Mililani homeowners catch up over a lava rock and landscape fence. Richard Long, of Reliable Landscapes & Sprinklers provided the green landscaping. Photo by Tomas Del Amo.

She was, to say the least, surprised.

“All that was left were the hacked stumps of our once-beautiful vine and red dirt everywhere from the bulldozer that had leveled [the neighbor’s] backyard,” Cooper says. To make matters worse, jalousies, left open to welcome in the breeze, instead had let red dirt dust into Cooper’s interior. More than a vine was damaged that day.

To avoid a similar situation: Homeowners should inform their neighbors of their fencing intentions, Cooper says. She also recommends having property surveyed to determine boundaries, and to contain the mess of construction to your own property.

Once everyone is on the same page, Cooper, co-owner of Big Rock Manufacturing Co., has just the fence to keep things sociable. Big Rock Manufacturing is one of Oahu’s premier suppliers of Hawaiian cast stone, which are reproductions of volcanic lava rock, moss rock and coral.

“You can transform the face of any wall by covering it with cast stone,” Cooper says. She suggests covering one side of the wall, or working with neighbors to spruce up all sides.

The proverb, ‘good fences make good neighbors,’ certainly applies to Cooper and her situation. With a fence, it is clear who gets to enjoy the plumeria scent and who has to clean up the debris. A fence can keep your kids in and their dogs out, or your dogs in and their kids out. Plus, fences turn backyards into personal havens, privately ready for … whatever.

Check out Oahu’s fence suppliers and installers, who have everything from vinyl and aluminum alloy to hedges and flowering plants to fit every homeowner. These professionals also share some advice on how to be a good neighbor.

KunkelWorks imports durable aluminum alloy fences from Japan, which are easily fitted into decorative lava rock walls. Photos courtesy of KunkelWorks.

The Hard Choices

“Fences look good, and they show everyone where their own corners are. They help prevent animals and people from wandering into your yard, and they keep conflict down,” says Maggie Kunkel.

Her company, Kunkel Works, offers a line of fences she calls Japanese Exterior Technologies, or JET. The JET lines are manufactured from extra-strong aluminum alloy, with an anti-corrosive anondized coating, making them perfect for Hawaii because they stand up to the humid, salty air, she says.

Hawaii Vinyl Fencing provides Oahu homeowners with 15 different colors and styles in the climate-resistant material. Photo courtesy of Hawaii Vinyl Fencing.

JET fences from Kunkel Works come in a variety of styles, from sleek and modern to traditional. Locking, stacking and swinging gates create beautiful and functional entries. Kunkel works with homeowners to find the right prefabricated fence and gate for their properties. She then hires a contractor for the installation, and remains integral to the planning and installation process.

Her advice for homeowners and their neighbors? Work together. “I think neighbors can make themselves better neighbors. They could even split the cost of putting up a fence between each other.”

Peter Melnyk, president of Hawaii Vinyl Fencing, is a big fan of teaming up on fences.

“We’ve had instances where four neighbors share the cost of fencing. One neighborhood even had eight (houses with vinyl fencing),” Melnyk says.

To decide on dividers, neighbors can peruse Hawaii Vinyl Fencing’s showroom, with 15 styles and colors. The company is a full fabrication, distribution and installation operation. The only thing Melnyk won’t do for homeowners is play arbitrator.

Established in 1994, Hawaii Vinyl Fencing began as a garage-business (“I’m sure my neighbors loved the high-pitched router noise on Sunday mornings,” he says.) It has expanded to three warehouses, a fabrication factory and the showroom.

Glass block, availble on Oahu from Hawaii Glass Block, breaks up harsh walls with light transmission. Photo by Tomas Del Amo.

Melnyk touts vinyl because it lasts, easily beating out corrosive metal in the harsh island climate. It doesn’t attract bugs like wood does and it’s easy to install around interesting island landscapes, such as mountains, marshes and ocean fronts.

His main objective, however, is making the homeowner feel at home. “Your kingdom, your little plot, is your domain,” Melnyk says.

Hawaii Glass Block provides a translucent alternative to bulky concrete walls. “Glass blocks offers privacy and security, and also natural light transmission,” says Mark Brower, of Hawaii Glass Block, which offers glass, clear or distorted.

Recently, Brower says homeowners in Mililani Mauka have made use of his Pittsburgh Corning glass blocks in their fences: “They are creating fences as wind blocks, but they want to keep the view.”

Grow Your Own

Hawaii’s homes are notorious for their efficient use of small lots, with little left over for landscaping. A soft, green barrier between neighbors creates welcome, sometimes fragrant boundaries—without boxing homeowners in.

Richard Long, of Reliable Landscaping & Sprinklers, says to plant fences. Green walls can be just as good at blocking noise and keeping stray kids out of the yard, he says. Long’s favorites include snow bush hedges, which create a uniform, verdant wall.

Landscapes by Tropical Images creates this lush landscape barrier. Photo by Greg Lee, of Landscapes by Tropical Images.

Other Island foliage that Long uses include areca or Macarthur palms, hibiscus and gardenia. The trick with these is maintaining the desired height and keeping debris from the neighbor’s space. Long also recommends bougainvillea, which has thorns that discourage trespassing. But, make sure to plan ahead and be patient. “All of these plants will take a few years to grow to their full heights,” Long says.

But first, talk to your neighbors, he advises. “Introduce yourself, be on friendly terms. Find out what they are going to do—they want privacy, too,” Long says. Also, consider your neighbor when choosing a fence material. Will your fence block his ocean view? Ask yourself, ‘What kind of hedge would I like if I were on that side?’ Long says.

Try a combination of wall and green material to solve the waiting problem, suggests Terri Lee, of Landscapes by Tropical Images. She uses hollow tile or lava rock veneer bases to serve as both barrier and planter. This provides privacy and security while the hedges grow in.

Lee also likes quick-growing hedge plants, such as acalypha. This colorful plant will grow four or five feet in the first year. It continues to get fuller throughout its life, and requires minimal care after that first growth spurt.

“Walls and fences are important elements, but they shouldn’t be the focal point,” Lee says. Landscapes by Tropical Images has been designing and renovating Hawaii’s yards for 25 years. Recently, the company opened a showroom, 1st Look Exteriors Design Center in Waipio.

Need to spruce up a barren concrete divider? Or, did the neighbor erect a monstrosity of a fence? Pottery Land has several solutions, such as this teak panel. Photo courtesy of Pottery Land.

For homes built close together, Kai Wainee of Laulima Designs has found that a lack of sunlight limits options. He uses mock oranges that grow slowly to separate homes while providing a fresh scent. Plus, mock oranges don’t drop much debris.

“To be a good neighbor, you don’t want to plant something that will create a lot of rubbish,” Wainee says.

Wainee has been involved in the landscaping business since his childhood. Now focused primarily on residential yards, Wainee’s goal is “to make beautiful yards for Hawaii homeowners.”

Shane Lee, of Leawai, says that fragrant, fruit-producing trees make very friendly barriers. His own backyard features banana hedges. “It separates our properties, but it also puts out fruit that I can share with my neighbor,” Lee says.

Leawai is primarily a swimming pool contracting business, but Lee has also specialized in landscaping for 25 years. Lee notes that in all of his designs—from lagoon-shape pools to walls and barriers—he is inspired by nature.