A fencerow left alone stops being a fence and becomes a hedge. Restoring it is common work on farm ground here, and it is usually more straightforward than owners expect — with two caveats that catch people out.
The first is that clearing reveals condition. Wire that has been under brush for fifteen years is often not salvageable, and the project quietly turns from clearing into rebuilding. Budgeting only for the clearing is how that becomes a surprise.
The second is that a fence line is usually a boundary, and a boundary has another owner on the far side of it. That conversation belongs before the machine, not after.
The sequence
What happens, and in what order
Establish where the line legally is
If the pins are not findable and the fence is old, the fence may not be on the line — old fences wander. Clearing and rebuilding on the wrong side creates a real problem. Where there is any doubt, a survey comes first.
Talk to the neighbour before starting
Work on a shared boundary affects both sides, and in some circumstances shared fencing carries shared obligations. A conversation beforehand is cheaper than a dispute afterward, and usually straightforward.
Decide the corridor width by how you will maintain it
Wide enough to get a mower or a tractor down, both sides if you have access to both. This is the decision that determines whether you are back doing this again in ten years.
Clear, expecting hand work where growth has gone through the wire
Material grown into the fence has to be cut free rather than machined off. This is labour and it is normally called out separately in a quote — expect it rather than being surprised by it.
Assess the fence once you can see it, then rebuild or replace
This is the point where the project's real scope becomes visible. Some sections will be fine, some will need posts, and some will be beyond saving. Budgeting for a range rather than a number is realistic.
What clearing usually reveals
Posts rotted at ground level while the top looks sound. Wire rusted through where it has been in contact with wood or soil. Trees grown around and through the wire, which have been holding the fence up rather than damaging it — until they are removed.
That last one surprises people: a fence can look serviceable under brush precisely because the brush is supporting it, and clearing it is what makes the condition apparent. It is not the clearing that broke the fence.
Keeping it clear afterward
The species that make fencerows close in — honeysuckle, autumn olive, multiflora rose, osage orange, grapevine — all resprout. A restored line stays open through maintenance, not through the quality of the clearing.
The practical version is mowing the corridor once or twice a season once it is within reach of ordinary equipment. That is why the corridor width decision matters so much: a line you cannot get a mower down will close again.
Timing
When to ask for estimates
- After the boundary is settled and you know how long the line is.
- Ask for it by the running foot or by the hour, since it is corridor work rather than acreage.
- Ask for hand work on material grown through the wire to be identified separately.
Send the project details when it is — one short form, written for independent contractors working your county, free and with no obligation.
On the walkthrough
Questions worth asking
- What width are you clearing, and can I get a mower down it afterward?
- How are you handling growth that has gone through the wire?
- Is the old wire and post material being removed, and who disposes of it?
- What condition do you expect the fence to be in once it is exposed?
Questions
Common questions on this
Can the fence be saved?
You will not reliably know until it is cleared, which is the awkward part of planning this work. A fence under fifteen years of brush is often being held up by the brush, and removing it reveals rotted posts and rusted wire that were always there. Budget for a range rather than assuming the clearing is the whole project.
Do I need to tell my neighbour?
Yes, and it is worth doing early rather than as a courtesy on the day. Work on a shared boundary affects both sides, shared fencing can carry shared obligations depending on the circumstances, and a conversation beforehand costs nothing. Disputes over boundary work are far harder to resolve after the machine has been through.
How wide should the cleared strip be?
Wide enough to maintain with the equipment you already own, with room to turn at the ends. That is the whole test. A corridor cleared narrower than your mower is a corridor that will close in again, and you will be paying for this twice.
Keep planning
Related planning guides
- Understanding what grows in a fence rowA fence row is a linear seed trap, which is why it grows faster and thicker than the ground either side of it.
- Planning a pasture reclamation projectThe decision that sets the entire budget is whether the field will be grazed or hayed, and it gets asked too late.
- Reading an old farm field that has grown inThe ground under an old field is usually still good; what it costs to recover depends entirely on how long it has been left.
- Planning a horse property: pasture, paddocks and accessHorse ground has a stricter finish standard than almost anything else in this trade, because the animals find every hazard left behind.
- Restoring a property that has been let goStart with access and sight lines, because you cannot make good decisions about ground you have not seen.
Everything else is in the planning workspace.
Get it quoted
Services this relates to
Evansville Mulching is a free matching service, not a contractor. Nothing on this page is a determination about your property — a contractor standing on the ground is the only person who can make one.
Covering 10 towns across the Evansville tri-state area, and all 14 services.