AJB Landscaping & Fence

AJB Services built this retaining wall and wood fence to divide a panhandle lot from the original home and front parcel.

A New Solution to an Old Style of Property Development

As buildable land in South Puget Sound becomes more scarce and increases in value, many property owners are taking advantage by subdividing their larger lots and selling them.

Traditionally it was a common practice for parents to give their children the back portion of their property and build a separate road to it. That kept the land in the family. More often today, people use this form of property development as a way to generate income from extra land they are not using. This method of splitting a parcel is commonly referred to as a "panhandle lot," since from above, the access road looks like handle of a pan.

The downside to a panhandle lot is that, in addition to not having a front yard facing the main road, it may also have limited privacy from the original home in front of it. One method of offer more privacy to both the main and panhandle parcels is to create a privacy wall.

In this example in Tumwater, AJB Services built a combination of retaining wall and privacy fence to separate the two lots. The original lot sloped upward to the back, so to level off the panhandle lot, we added fill and regraded it at a level a couple of feet higher than the original lot. This was more cost-effective than bringing the panhandle lot down to the same level as the front parcel. We then built a short retaining wall and installed a privacy fence above it.

This property divider consists of Basalite Encore natural blocks with 4" capstones, and the privacy fence is a 6-foot economy-style cedar fence with pressure-treated posts and douglas fir rails.

If you are a property devleoper, or if you're a land owner with plans to parcel off some of your property, AJB Services can handle the excavation, regrading and border fencing and retaining walls. Give us a call at (360) 789-3707 or fill out our online contact form and we'll be visit your site and design a solution to best fit your needs. Remember, quotes are always free!

Image Gallery

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• Privacy Fence & Retaining Wall Privacy Fence & Retaining Wall
• Closer View - Fence & Retaining Wall Closer View - Fence & Retaining Wall
• Profile of Privacy Fence Profile of Privacy Fence
• Closeup View - Privacy Fence, Retaining Wall Closeup View - Privacy Fence, Retaining Wall
• Rear View - Fence & Retaining Wall Rear View - Fence & Retaining Wall
• View from Back of Panhandle Lot View from Back of Panhandle Lot
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