High-Tensile Fence Installation

The wire itself is the structural member. Because hard-drawn high-tensile wire carries far more load per strand than soft (low-carbon) wire, a properly tensioned fence resists animal impact by flexing and returning rather than permanently deforming. That is why the same fence line holds its geometry for decades instead of needing to be re-stretched every few seasons.

• Cattle and stocker operations — perimeter and cross-fencing on long runs.
• Rotational grazing — permanent electrified lanes with temporary interior divisions.
• Horse operations — only with coated or high-visibility wire and appropriate spacing; board or woven wire remains the safer choice for turnout and paddocks. See horse farm and equestrian fencing.
• Large acreage and rough ground — where post counts and material weight decide the budget.

Not the right fence for small pens, working alleys or high-pressure corrals — those need woven wire or pipe and board.

Coating class is the decision that sets service life

Class 1 and Class 3 wire look identical on the roll. The difference is zinc mass: Class 3 carries roughly 0.85–1.1 oz/ft² and lasts about three times as long as Class 1 in the same conditions. On a fence you intend to keep for 25 years, Class 3 is the only defensible spec. Barn lots, feedlots and anywhere with standing water or heavy ammonia exposure should move up to Class 40 / Bezinal zinc-aluminum.

We drive posts rather than hand-set them wherever soil allows. A driven post compacts the soil around the shaft instead of sitting in backfill, so it holds tension longer and resists frost heave. See post augering and driving for how we handle rock and hardpan.

• Layout. Corners and ends first, then the line staked and cleared.
• Brace assemblies. Horizontal compression member between the two posts, diagonal tension wire running from the base of the brace post to the top of the end post — the diagonal must oppose the pull.
• Tensioning. In-line strainers on each strand let every wire be tensioned and re-tensioned independently to 200–250 lb without disturbing the others.
• Terrain following. Line posts tightened through dips and crowns; tie-downs (stays) in dips keep wire from lifting, and a floating brace holds tension over a crown.
• Water gaps. Creek and drainage crossings get a breakaway or flood-gate section that releases in high water instead of taking the fence line with it.
• Electrification. Where specified, insulated line posts and a properly grounded energizer — grounding is coordinated so the fence is not carrying stray voltage.

• Twice a year — walk the line, re-tension any slack strand at the strainer, clear brush off the wire.
• After storms — check water gaps and reset breakaway sections.
• Annually — inspect brace assemblies and diagonal wires; a loosened diagonal is the first sign a corner is moving.
• Electrified lines — check voltage at the far end of the run, not at the energizer.

S&S installs new fence and full replacements. We do not take on repair work on fences built by others — but every fence we install carries our one-year workmanship warranty and we will come back for warranty items on our own work.

A Class 1 fence that costs slightly less up front and lasts a third as long is the most expensive option on the page once you annualize it. The same logic applies to skipping brace assemblies: a fence that loses tension in year three costs a full rebuild.

Pricing per linear foot depends on terrain, strand count and brace count, so we price the actual line rather than quote a range sight unseen. Call 502-468-1209.

S&S Fencing & Property Maintenance LLC is family-owned and woman-owned, operating since 2015 out of Cox’s Creek in Nelson County, Kentucky. BBB A+ Accredited and Blue Book ProView Verified. Shawn and Shelby Fick walk the projects. See prequalification and contractor credentials.

Farm references are provided on request. More completed work is in the projects gallery.