Fences are mostly a question of square footage and consistency. A privacy fence has two faces, so the area is double what most people picture, and it runs in long uninterrupted lengths where any inconsistency in application is immediately visible. The failures are also predictable: fences almost always go at the bottom first, and almost always on the sun-facing side.
A privacy fence only does its job if both faces are protected, and the side you never look at is often the side taking afternoon sun. Where a fence sits on a boundary this involves the neighboring property, which is worth raising before work is scheduled rather than on the morning. Most neighbors are glad to have it done. It is still better asked than assumed.
Rain hits the ground and splashes back onto the lowest boards, so they stay wetter than anything above them. Add soil contact, mulch piled against the base, and sprinklers pointed the wrong way, and the bottom several inches take far more moisture than the rest of the structure. That is where rot starts. It is also the area most often missed by a hurried job, because it means working at ground level rather than at a comfortable height.
Lap marks appear where a section that has begun to dry meets a section being freshly applied, and on a fence run of any length that boundary is obvious in raking light. Avoiding it means working to keep a wet edge and planning where to stop — at a post, not mid-panel. This is a large part of why a long fence takes the time it does.
New pressure-treated lumber arrives wet with treatment chemicals and often carries mill glaze from the milling process, both of which stop a finish penetrating. Staining too early produces a coat that sits on the surface and sheds within a season. How long to wait depends on the lumber and the weather, and there is a simple test involving how the wood takes water that tells you when it is ready. We would rather check than guess.
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