How To Make A Vinyl Fence Taller

If your existing vinyl fence is too low then your in luck, there are plenty of easy and affordable ways to make it higher. A taller fence not only adds more privacy but also a bit of home security. And it’s better for keeping animals in or out. Here in NJ deer can be a problem. I had to add 3 feet to the top of my 5 foot vinyl fence to keep them out of the garden. I did it by extending the posts and building a decorative top out of Azek and lattice. It was a fun DIY project for a few weekends, looks great and those deer aren’t a problem anymore. Fence kits, post extensions, lattice, trellis, and longer posts are all great ways to make a vinyl fence taller. And none of them are that expensive or hard to install.

I considered all the options and decided to go with extending the posts on my fence to add height.

First, I removed the fence panels and old 5 foot vinyl posts.
Then I extended the wood 4x4s inside using metal tie plates and new 3 foot sections of 4×4. Tie plates connect the old 4×4 posts with the new.
Once the 4x4s were higher I installed new 8 foot vinyl posts.
Then I re-installed the fence panels.
Next, I custom built 3 foot high by 8 foot wide panels out of Azek and lattice.
Finally, screw the panels into the posts and install the caps.

Extending your fence posts and adding higher panels is a great way to make a vinyl fence taller. But it’s not the only way. Ahead we’ll discuss a few more.

Building Codes & HOA

Many cities and towns have restrictions on how tall you can build your fence. Check with your local building department to find out what the maximum height allowance is. Keep in mind that fence height restrictions are typically different for the front yard than the back.

HOA rules are generally more about how the fence looks than how it’s built. They’ll probably want to approve whatever plans you have for the new fence height and design.

Always check with your building department and homeowner’s association before adding height to your vinyl fence or you may be fined. And even worse, they could make you take the new fencing down.

What Is Vinyl Fencing?

Vinyl is a low-cost, durable material that’s made from PVC or plastic. It’s extremely durable and resistant to the elements, which makes it a great material for fencing.
Vinyl fencing is very easy to maintain because all you do is wash it off. There’s no painting, staining or weatherproofing involved.
Vinyl fences come in pre-fabricated pieces that are assembled on site. All you typically do is secure the posts and then install the panels with brackets to the posts. Because of this, it’s harder to add height to a vinyl fence than ones that are custom built on site.
Vinyl fencing is a sturdy material that can’t change it’s shape. You can’t bend, sand or cut it like wood to make things. But you can buy composite material in sheets or boards and make new things out of that. By combining materials like Azek with fence panels you can make some really beautiful fencing.
Privacy lattice is a great way to add height to a vinyl fence. But it’s flimsy and needs support. This is where the Azek material can help. It comes in boards and is great for making a lattice frame.

Raise The Fence Posts

The best method I’ve found to raise the height of a vinyl fence is to raise the fence posts.

Fence posts are a very important part of a vinyl fence. They add strength and stability. The panels are the larger sections that make up the bulk of a vinyl fence, but the posts anchor it into the ground. Without strong posts to support the panels,your fence would blow right over.

If you want to add height to a vinyl fence, you have to start by increasing the height of the posts. Then you can use that new height to support higher panels.

Vinyl fence posts are typically two parts, a vinyl sleeve and a 4×4 or 6×6 wood post inside the sleeve. The vinyl is basically for looks while the wood provides support.

Whenever I raise the height of a vinyl fence I always replace the entire post sleeve. To save time and money, you can just add a new post on top, but then you’ll have a seem where the two sleeves meet. I don’t like the seam so I replace everything.Replacing the entire sleeve involves taking the entire fence apart and re-assembling it. It’s a more polished look but takes a lot more time.

Whichever way you decide to do it, you’ll also have to extend the height of the wood post inside the sleeve. Essentially you’ll be cutting a new 4×4 or 6×6 section and attaching it to the top of the existing wood post. There are a few methods to do this that we’ll discuss below.

Metal Tie Plate

Metal tie plates are strong sheets of metal that tie two pieces of wood together. They are also called a strap or mending plate.
Tie plates are very easy to install. Simply lay them across the seam where two pieces of wood meet and nail them in. Since the plate is nailed to both pieces of wood it binds them together. The stronger the plate, the better the connection will be.
Nails and screws are very important too. Make sure you buy the correct fasteners to secure the plate.

Half Lap Joint

If you’d rather tie the two posts together with carpentry rather than a tie plate, use a half lap joint.
Notch the opposite halves of two sturdy beams so that they meet to form one solid beam. Secure them together with some galvanized bolts. This method is harder and more time consuming than using a tie plate but makes a much stronger connection.

Post Extensions

In my opinion, the best way to make a vinyl fence taller is by increasing the height of the posts. You can do this as I did, by replacing the entire post, or with a post extension.

