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?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_caleb22d ago

We hit pure caliche on a Tucson job last year. My crew spent two full days with a rotary hammer before we gave up. Ended up calling a local guy with a small skid-steer and an auger attachment. Cost us an extra $500, but it was the only way to get those twelve holes dug. That rock is no joke.

adamgreen22d ago

Honestly sounds like your crew just didn't have the right tool for it, @the_caleb. A good demo hammer with a clay spade would have chewed through that caliche in a few hours. Sometimes you just gotta know the local ground and come prepared.

jessica_hall4915d ago

That "cost us an extra $500" part is the real story. It feels like everything these days is a choice between wasting your own time or paying a big premium to make a problem go away fast.