What does your homeowner’s association have to say about flagpoles?
There’s a lot of crazy HOA rules out there. Some associations have garage sale dress codes, while others forbid frog flags!
To avoid being caught off guard by a wacky rule, reach out to your homeowner’s association to find out they’re standing on flagpoles. After finding out what you can and can’t do, it’ll be up to you to pick the perfect spot for your pole.
To help, we created this short guide all about flagpole placement. Stop wondering where to put a flagpole in your yard. Instead, read on to find out the best spot, once and for all.
American Flag Pole Placement Etiquette
Will you be proudly flying your American flag? Then it’s a good idea to know the proper American flag etiquette. When looking for a spot to install your flagpole, remember that the flag should never touch water, merchandise, the floor, or the bare earth.
The American flag should also never be displayed so that it could be easily torn. So you’ll want to avoid installing your flagpole near any rough tree branches.
If you’re going to comply with all of the etiquette rules and fly flags from multiple nations, you might need more than one pole. Traditional American flag etiquette states that when flags of various countries are being displayed, they should be flown from separate staff. These flags should be flown at the same height, with the American flag lowered last and hoisted first.
Don’t Go Over the Roofline
Keep balance in mind when looking for the perfect spot to put your flagpole. Depending on the height of your home, you might do better with a shorter or a taller pole.
As long as you keep balance in mind, it’ll be easy to make the right choice. For instance, the flagpole shouldn’t put the flag above the roofline of your house.
A 35 ft flag pole in front of a small one-story home will not look right. Whereas, a 35-ft flagpole next to a three-story home on a large piece of land will balance out perfectly.
If you find a flag pole company that offers telescoping options, they’ll be height adjustable. This can be a big help if you’re torn between 2 different heights.
Line of Sight with Flagpole in Front Yard
Who are you flying your flag for? Is it for motorists driving by on the road? Your fellow neighbor?
Take a moment to put yourself in their shoes to make sure your flag will be visible. If you want the banner to be visible for people driving by your home, go out to the street. Standing in the street, look at your house, and imagine where the best location would be for the flag.
Where would it have the most significant impression? Look for an area that’s not cluttered by too many trees or other tall structures. Next, you’ll want to consider the nearby utilities.
Flag Pole Placement with Nearby Utilites
Your flag pole placement should never interfere with any type of utility. Utilities are things like power lines, overhead wires, or telephone lines.
The foundation of the flagpole should never go on top of an underground power line. Most utilities will require the flagpoles foundation to be at least 2 feet away from the power line.
We should just call your local utility company before laying any type of foundation. You’ll also want to avoid things sprinkler systems since these can damage the pole.
Choosing Lit up Flagpole Locations
Did you want to use lights to illuminate your flag? Then you’re going to need a bit of extra space. Choose a location in your yard where you can install directional lights.
The direction of lights will be able to provide a narrow beam that fans out over the flag. For instance, you could use spotlights or in-ground lights.
You’ll need to install the light fixtures on turf to be firmly in place. You could also install the light fixtures using ground steaks to make things easier.
Be sure to not use an aluminum flag pole mount with brass spotlights. Aluminum and brass don’t go well together, and they’ll cause corrode each other.
We suggest having 3 light fixtures to light up your flag. One of the light fixtures will shine as close to the ground as possible. This light fixture should be about 1 ft away from the pole.
You could even mount the 2nd light fixture to the pole itself. Then you can put the additional light fixtures in the best aesthetically pleasing location. Put them a reasonable distance away from the pole and at an angle that helps your flag shine.
Consider Future Landscaping
What about where to put a flagpole in your yard in terms of landscaping? We mentioned that you don’t want to put your flagpole too close to trees. But what about the trees that aren’t there yet, but will be?
Keep in mind your future landscaping goals as you choose the location for your flagpole. If you’re thinking about planting trees shortly or have young saplings starting to grow, plan ahead.
Instead of choosing a location that works today, pick one that will work 10 years from now! After you go through the trouble of creating the foundation, you’ll be all set. You’ll have a permanent location for your flagpole instead of switching it around each decade.
Do a Test Run
Overall, you’ll want the location of your flagpole to bring you joy. Do a test run since it can be hard to envision where the best place will be that gives you the most advantages.
How can you do a test run? Make a fake flag pole! It’s easy.
Using PVC pipe and couplers, you can create a pretend flagpole. Have one person in your household hold the pole up in different spots as you judge the effect from afar.
Stand in the street and envision what it’ll look like from there. Go to your neighbor’s yard, and see how the pretend flagpole looks from that location.
You’ll likely find that the best spot is somewhere near your front door. You’ll be able to highlight your home and show off your flag!
Know Where to Put a Flagpole in Your Yard
Now you know where to put a flagpole in your yard. After considering the height, and nearby utilities, it’s really a matter of preference. Still not sure where your flag will look its best?
Visit your local hardware store to get PVC pipes and couplers, and start building a pretend flag pole. That way you’ll know for sure where the right spot is!
If you’d like to find more ways to avoid frustration by making intelligent choices, we’d love to help. Go ahead and see what the rest of our website has to offer.
