# Split Rail Fence Installation in Hammond, LA > Split rail fence installation in Hammond, LA: two- and three-rail mortised fences for boundaries, frontage and entrances, with posts set for wet ground and slopes. URL: https://palisadeshammondfence.com/split-rail-fence-installation/ Service Two- and three-rail mortised split rail fences for boundaries, frontage, drives and garden edges, with posts set to resist rot in wet ground. Get an Estimate [(985) 866-3827](tel:+19858663827) Last Updated: November 1, 2026 Each rail end tapers into a slot cut through the post. The rails pivot slightly in the slots, so the fence follows uneven ground without stepping. Split rail marks a line. It does not hold a dog or a horse on its own. Mon to Fri 8 to 6 · Sat and Sun 9 to 2 Split rail is a fence for marking a line rather than holding anything back. [Palisades Hammond Fence](https://palisadeshammondfence.com/) installs two-rail and three-rail split rail fences across Hammond and the rural edges of Tangipahoa, St. Tammany and Livingston parishes, along lot lines, road frontage, drives and garden edges. Installation is carried out by licensed and insured fence contractors. Rails are fitted into mortises cut through the posts, with no nails, so the fence follows uneven ground and individual rails can be replaced without rebuilding a section. Because it is light and open, split rail is the wrong fence for horses or livestock; those have their own pages under [horse fence installation](https://palisadeshammondfence.com/horse-fence-installation/) and [farm fence installation](https://palisadeshammondfence.com/farm-fence-installation/). Where a heavier rail look is wanted around a pasture, ranch rail on the horse fence page fills that role. ## How a split rail fence is built A split rail fence has two parts. The **posts** have rectangular mortises cut through them, two for a two-rail fence and three for a three-rail. The **rails** are rough-split lengths with tapered ends that slide into those mortises, overlapping inside the post with the rail from the next section. Line posts have mortises through the full width; end posts have blind mortises or half-depth slots; corner posts have mortises cut on two faces. Nothing is nailed, which is both the strength and the weakness. The rails can shift in the mortises as wood shrinks and swells, so the fence tolerates movement that would split a nailed fence. It also means a rail can be lifted out by hand, so split rail is a boundary marker and a visual edge, not a barrier. ## Two-rail or three-rail **Two-rail** is lower and lighter. It reads as a simple line along a front lot, a drive or a garden bed, and costs less per foot because it uses fewer rails and shorter posts. **Three-rail** is taller and fuller. It suits larger rural properties and frontage, and it gives a mesh backing three rails to attach to rather than two. On a corner lot, the lower height of a two-rail fence can matter: Hammond limits anything within 30 ft of a street intersection to 3 ft above the street centerline grade, and a low two-rail run may be able to stay under that line, which is checked on the permit drawing. ## Wood, posts and wet ground Split rail is made in a few woods. Rough-split rails show the grain and weather to gray; pressure-treated pine split rail is lower in cost and resists decay better in the ground. What matters most is the post, because its bottom sits in wet soil. USDA soil data for Hammond maps mostly poorly drained silt loams with a seasonal water table that can rise within about 5 to 27 inches of the surface, and NOAA’s normals put Hammond’s rainfall at about 64 inches a year. A post standing in that ground for years needs to be treated for ground contact (AWPA Use Category UC4A, or UC4B for heavier exposure). Split rail posts can be set in tamped gravel and soil rather than concrete, which lets water drain away from the base; corner and end posts in soft ground can get concrete finished above grade and crowned so it sheds water. ### Termites and rot at the grade line Subterranean termites live in the soil and reach any wood that touches it. Treated posts resist them, but a cut end or a rail left lying in the grass gives them a start. Keep the bottom rail clear of the ground, and keep mulch and leaf litter from piling against posts. The [post rot and termite guide](https://palisadeshammondfence.com/guide/fence-post-rot-and-termites/) covers what to look for, and the [wet clay post guide](https://palisadeshammondfence.com/guide/fence-posts-in-wet-clay-soil/) covers footings. ## Slopes, curves and openings Split rail handles terrain better than most fences. Each section pivots in its mortises, so the rails tilt to follow a slope and the gap under the bottom rail stays even rather than opening into a triangle as a stepped panel would. Gentle curves along a drive or a bed are built by angling each section slightly at the post. Openings are planned for what passes through: a gap the width of a riding mower at a garden edge, or a matching split rail gate on a walk path. Gates are hung on heavier posts than the line posts, because a gate is the only part of the fence that carries a cantilever load; the [gate installation page](https://palisadeshammondfence.com/gate-installation/) explains why. ## Adding wire mesh for a dog Welded wire mesh fastened to the inside face of the rails turns split rail into light containment for a dog that doesn’t jump or dig. The mesh adds no strength, and a determined dog or a heavy one can push through or under it. The [best fence for dogs guide](https://palisadeshammondfence.com/guide/best-fence-for-dogs/) compares split rail with mesh against other options. There is a local catch. Inside the City of Hammond, woven wire fence is not allowed beyond the front building line of the house, so mesh-backed split rail stays in side and back yards there. A plain split rail fence, as a wood fence, may stand in front of the house up to 4 ft. ## Permits, historic districts and boundaries Inside