard posts are ground-contact treated, set on footings that drain and capped on top. Sprinkler heads and mulch beds piled against posts keep the base wet longer; the [wet clay post guide](https://palisadeshammondfence.com/guide/fence-posts-in-wet-clay-soil/) covers footings. ### The walk gate The front gate is the most-used part of the fence. It hangs from a hinge post heavier than the line posts, gets a diagonal brace from the bottom hinge corner up to the latch side, and swings clear of the walk. [Gate installation](https://palisadeshammondfence.com/gate-installation/) covers wider openings and arbors. ## What a picket fence costs No regional range is published for wood picket fences alone, so none is quoted here. Front runs are short, so gates and fixed costs weigh more per foot than on a long back-yard fence. The main drivers are the picket count (width and gap), decorative tops and post caps, priming and painting versus staining, the number of gates, slope and tear-out of an old fence, typically $2 to $8 per foot. A walk gate typically adds $150 to $600. For a metal front fence, typical Hammond-area ranges run about $25 to $55 per foot for [aluminum](https://palisadeshammondfence.com/aluminum-fence-installation/) and $30 to $100 or more for steel or wrought iron. The [fence cost estimator](https://palisadeshammondfence.com/tools/fence-cost-estimator/) gives a first range, and the [fence planning guide](https://palisadeshammondfence.com/guide/fence-planning-guide/) helps settle the layout before pricing. ## What's included - A walk of the front line, marking the right-of-way edge, the walk, the drive and any corner sight area - A check of the overlay or historic district rules that apply to the address - A picket layout set from picket width and gap, ending evenly at posts and gates - Ground-contact treated posts on footings that drain, with caps over the end grain - Two rails on a 3 to 4 ft fence, faced toward the house - Pickets primed on all faces and cut ends before installation when the fence will be painted - A walk gate on a heavier hinge post, with a latch set for daily use - Pickets racked to follow a sloping yard, keeping an even gap at the grass - The permit drawing, the 811 locate, cleanup and a final walk of the line ## Front-yard fence options under Hammond's code | | Wood picket | Aluminum picket | Steel or wrought iron | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Allowed in a Hammond front yard | Yes, to 4 ft | Yes, as metal, to 4 ft | Yes, to 4 ft | | Covington historic district front | Yes, 3 ft, painted | New metal under 3 ft | New metal under 3 ft | | Upkeep | Paint or stain every few years; watch the bottoms | Little; does not rust | Rust at welds and scratches needs touch-up | | Looks | Classic cottage; paint any color | Black or bronze, slim pickets | Heavier, ornate options | | Typical Hammond-area range | No published range; picket count and paint set it | $25 to $55 per foot | $30 to $100 or more per foot | ## Related resources Learn Do You Need a Permit to Build a Fence in Louisiana? Louisiana leaves fence permits to each city and parish. Here is what Hammond and Covington require, what is known about Mandeville, and how heights, setbacks and corner lots shape the application. Learn What Are Louisiana's Fence Laws for Property Lines and Neighbors? What the Louisiana Civil Code says about enclosing land, fences on a shared line, boundary markers and long possession, and where city codes take over for height and front yards. Decision Guide What Is the Best Fence for Dogs in a Hammond Yard? Match the fence to the way your dog gets out, fit it to Hammond's height rules and wet ground, and treat the gate as the part most likely to let a dog through. Decision Guide How Do You Plan a Fence Around Hammond, LA? The order that keeps a fence project from stalling: where the line is, which rules apply, how the run and gates are laid out, what gets located before digging and what the ground asks of the posts. Decision Guide Pine or Cedar: Which Fence Wood Lasts Better Around Hammond? What actually protects each wood from rot and termites, why the posts under either one decide the fence's life, how the boards age in this sun and humidity, and what each costs. ## From the first call to the last gate 1. First call You describe the fence, the yard and the timing, and set a visit. 2. Site visit The line is walked and measured, gates and slopes noted, and the soil and drainage checked. 3. Permit and 811 The permit drawing goes to the city or parish, and utilities are located before any digging. 4. Build Posts are set and allowed to cure, then rails, panels or fabric and gates go up. 5. Walkthrough Gates are adjusted, the site is cleaned, and you check the finished line. ## What this work looks like A three-foot white painted wooden picket fence along the front of a small cottage with a porch, set behind a strip of lawn A natural pine picket fence about three feet tall around a backyard vegetable garden, with a small matching gate ## Questions about picket fences ### Does Hammond's 4-foot front-yard limit apply to a picket fence? Yes. The limit covers every fence in front of the house, whatever its style, so an alternating picket, a steel picket or a decorative design is held to 4 ft just like a plain one. Behind the front of the house the limit rises to 8 ft. Within 30 ft of a street intersection, nothing may stand more than 3 ft high. ### Can a vinyl picket fence go in a Hammond front yard? Check first. Hammond's code lists the materials allowed in a front yard as wood, metal (not chain link or barbed wire), decorative wrought iron, simulated wrought iron and masonry. Vinyl is not on that list, though it is allowed behind the front of the house. Ask the Building Department before ordering vinyl pickets for the front. ### How far apart should pickets be? Close enough to do the fence's job and even enough to end cleanly at each post. A gap of about 2 to 3 in is common. Covington's historic district guidelines call for pickets under 4 in wide spaced under 3 in apart. For a small dog, the gap has to be smaller than its head, which can mean narrower spacing or a different fence. ### Should a wood picket fence be painted or stained? Paint suits a classic front fence and is what Covington's historic guidelines expect, but paint is a film, and water that gets behind it at cut ends and bottoms makes it peel. Priming every face and cut end before installation helps. A penetrating stain doesn't peel and is easier to renew, but gives a wood-toned look rather than a crisp color. ### Can a picket fence run all the way to the corner on a corner lot? Not at full height. Hammond holds anything within 30 ft of a street intersection to 3 ft above grade at the street centerline, and driveways and corners need a clear sight triangle. A 4 ft picket can step down to 3 ft or stop short of that area. Covington's permit form also records a corner lot's second street side separately. ## Related services ### Wood fences → Pressure-treated pine, cedar and cypress fences in dog-ear, board-on-board, shadowbox, picket and horizontal styles, on posts set for wet ground. ### Aluminum fences → Powder-coated ornamental aluminum for front yards, pools and pets, racked to follow slopes, with stainless fasteners and gate posts sized for the leaf. ### Gates → Walk, garden and double gates in wood, vinyl, chain link and metal, sized to what passes through and hung on posts built to carry them.