mary_nelson71•3mo agoProlific Poster

Shoutout to my dad for teaching me about fence post depth

I was setting up a wooden fence in my backyard and the soil was really tough. My dad, who used to do this for a living, told me to dig the holes a foot deeper than the frost line. We added some gravel at the bottom for drainage before putting in the posts. This method kept the posts from shifting during the last rainstorm. I'm really glad he shared that with me. It's made a big difference in how sturdy the fence feels. What other tips do you all have for different soil types?

4 comments

4 Comments

willowg883mo ago

Oh man, that gravel base saved my fence too. We have heavy clay soil that holds water. Had to dig past the frost line and add a full foot of gravel for drainage. Posts are rock solid now even after all the spring thaw.

stone.river3mo ago

Yeah that heavy clay is a nightmare, @willowg88. I read somewhere that's exactly why you need to get below the frost line like you did, or the whole thing heaves.

hayes.casey2mo ago

Hold up, I gotta disagree. Sandy soil might not heave, but it can still let posts wiggle loose over time. A shallow hole with concrete just makes a big rock in soft dirt that can tilt. Going deeper, even just for stability, locks it into place way better. Skipping that step is asking for a wobbly fence in a few years.

the_christopher3mo ago

Honestly, is all that digging really necessary for every backyard fence? I see @willowg88 had good results with gravel, but in my experience, sandy soil doesn't need such deep holes. It seems like overkill unless you live where the ground freezes solid for months. A proper concrete mix often does the job without all the extra work. Sometimes old methods get passed down without questioning if they fit every situation.