How to build a Gabion fence?

A gabion fence is a line of wire mesh cages filled with stone: split sandstone, field stones, limestone or granite cubes, or reclaimed material such as broken brick, coloured concrete and recycled glass. The fill you choose sets how the fence looks, and the steps below cover how to build one that stays straight and stable.

Steps in installation of Gabion fence

Step 1: Placing out the site

Mark out the line of the fence with a string line and line level, or a carpenter’s level on a long straight edge (typically a 2″x4″ board, 12′ long), and check that the base pad is level in both directions.

Step 2: Provide a firm and level base

Strip grass, weeds and topsoil with a hoe or flat shovel. On firm, hard ground you may be able to set the gabions directly on the existing soil. On sandy or clay soil, replace about 6″ of it with compacted gravel or a concrete footing, or the ground may settle unevenly under the weight of the stone.

Step 3: Gabion Support – Introduce support columns

A narrow gabion wall or fence gets almost no stiffness from its wire, so it needs support posts set in concrete inside the baskets, spaced at roughly 6′ centres.

Depending on the installation and local codes, posts can be galvanised pipe, pressure-treated timber or structural steel sections.

Bury each post 3-4′ deep, pack dry-mix concrete around it, wet it, and wait a day or two before building the baskets.

Step 4: Assembling the Gabion Baskets

Lay out the mesh panels with the bottom panel flat on the prepared base, sliding each basket over the support posts. The panels are joined with galvanised steel spirals wound through the adjacent edges. Because the spiral pitch matches the mesh spacing, this goes quickly.

6 ft. long baskets are the most common size. Each has a middle dividing panel (diaphragm) to reduce bulging. Wire it in along its bottom edge while the cage is still flat, then along each vertical side once the sides are up and the basket is in position.

Step 5: Filling the Gabion Baskets

If local stone is available, filling with it makes a fence that matches its surroundings and saves on haulage.

Stones against the exposed faces must be larger than the mesh openings so they cannot fall out. The usual 3″ x 3″ mesh needs stones of at least 4″, with 8″ as the upper limit. Use angular stones to pack the corners. Smaller stones, old bricks or broken concrete can go in the centre, where they will not be seen.

Step 6: Adding Layers

For fences taller than 3′, stack baskets on top of each other. Once the lower basket is full, wire its lid shut and build the second layer on top. Fill it like the first, with the best-looking stones on the face and the less attractive ones behind.

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