c/fence-erectors

My old boss said to always use a post driver for chain link, but a job in Spokane proved him wrong.

We were setting posts in really rocky ground, and the driver kept bouncing off and damaging the tops. After wrecking three posts, the site foreman told me to just dig and set them in concrete. It took a bit longer, but every post was perfectly straight and solid. Has anyone else run into soil where the usual method just doesn't work?

Saw a wild fence design at a park in Boise last week

It was a split rail, but they'd used reclaimed railroad ties for the posts (which is a neat idea, but I'm worried about the creosote). Anyone ever work with that material before?

I hit 100 fence posts set in a single day and it made me question our whole speed culture

On a big commercial job in Phoenix last week, my crew and I set 100 posts in 8 hours. