Picket Fence Styles: Wood, Vinyl and Aluminum for Front Yards

Picket fences are usually three to four feet tall with gaps between the pickets. They define a yard without hiding the house, which is why they are the usual front yard fence.

QC Fence Contractors builds picket fences across the Charlotte metro in wood, vinyl and aluminum. Photos on this page show wood picket fences and gates we have built.

• French gothic: a shaped point with a notch below it. The traditional look.
• Dog ear: clipped top corners, plain and tidy.
• Pointed and flat top pickets.
• Straight top line, or scalloped so the tops dip between posts.
• Spacing: close for small dogs, wider for a more open fence.
• Matching walk gates, often arched.

Wood pickets are built on site, so the height, spacing and top line are whatever you want. They need the upkeep any wood fence needs. Vinyl picket fence stays white without paint and comes in set styles. Aluminum gives a slimmer, more formal picket and does not rust.

A picket fence around a garden may need wire mesh along the bottom to stop rabbits. Front yard heights are commonly limited by zoning and HOA rules, which vary by address.