A brand-new classic white picket fence built from scratch for a Craftsman bungalow in San Marino. The homeowner wanted a traditional profile — pointed pickets with a scalloped (concave) top — matched to the period of the house, not a stock vinyl or home-center kit. Custom-milled pickets, three-rail construction, posts set in concrete, and a crisp exterior semi-gloss white finish out of the gate.
Project overview
- Location: Craftsman bungalow, San Marino
- Scope: New picket fence — front yard perimeter + walkway gate
- Profile: Custom-milled scalloped (concave) top with pointed pickets — period-correct for the house
- Height: ~36 inches, three-rail construction (top, mid, bottom)
- Finish: Exterior semi-gloss white, primer + two coats
- Posts: Pressure-treated, set in concrete footings below frost line
What a proper picket fence install looks like
- Custom pickets. We milled the scalloped-top profile to match the look of a 1930s–40s picket fence — pointed pickets with concave curves between them. That profile isn’t on home-center shelves; it has to be cut.
- Post layout. Posts set every 6–8 feet on center, plumbed, and poured in concrete footings. Straight lines and consistent spacing are what make a fence read “built right” from the street.
- Three-rail construction. Top, mid, and bottom rails — fastened to the posts, not just the pickets. This is what keeps the fence square over time.
- Gate build. Matching walkway gate framed with diagonal bracing, hung on heavy-duty hinges, with a drop latch sized to the picket pattern.
- Finish. Full prime, then two coats of exterior semi-gloss white. Semi-gloss wipes clean and holds up to irrigation overspray and street dust better than flat.
Why custom-milled instead of a stock picket kit
For San Marino, Pasadena, and Craftsman-heavy neighborhoods, a stock vinyl or pre-cut picket kit reads instantly as “not from here.” The pointed-scallop profile — pointed pickets separated by a shallow concave curve — is specific to pre-war wood fencing. Milling it to match keeps the house period-correct and raises the whole street-side read of the property. HOA and architectural review boards in older neighborhoods care about this; so do appraisers.
Need a classic picket fence?
If you’re building a picket fence for a Craftsman, Spanish, or ranch-style home and want the profile to look like it belongs on the house, we custom-mill and install the whole run — fence, gate, posts, paint. Free on-site estimate.
Call ProHands: (818) 401-7766 · Email: info@prohandshandyman.com · Serving: Los Angeles, Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena, San Marino