A pipe top rail fence is a wire fence with one welded pipe rail across the top. You get pipe posts, braced corners, and a straight rail you can see from the road, while no-climb, field fence, or barbed wire does the holding below. It takes far less pipe than an all-pipe fence and holds up better than wire alone. Priced on site. Call or text 254-716-5760.
What a pipe top rail fence is
It starts on steel pipe posts like any pipe fence. The difference is above and below. One continuous pipe rail is welded across the post tops, and wire is stretched below it and tied to every post. The rail keeps the line straight, stops the top of the wire from sagging, and keeps stock from leaning over and mashing it down.
The wire holds the stock. The pipe gives the fence its frame, its strength up top, and its look. From the road it's a clean pipe line. Up close it holds like a tight wire fence.
This isn't the same fence as 2, 3, and 4-rail pipe. For all pipe, or pipe rails with no-climb below, see pipe fence. This page covers the one-rail version.
Where one pipe rail over wire fits
It's the fence for long runs where all-pipe is more than you need and bare wire isn't enough: frontage on bigger places, house pastures, horse traps, and perimeter lines you want to look finished.
Put no-climb under it and it works for horses. Bekaert's horse guidance calls for something visible along the top of a horse fence, and a pipe rail covers that. Over field fence or barbed wire it works for cattle, since the rail keeps cows from riding the top wire down.
- Horses: pipe rail over 2x4 no-climb. No barbs.
- Cattle: pipe rail over field fence or strands of barbed wire.
- Goats, sheep, and dogs: pipe rail over no-climb or tight field fence.
- Mixed places: build to the horse and the cows stay in too.
Picking the wire under the rail
The rail stays the same. The wire under it is the choice, and your stock makes it for you.
Over no-climb
No-climb has small openings, usually 2 by 4 inches, that a hoof won't go through. University of Georgia Extension recommends 2 to 4 inch mesh for horses and says to avoid barbed and high-tensile wire, which horses have trouble seeing. Put no-climb under a pipe rail and you've got a safe, visible horse fence for less than a fence of all pipe rails.
Over field fence
Field fence, or woven wire, has bigger openings and suits cattle, goats, and sheep. For cattle, the NRCS Texas specification calls for woven wire at least 32 inches tall, with 11-gauge top and bottom wires and stays 12 inches apart or closer. A pipe rail over it means no sagging top edge for cattle to push on.
Over barbed wire
On cattle-only places, barbed strands under a pipe rail give you the holding power of a barbed wire fence with a stronger, cleaner top. The NRCS Texas cattle minimum is 4 strands with the top wire at 44 inches. That's a cost-share floor, so many owners run 5. Keep barbed wire away from horses.
Posts, rail, and wire
Posts and rail are steel pipe. Drovers reports 2-1/2 inch as the size most ranchers choose, with 2-3/8 and 2-1/4 inch common on the used market, and says wall thickness sets the price and the life of the pipe. Used oilfield tubing works if it's sound. New galvanized fence pipe is made to ASTM F1083. We'll spec size, wall, and new or used with you.
The NRCS Texas fence standard (2021) calls for posts buried at least 3 feet and standing at least 2 inches above the top wire. Here the rail rides on the post tops, above the wire, so that rule takes care of itself.
The wire is galvanized no-climb, field fence, or barbed wire, stretched from braced corners and ends and tied to each post. Corners, ends, and gate posts get brace assemblies, since that's where the wire pulls hardest.
How it's built
We walk the line with you, lay it out, and price it on site. Timing depends on footage, ground, clearing, and weather. You'll get a schedule with the quote.
- Clear brush and cedar off the line, mechanically.
- Set the corners, ends, and gate posts, then brace them.
- Set line posts to depth on a string line.
- Weld the rail across the post tops, following the ground.
- Stretch wire from the braced ends and tie it to each post.
- Hang gates, paint the pipe, and clean up.
What moves the price
It's priced on site. What moves it:
- Footage, plus the number of corners and ends.
- The wire that goes under the rail.
- Pipe size, wall, and new or used.
- Rock, slope, draws, and clearing on the line.
- Gates and openers.
Gates and tie-ins
Gates hang on braced pipe posts set with the fence. We build ranch gates and entries and install solar or hardwired openers, so the entry goes in with the line.
A common layout puts all-pipe rails at the entry and along the road, then one pipe rail over wire for the rest of the perimeter. The switch happens at a braced post so both fences stay tight. Same goes where this fence meets pipe corrals and pens, a water gap at a creek, or a stretch of high fence on a game place.
Repair and upkeep
The rail shields the wire, so this fence takes less abuse than plain wire. When a tree lands on it, the wire usually needs re-stretching or a new section, and the rail may need cutting out and re-welding. Paint on the pipe is the main upkeep.
We handle storm damage, re-stretching, weld repair, and repaint on this fence. If someone else built yours, ask us anyway. See fence repair and rebuilds, or text photos to 254-716-5760.
Questions about pipe top rail over wire
How is this different from a regular pipe fence?
A regular pipe fence has 2, 3, or 4 pipe rails. This one has a single rail on top, with wire doing the holding below, so it uses less pipe. For the all-pipe version, see pipe fence.
Which wire goes under the rail for horses?
No-climb with 2x4 inch openings. UGA Extension and Bekaert both steer horse owners away from barbed wire, and the pipe rail gives horses a top line they can see.
Is it cheaper than an all-pipe fence?
It takes less pipe and fewer welds than a 3 or 4-rail fence, but the wire adds material and stretching work. Which one comes out ahead depends on footage, ground, and the wire you pick. We price it on site and can price it both ways.
Can you put a pipe rail on my existing wire fence?
Ask us. A welded rail needs sound pipe posts set deep enough. T-posts and wood posts can't carry one. Send photos through the quote form, tell us what you need, and we'll say whether it fits.
How deep do the posts go?
At least 3 feet under the NRCS Texas fence standard (2021), deeper in sandy or wet ground. Corners, ends, and gate posts get braced.
Do I need a permit?
Depends where the place sits. Inside Weatherford or Aledo city limits, the city requires a fence permit. Unincorporated Parker County doesn't issue building permits, though the county does regulate septic and floodplain work.
Anywhere else, check with the city or county before we start. We'll ask where the place sits when we walk the line, so it's settled before the first post goes in.
How long will it take?
That comes down to footage, ground, clearing, gates, and weather. You'll get a schedule with the quote.
What do you need from me to quote it?
A rough footage or a pin on a map, what you're holding (horses, cattle, goats, deer), how many gates and how wide, and a few photos of the line, the corners, and any creek or draw it crosses. Send it through the quote form or text 254-716-5760.
It also helps to know where your property line is, where any buried water, gas, or power lines run, and whether you want to be there for the walk. Then we come out, walk it with you, and price it on site.
Where we build it
Pipe top rail over wire is on the list for these towns. Not on the list? Ask us.
Sources
- USDA NRCS Texas, Conservation Practice Standard 382: Fence (2021)
- USDA NRCS Texas, Fence (382) Specification, revised 2015
- University of Georgia Extension, Elevated Equine: Fencing for Horses (2022)
- Bekaert, Equine & Horse Fence Requirements
- Drovers, Choose the Right Pipe for Your Fencing Needs
- ASTM F1083, Standard Specification for Pipe, Steel, Hot-Dipped Zinc-Coated (Galvanized) Welded, for Fence Structures
- City of Weatherford, Residential permits
- City of Aledo, Permit forms
- Parker County, Permitting
