The Neighbor Problem: 5 Ways to Block a Second-Story View

New construction next door, a balcony overlooking your pool, windows where there used to be sky — the second-story sightline is the most common reason people call us. Five real solutions, honestly ranked.

The five options

1. An instant hedge (36"–48" box): 10–15 feet of green on day one, legal in most cities where a structure never could be. The default answer for a reason.

2. A 15-gallon hedge row: the same wall for a quarter the cost, if you can live with 2–3 seasons of growing in.

3. Trees at intervals: cheaper per foot for very long lines, but gaps between canopies mean privacy comes and goes with the angle.

4. A pergola or patio structure: solves one specific sitting area completely, the rest of the yard not at all. Permits apply.

5. Privacy screens and lattice: fast and cheap, capped at fence height by code — which usually means they cannot reach the sightline that started the problem.

The honest recommendation

For a pool or full-yard sightline, height wins and hedges are how you get height legally. Draw the line where the screening must stand, and price both the instant and the patient version — the estimate shows both numbers in two minutes.