Sebastopol has one of the older housing stocks of any city in Sonoma County. A significant portion of homes were built before 1960, and many date back to the early 1900s. Wood-frame construction with wood or fiber cement siding is the norm throughout the city, and original wood fencing on these homes has been exposed to decades of wet winters and dry summers. The wet-dry seasonal cycle here - roughly 35 to 40 inches of rain between November and March, then almost no rain until fall - is hard on unprotected exterior wood. Paint peels, caulk cracks, boards warp, and fence posts rot at the base faster than in more moderate climates. A contractor who has worked on Sebastopol homes knows what to look for and how to set a fence that holds up through the full year.

Outside the downtown core, many Sebastopol properties sit on half an acre or more, with mature trees, detached garages or barns, and long perimeter runs that may not have been fenced at all. The area around Sebastopol has historically been apple orchard country, and that agricultural character means a contractor needs to be ready for jobs that go well beyond a standard suburban backyard fence. Clay-heavy soils throughout this part of western Sonoma County add to the challenge - those soils expand when saturated and shrink when dry, putting stress on post footings over time. Getting the post depth and concrete work right from the start is what separates a fence that lasts from one that needs straightening again in two or three years.

Sebastopol is a small city of about 7,500 residents in western Sonoma County, situated roughly 10 miles west of Santa Rosa along Highway 116. The city of Sebastopol has a well-established identity as an arts community - home to the Sebastopol Center for the Arts, a popular weekly farmers market, and a downtown character that reflects its long history as an independent-minded small city. Most of the housing near downtown consists of Craftsman bungalows and cottage-style wood-frame homes built between the 1900s and 1960s, many of which have been well maintained but carry their age in the exterior materials and original fencing.

Moving outward from downtown, the landscape shifts to the semi-rural properties that have defined this part of Sonoma County for generations. The Sebastopol area is historically apple-growing country - the Gravenstein apple variety was grown here for over 150 years, and the annual Gravenstein Apple Fair is one of the most recognized local traditions in Sonoma County. Many of the larger properties outside the downtown core sit on former orchard land, with mature trees and outbuildings. Nearby Guerneville to the north and Santa Rosa to the east are neighboring communities we also serve regularly.