A new fence gets all the attention on the day it goes up, but the ground it meets decides how well it ages. Paving around fences and gates is where two trades overlap, and when nobody plans the junction you get the familiar problems: palings rotting where they sit in wet pavers, gates that scrape after the first summer, and a strip of weeds nobody can reach with a mower. This guide covers how to plan the meeting point between hard surfaces and a boundary so both last.
Decide the Order of Work First
The cleanest results come from setting posts before the paving goes down and hanging the gate after. Posts need footings that go well below the paving base, and digging them through a finished surface means cutting pavers and patching around concrete collars. Set the posts, let the footings cure, pave up to them, then hang the gate to suit the finished level. If the paving already exists, core drilling a neat hole for each post is slower but far tidier than lifting and relaying a whole edge.
Whichever order you follow, agree on the finished paving height before anyone starts. A fencer who assumes natural ground level and a paver who adds a hundred millimetres of base and stone will leave you with a fence that looks short and a gate that cannot open.
Keep Timber and Steel Out of Standing Water
Paving changes where water goes. A lawn soaks up a shower; a paved courtyard sheds it, and if the fall runs toward the boundary the fence line becomes the drain. Timber palings and plinths sitting in that runoff decay from the bottom, and steel panels with their base channel buried in bedding sand rust out years early.
Three habits prevent most of it. Fall the paving away from the fence where you can, or to a strip drain set just inside the boundary. Leave a clear gap of 25 to 50 millimetres between the bottom of the fence and the finished surface so air can move and leaves can be swept out. And never pave hard against a timber post: leave a small collar filled with gravel or a flexible sealant so water drains past the post instead of pooling at it.
Getting Gate Clearance Right
Gates are less forgiving than fences because they move. A swing gate needs clearance across its whole arc, not just at the closed position, so check the paving level at the point where the open gate ends up. A path that rises even slightly toward the house will catch the leading corner of an inward-swinging gate.
- Allow 40 to 60 millimetres under a pedestrian gate and a little more under wide driveway leaves, which sag over time.
- Where the ground rises, hinge the gate to swing downhill, or use rising hinges.
- For sliding gates, pour a straight concrete strip for the track before paving and bring the pavers up flush to it. A track fixed to pavers alone will move with them.
- Set drop bolt sockets and gate stops in concrete, not in a single paver that can rock loose.
Paving Choices That Suit a Boundary
Along a fence line the edge of the paving matters more than the field. Unrestrained pavers creep outward, and the fence side is usually the edge nobody thought to restrain. A concrete haunch, a soldier course set in mortar or a steel edge keeps the pattern tight and stops bedding sand washing under the fence into next door.
Many homeowners leave a planting or gravel strip of 200 to 300 millimetres between paving and fence. It hides small differences in line, gives climbers and screening plants somewhere to grow, and lets water soak in. If you prefer paving right to the boundary, a mowing-style border of contrasting pavers reads as a deliberate frame instead of an awkward cut edge.
Climate changes the detail. In the tropics, heavy wet season rain and reactive soils mean deeper bases, more fall and more drainage than a southern courtyard needs, which is why local experience counts. A contractor who handles paving in Townsville, for example, will plan for downpours and ground movement that would never cross the mind of someone working in a dry temperate suburb.
Common Mistakes at the Junction
Burying the bottom rail or plinth to hide a gap is the most frequent one, and it guarantees rot or rust. Close behind is paving over the top of post footings so that the concrete collar sits proud and cracks the pavers around it; keep footings finished below the base layer. The third is forgetting access. If the only way to the backyard is through a side gate, make the paved width and the gate opening match the widest thing you will ever need to bring through, whether that is a wheelbarrow, a mower or a trailer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should the fence or the paving go in first?
Posts first, paving second, gate last. It gives the strongest footings and the neatest finish around each post, and it lets the gate be hung to the real finished level.
How much gap should there be under a fence over paving?
Around 25 to 50 millimetres suits most fences. It is enough for airflow and cleaning without leaving a gap that small pets can use. Pool fencing has its own strict limits, so check the rules that apply to you before building.
Can I pave right up to my neighbour’s fence?
Usually yes on your own side, provided you do not raise the ground against the fence or direct water onto the neighbouring property. A shared fence is a shared asset, so talk to your neighbour before changing levels along it.