About This Career

Erects and repairs fences and fence gates, using hand and power tools.

This career is part of the Architecture and Construction cluster Construction pathway.

A person in this career:

• Establishes the location for a fence, and gathers information needed to ensure that there are no electric cables or water lines in the area.
• Sets metal or wooden posts in upright positions in postholes.
• Measures and lays out fence lines and marks posthole positions, following instructions, drawings, or specifications.
• Aligns posts, by lines or sighting, and verifies vertical alignment of posts, using plumb bobs or spirit levels.
• Attaches rails or tension wire along bottoms of posts to form fencing frames.
• Digs postholes, using spades, posthole diggers, or power-driven augers.
• Attaches fence rail supports to posts, using hammers and pliers.
• Assembles gates, and fastens gates into position, using hand tools.
• Mixes and pours concrete around bases of posts, or tamps soil into postholes to embed posts.
• Makes rails for fences, by sawing lumber or by cutting metal tubing to required lengths.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 20 lbs., sometimes up to 50 lbs. You might do a lot of lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling.
• Work in this occupation involves bending or twisting your body more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
• Conditions are very hot (above 90 F) or very cold (under 32 F)
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Exposed to hazardous equipment such as saws, machinery, or vehicular traffic more than once a month
• Work in this occupation involves kneeling, crouching, stooping, and/or crawling more than one-third of the time
• Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting
• Work in this occupation requires being outside most of the time
• Work in this occupation involves making repetitive motions more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves walking or running more than one-third of the time
• Work at heights above 8 feet more than once a month on structures such as ladders, poles, scaffolding, and catwalks

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Judging how far away an object is, or which of several objects is closer or farther away
• Using muscles repeatedly or over time without tiring
• Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching
• Seeing clearly up close
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person
• Exerting oneself physically over long periods of time without getting out of breath
• Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying objects
• Using abdominal and lower back muscles repeatedly or over time without tiring

Work Hours and Travel

• Irregular hours