Fencing Ideas

[SpringBear]

In the process of getting licensed, I got a call back saying they had concerns about a water hazard (stream a couple hundred feet down a very thickly overgrown hill from the play area). They just totally switched from saying they don't require me to have a fence at all to saying I need a full enclosure fence.

I know fencing can be very expensive. How have you all dealt with the issue of fencing your yard? I have a large backyard and would hate to divide it in order to keep it cheap. I'm required to have at least 450 square feet at least 4 feet high, though if I ever expand my program I would need it bigger.

[Jo123ABC]

I got lucky as my husband and his friends are Handy so they saved us a lot of money by putting up the fence. The materials were not cheap though. I used a home improvement loan I think to do it through be the bank that originally did our real estate loan. I could have used a business loan probably if I had wanted to. It didn't really make a difference to me at the time. I also have used a loan to remodel our entire basement into a daycare play room and nap space. I do monthly payments on that. Sometimes you can get low interest loans for daycare improvements/expenses through your area's economic development. I'm not sure how that works state to state or county to county but we have an option like that in my small town.

[Blackcat31]

Would you be able to fence off access from the stream instead?

My daycare house is on a corner of two busy streets.
It worked well and everyone was perfectly happy with having a fence only along the street sides of my yard.

I left it that way for many years.

Two summers ago, my husband completed the fence on the other two sides so that it's completely enclosed now.

We aren't required to have this fencing but I know parents felt better about it.

[Cat Herder]

They did the same to me and I had to put up the fence. I was told a 4-foot fence would be my requirement (not the lady two streets over, though. Her creek must have that non-drowning water. )

Once I put step two climbers in the fenced area with mulch, I was told it no longer met the 4 feet requirement because of the fall zone mulch. They measure from the top of the mulch, not the ground below it. They wanted me to upgrade to a 6-foot fence.

So, I removed the climbers and left 1/2 inch of shredded mulch. The latest *recommendation was "consider adding climbing equipment for large muscle activity".

It is never-ending with licensing. They have to write stuff up to prove they are working to keep getting paid.

[Second Home]

I have a large backyard , at the very edge of my property is a steep dropoff. I was told that I would need the whole backyard fenced .
So I put up the wire cattle fencing in the wooded area and along the back of my useable yard ( I have more property behind the fence) and a nicer looking 3 board wooden fence along the front and 2 sections down the side . I attached the same welded wire/ cattle fencing to the wooden fence. It is a less expensive way to fence a large area. Maybe that will work for you too.

[LittleExplorers]

We fenced in a small area ourselves. It wasn't required, but it helps me. We are surrounded by fields, which sometimes are planted with corn and not worth the risk. We have over an acre so the whole yard wasn't necessary. You can get materials fairly cheap if you can install it yourself.

[Alwaysgreener]

I decided to put up some fence just before winter this year. (Just before the ground was frozen)

I used 4' chicken fence with posts. It is holding up as of now.

[rosieteddy]

I loved having a separate fenced yard.I fenced a dog area ,I could open the door and dog went out.It also had a gate to the "big yard".Then I had a decent fenced daycare yard.This is where the sand box and climbing toys were.I spread fibar wood chips .It was great for mud season and even snow.In the "big yard" was a huge swing set grandfathered in on my license. It was great broke up the play areas and kept children contained.