Hammond, every fence needs a permit from the Building Department, approved from a survey or parcel map, with a $10 residential fee that doubles if work starts first. The Hyer-Cate overlay and the Historic District add their own review. In Covington, the historic district guidelines allow split rail only in rear yards or where it isn’t visible from the street, and the Historic District Commission reviews fences there; Covington’s permit is covered on the [Covington page](https://palisadeshammondfence.com/service-areas/covington/). Elsewhere the parish or town rule is confirmed per address, as the [fence permit guide](https://palisadeshammondfence.com/guide/fence-permits/) explains. Split rail often goes in exactly on a property line, which in Louisiana makes it presumptively common to both neighbors under Civil Code article 685. An old fence or a row of trees is not proof of where the line is; a survey settles it, and the [Louisiana fence law guide](https://palisadeshammondfence.com/guide/louisiana-fence-laws/) explains the choice between building on the line and just inside it. ## What a split rail fence costs There is no published Hammond-area price range for split rail. It is priced from the number of rails, the wood for posts and rails, how the posts are set, the length of the run, the number of corners, ends and gates, any wire mesh backing and the terrain. For a wood fence that also gives privacy, see [wood fence installation](https://palisadeshammondfence.com/wood-fence-installation/) and its Hammond-area ranges. ## What's included - Walking the line, marking corners, ends, openings and grade changes - Choosing two-rail or three-rail and the wood for posts and rails - Mortised line, corner and end posts, set with footings that drain - Rails fitted into the mortises and following the ground - Welded wire mesh on the inside face where a dog has to be held, placed where local rules allow it - Openings or a matching walk gate for mowers and foot traffic - The permit drawing where one is required, and the Louisiana 811 locate ## Split rail or a containment fence | | Split rail | Split rail with wire mesh | Board or no-climb fence | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Purpose | Marks a boundary or frames an entrance | Light containment for a dog or garden | Holds horses or livestock | | Openings | Wide gaps between rails | Mesh closes the gaps | Small openings or close boards | | Strength | Light; rails can be lifted out | Light; the mesh adds no strength | Built for leaning and impact | | Front yard in Hammond | Allowed up to 4 ft as a wood fence | Not allowed: woven wire stops at the front of the house | Up to 4 ft in wood | | Typical Hammond-area price | No published range; rail count, wood, posts and length set it | Same, plus the mesh | See the horse and farm fence pages | ## Related resources Learn Why Do Fence Posts Rot at Ground Level? Why decay concentrates in the few inches around grade, why treated posts still fail, how termite damage differs, how to test a post without pulling it, and what a lasting fix looks like. Learn How Should Fence Posts Be Set in Wet Clay Soil? What the ground under a Hammond-area fence is actually like, why posts rotate in it, how footing depth and type are chosen, and how a post hole that fills with water is handled. 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. 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. 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. ## 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-rail split rail fence with galvanized welded wire mesh attached to the inside, around a back yard garden A two-rail split rail fence curving along both sides of a gravel entrance drive into a rural property ## Questions about split rail fences ### Will a split rail fence keep a dog in? Not on its own. The gaps between rails are wide enough for most dogs to walk through. Welded wire mesh fastened to the inside face closes them for a small or medium dog that doesn't jump or dig. Inside Hammond, though, woven wire can't go in front of the house, so mesh-backed split rail stays in the side and back yards there. ### Two-rail or three-rail split rail? Two-rail is lower, lighter and reads as a simple line marker along a lot or drive. Three-rail is taller and fuller, gives a mesh backing more to attach to and suits a larger property. A two-rail fence also stays lower near a street corner, where Hammond limits anything within 30 ft of an intersection to 3 ft. ### Do split rail posts go in concrete? Often they are set without it, in tamped gravel and soil, which lets water drain from the base of the post. In soft, wet ground corner and end posts may get concrete for stiffness, finished above grade and sloped so water runs off. Either way, posts should be rated for ground contact, because the bottom of a split rail post sits in wet soil. ### Can a split rail fence follow a slope? Yes, and better than most fences. The rails sit loosely in the mortised posts, so each section tilts to follow the ground without stepping, and the gap under the bottom rail stays even. On steep or uneven ground, posts may be set a little closer so the rails meet the mortises cleanly. ### Is a split rail fence allowed in a historic district? It depends on the district. Covington's historic district guidelines allow split rail only in rear yards or where it can't be seen from the street, and the Historic District Commission reviews fences there. Hammond's Historic District and the Hyer-Cate overlay have their own review. The rule is confirmed for the address before the permit. ## Related services ### Farm fences → Woven field fence, barbed wire and high-tensile wire for pasture, livestock and acreage, on braced corners and posts set for wet ground. ### Horse fences → Board, rail and no-climb mesh fencing for horse pastures, paddocks and turnout pens, with braced corners, smooth faces and gates planned for horses and tractors. ### 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.