Hit 100 fences installed last week and it changed how I think about post depth

I always went 30 inches deep because that's what I was told, but after number 100 I started wondering if 24 inches is enough for most residential jobs and now I'm checking soil types before every dig - anyone else adjust their depth based on ground conditions?

2 comments

2 Comments

tarac1626d ago

The frost line is really the key. A lot of guys just dig the same depth everywhere and then wonder why their fence is crooked after the first winter. You learn real quick that 30 inches in sandy soil is way different than 30 inches in heavy clay.

the_alice26d ago

Is it just me or does every pro have that one hard rule they were taught that they question after a while? I remember my first boss swore by 36 inches for everything, and I did that for years until I ran into solid limestone on a job. After that, I started paying attention to what the soil actually does, not just what someone wrote in a book. You get a feel for it over time, like how clay holds moisture and can heave in winter. I still go deep for gates and tall privacy fences, but for a standard 6 foot panel in good ground, 24 inches has worked fine for me. The frost line matters more than anything else in my area, and that changes things a lot.