Let’s say you have a 6 foot vinyl fence that you want to make 8 feet. A cheap and easy way to do it is with a post extension. They bolt to the top of your existing post to give you more height. By using a post extension, you don’t have to replace the entire post. This saves a lot of time and money. The only drawback is that you see the seam where the post extension and old post meet. I decided to replace the entire post because I wanted a seamless look.

Post extensions are sold individually or in kits. You can buy them at home improvement store or online. Post extensions are classified by width, material, and length so you can buy exactly what you need for your fence. And some are even flexible which makes achieving a specific height easier.

Post extensions let you increase the height of the posts, but you’ll still need to build new fence panels too. Lattice is great for this.

Here’s how to use post extensions to expand your vinyl fence:

Count your posts and determine the height you want before ordering the extension kits.
Remove all the post caps from your fence.
Bolt the post extensions to the top of your posts.
Re-install the caps.
Install the new fence sections that go between the post extensions. You’ll most likely have to custom build these just like I did.

Fence Kits

Fence kits are another great way to raise the height of a vinyl fence. They’re basically a modular fence system that snaps together. Assembling a fence kits is as easy as putting together a bookcase is similar furniture.

Just as with traditional vinyl fences, fence kits come in panels and posts. All you do is measure the height and width you need, cut the various pieces to size, and then snap them together with connecting brackets. Once the new panels are built you bolt them to the top of the existing posts.

Make sure the fence kit you use matches the vinyl fence you’re adding height too.

You can buy a fence kit at home improvement stores like Home Depot and Lowes or online.

Remove the fence post caps first. This is important because the fence kits are installed on top of the posts.
Determine the height and width of fence kit you need. For example, if your adding two feet of height to an 8 foot wide fence, you have to build 2 foot x 8 foot panels with the fence kit.
Cut your lengths and assemble the new panels. The kit will give you everything you need.
Secure the new panels to the top of the posts.

Using a fence kit to extend the height of a vinyl fence is cheap and easy to do. And they look really good because all the parts are built to snap together. When you’re all done it looks like a factory made product instead of something you made yourself. This is a benefit when work vinyl fencing because it’s a factory made fence.

U-Channel

U-channels are u-shaped pieces of material generally made of vinyl, plastic, or metal. They have a slot running down the middle of one side where you can slip in a sheet of vinyl or lattice. This is how u-channel is used to increase the height of a vinyl fence. Essentially what you’re doing is building a frame to support the lattice because lattice or vinyl sheeting alone is very flimsy.

U-channel is used along with lattice or vinyl sheets to create new fence panels, but not posts. If you use this method to raise the height of your vinyl fence, you’ll still need to either replace the fence posts with taller ones or use fence extensions.

This is how you use u-channel to raise the height of a vinyl fence:

Determine the height you want to raise your fence and the width of your fence panels.
Cut 4 u-channel pieces. 2 At the height you want to raise the fence and 2 the length of the panels. When assembled, these 4 pieces will form a rectangular frame.
Next, cut a section of lattice or sheet vinyl to go inside the u-channel frame.
Assemble the frame around the sheet you just cut. Use glue and small screws to hold it all together.
Once the panel is built, screw it into the fence posts on either side.

When done right, a lattice panel installed on top of your vinyl fence can add privacy and height with an attractive look.

Other Options

Making your vinyl fence taller isn’t a viable solution for everyone. Maybe the HOA won’t let you raise the fence height, or you can’t find a solution you like, don’t worry, there are some other options.These also work in cases where you can’t add height to your vinyl fence because it’s too old to support the new sections.

Here are just a few:

Trees. A great way to add privacy and security to a home is with trees. Green giants are great for this. They’re better at adding height than a fence because there’s typically no height restrictions on trees.
Trellis. A trellis is a wooden framework used to wrap climbing plants around. They’re beautiful and work great for adding height. And since they’re not a fence, many HOAs don’t have restrictions for them.
Pergola. A pergola is another structure that’s not considered a fence so it’s typically not restricted by the HOA.

By installing these methods away from your property line, you can create a visual barrier that’s not restricted by fence rules. Fences are typically limited to 6 or 8 feet tall, but there are few restrictions for things on your property that are set back from the property line. If you have enough land, trees and trellis can work better at adding height than simply extending the fence.

Summary: How To Make A Vinyl Fence Taller

I considered all the options and decided to go with extending the posts on my fence to add height.

First, I removed the fence panels and old 5 foot vinyl posts.
Then I extended the wood 4x4s inside using metal tie plates and new 3 foot sections of 4×4. Tie plates connect the old 4×4 posts with the new.
Once the 4x4s were higher I installed new 8 foot vinyl posts.
Then I re-installed the fence panels.
Next, I custom built 3 foot high by 8 foot wide panels out of Azek and lattice.
Finally, screw the panels into the posts and install the caps.

Extending your fence posts and adding higher panels is a great way to make a vinyl fence taller. But it’s not the only way.

If you have any questions or comments about making a vinyl fence taller, Email any time.