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?

3 comments

3 Comments

jade3281mo ago

Honestly that freeze-thaw cycle is no joke, it's like the ground itself is trying to push your work back out. I see this everywhere now, people trying to save a little time or money on the base layer and it always comes back to bite them. It's not just fences, it's like patching a driveway wrong or using cheap caulk, the foundation of anything has to be solid or the whole thing fails. Your uncle gave you the golden rule, in our area you gotta get below that frost line or you're just building a temporary sculpture, lol.

sage_perry771mo ago

Dig down at least three feet for fence posts here. Rent a power auger, it's worth it. Mix your concrete dry, like a damp sand castle mix, not soupy. That's key for freeze areas. Backfill with gravel first for drainage, then the dry mix. Seen too many posts heave out after one winter because someone dug two feet and poured wet concrete. It just shatters.

fox.matthew24d ago

Sounds like the ground is playing a prank on all the lazy builders.