A client in Boise called my post hole spacing 'lazy' and he was right.

I used to space posts at 8 feet for every wooden privacy fence. Thought it was the standard, saved on posts and concrete. Did a job for a guy last fall, he watched me set the first few and just said 'That looks lazy. Wind here will push that whole section over in five years.' He was talking about the strong gusts that come down from the hills. I argued at first, said my way was fine. But he insisted on 6 foot centers for his whole run. I did it, charged more for the extra materials. We got a nasty wind storm this past spring. His fence didn't budge. My old 8-foot spacing jobs? Had three calls for repairs on similar runs in the same area. Now I always ask about local wind patterns first. For high wind zones, I go 6 feet no question. What other local conditions make you change your standard spacing?

3 comments

3 Comments

cora56223d ago

emery603 nailed it with soil type. That sand thing is real. I did a fence near a lake once, thought I was being smart with 8 foot spacing, just like my old guy. That whole thing was waving like a flag after a year. Had to go back and put in extra posts between every single one to brace it, which looked awful. Worst ground I ever dealt with was this old riverbed fill, full of smooth rocks and decomposed granite. Every hole would just cave in the second you pulled the auger out, like digging a hole in a bowl of marbles. Ended up having to use sonotubes and way more concrete just to hold the shape while it set.

emery6033mo ago

Soil type is a big one for me. Sandy ground needs closer posts than clay, or they just wiggle loose over time. What's the worst ground you've had to work with?

paige_harris3mo ago

Yeah, sandy ground is a total pain like you said. Honestly, the absolute worst I've dealt with was this rocky shale mix. You'd hit a rock every six inches trying to dig, and the hole would just crumble in on itself. Ended up having to use a ton of concrete for every single post just to get them to stand up straight. Took forever.