c/fence-erectors

A client in Austin pointed out my gate latches were too high for her kids

She said her 5 year old couldn't reach them, so now I always measure from the ground up, not just from the top of the fence panel. Anyone else adjust their standard latch height for different families?

A squirrel family moved into my post hole in Denver

I was setting a corner post for a cedar fence in a Denver backyard last month, and I left a 3-foot hole open overnight. The next morning, I found a mother squirrel and four babies tucked inside, using it as a nest. I had to gently move them into a box with some old rags and set it nearby, then wait two hours for her to move them all out before I could pour the concrete. Has anyone else had wildlife decide your work site was prime real estate?

I finally had to pick between cedar and pressure treated for a whole backyard job

The customer wanted a natural look but was worried about cost, so I went with cedar for the front sections you see from the street and pressure treated for the back runs. It saved them about $800 and the cedar still gives that nice curb appeal. Has anyone else mixed materials like that on a single fence line?

Warning: I tried using a cheap post hole digger from a big box store for a job in Phoenix

I had a big job out in Phoenix last month, about 200 feet of fence line on hard, dry ground. I grabbed one of those two-handle manual post hole diggers from the local hardware chain because it was only $30. After about six holes, my arms were done. The handles felt flimsy and the blades just scraped the dirt. I switched to the heavy-duty, solid steel one I keep in my truck, the one that cost me $120. The weight alone helped it punch through the caliche layer, and the sharpened blades actually cut and lifted the soil. The difference in speed and how tired I got was night and day. That cheap tool cost me more in time and effort than it saved in money. What's your go-to tool for rocky or super hard soil?

I've been setting post concrete in dry holes for 15 years, and a new guy on my crew in Boise just asked why we don't wet them first.

I always thought it set faster dry, but he showed me a video where it explained how water helps it cure stronger. Anyone else make this basic mistake for way too long?

Spent $400 on a proper post puller and it saved my back and my day

Had to pull 15 old concrete posts for a demo job in a tight backyard. I was about to try the truck and chain method, which always feels sketchy. My buddy told me to just rent a heavy duty post puller from the rental yard. It took maybe 10 minutes per post with no risk of breaking anything else. Anyone else have a tool rental that turned a nightmare job into a simple one?

Warning: I used a 3/4 inch auger bit on a cedar post last month and it split clean in half.

I learned the hard way that for cedar, you need to pre-drill a pilot hole first, even with a new bit, so has anyone else found a better method to avoid this waste?

Got a job where the ground was all rock and had to pick between a manual post hole digger or renting a gas auger.

I went with the manual digger to save the rental fee, but man, it took me three full days to get six holes done. Anyone else ever choose the hard way and instantly regret it?

A squirrel stole my post level right out of the truck bed yesterday

I was setting up for a cedar fence job in Springfield, had the level sitting on the tailgate while I grabbed a drill. This little gray squirrel just hopped up, grabbed it by the handle, and ran off into the neighbor's yard with it. I mean, what do you even do in that situation, chase a squirrel through someone's garden? Anyone had a tool straight up stolen by wildlife before?

Saw a fence in Savannah that made me rethink using pressure-treated for everything

The cedar pickets were 15 years old and looked better than the 5-year-old PT pine next to them, even in that humidity. Anyone have a good source for reasonably priced cedar in the southeast?

Just changed my mind about setting posts in frozen ground

I had a job in early January here in Grand Rapids where the ground was rock solid. The client really wanted their privacy fence up. I figured I could use my gas powered auger and muscle through it, maybe add some hot water to soften things up. That was a bad call. What should have been a one day job for six posts turned into three full days of fighting. The auger just bounced and the water froze almost right away. I ended up having to rent a proper ground heater and a demolition hammer to break up the frost line, which was almost two feet down. It cost me an extra $300 in rental fees and a lot of lost time. Has anyone else found a better way to handle deep frost for a small residential job like that?

That one week where every post hole felt like hitting concrete

We had a job in this old part of town, and the ground was packed with rocks and old roots. After breaking two auger bits on day one, my partner had the idea to rent a demo hammer with a clay spade bit. We got through the rest of the 24 holes in half the time we thought it would take. Anyone else have a go-to trick for crazy hard ground?

A homeowner in Boise said my post holes looked sloppy and it got me thinking

He pointed out the dirt around the holes was all torn up and uneven, which made his yard look bad even before the fence went in. I started using a piece of plywood to pile the dirt on, and it keeps the site way cleaner. Do you think that extra bit of cleanup is worth the time, or is it just for show?

Showerthought: Overheard a landscaper call a fence 'the property's handshake'

I was grabbing coffee yesterday and heard a guy telling his crew that a fence is the first thing a property offers to the street, like a handshake. It made me pause, because I usually just think about plumb lines and post holes. But he's right, that first impression matters a ton for curb appeal. How do you guys balance making something look great while also making sure it'll stand up to a storm?

Lost a full day on a job in Phoenix because I didn't check for a gas line first

I was setting posts for a vinyl fence and hit an unmarked gas line about 18 inches down. The utility locate only marked the main, not this old branch line. It cost me $500 for the emergency call out and shut down the site for 8 hours. Always call for a locate, but also probe carefully yourself before you dig. Has anyone else run into unmarked lines like that?

Shoutout to the crew that switched from manual post drivers to a gas-powered one

Honestly, I saw a job in Springfield last month that changed my mind. They were putting in a quarter mile of split rail on a farm. First day, they had three guys with manual drivers, swinging all day. They got maybe 30 posts set, and everyone was beat. Next morning, they show up with a gas-powered post driver. Tbh, I thought it would be too rough on the wood. But ngl, by lunch they had passed the first day's total. The boss said they finished the whole line in two days instead of four. The debate I see is speed vs cost and wood care. Some say the machine can split posts or isn't worth it for small jobs. Others say the time saved on labor pays for the rental fast. What's your take on using power drivers for wood fencing?

I finally hit 500 linear feet of cedar fence installed in a single month.

It surprised me because I'd never broken 400 before, and it only happened after switching to a Paslode framing nailer for the posts and rails.

Had to get a post set in a tight corner yesterday, no room for the auger.

Grabbed a pressure washer with a jetting nozzle and just blasted a hole down. Took about 15 minutes and the concrete went in perfect. Ever tried something that dumb that actually worked?

I had a client in Denver insist I could set his 8-foot cedar posts in just 12 inches of concrete.

He said 'it'll be fine, my uncle did it that way for years,' right as I was unloading the bags. Has anyone else had to argue basic code with a homeowner?

Why does nobody talk about the wind load difference between a solid and a slatted fence?

I was looking up building codes for a job in a coastal area and found a chart from the American Wood Council. It showed that a solid privacy fence can catch up to 30% more wind force than a fence with 1-inch gaps between the pickets. I always figured more gaps meant less strength, but it's the opposite for wind. Last spring, I put up a solid 6-foot cedar fence for a client and we had to use way more concrete and bigger posts than usual to meet code, which added almost $500 to the job. If I'd known, I might have talked them into a shadowbox style instead. It makes sense when you think about it, a solid wall just gets pushed harder. Has anyone else run into this with local codes, and did you switch up your designs because of it?

Tried using a post driver on a rocky slope in Boulder last month and bent the handle on the third swing.

That job in Phoenix where the ground was basically rock

We had a 200 foot vinyl fence to put up, and the post hole digger just bounced off the ground like a toy. Had to rent a demo hammer with a spade bit for three days, which added $800 to the job and killed our profit. Anyone else ever run into ground so hard you needed a jackhammer just to get started?

My uncle told me to never skimp on post hole depth for a 6-foot privacy fence in our clay soil.

I cut corners on a job last fall, only going 30 inches deep, and the whole section leaned after the first big freeze. Anyone else in a freeze-thaw zone have a good rule of thumb for depth?

I used to set posts by eye, but a job in Phoenix changed my mind

For years, I just eyeballed the line and tamped as I went, maybe checking with a 4-foot level. Then I took a big job in Phoenix last summer, 200 feet of privacy fence on really uneven ground. The first section looked fine until the client pointed out a clear wave from one end. I had to pull six posts. Now I run a tight string line for every single post, even on short 20-foot runs. It adds maybe ten minutes but saves so much headache. Anyone else make that switch after a bad call?

My uncle swore by using a string line for every single post, even on short runs

He ran a crew for 30 years and drilled it into me that eyeballing it, even for a simple 20-foot section of privacy fence, was asking for trouble. I ignored him on a quick side yard job in Tempe last fall, figuring six posts in a straight line was easy enough to judge. We set them all, started hanging rails, and by the third panel you could see a slight but definite wave in the top line. Had to pull two posts and reset them, which added almost three hours to what should have been a half-day install. He was completely right, the string line is non-negotiable. Now I run it for anything over three posts. Has anyone else learned this lesson the hard way on what seemed like a simple job?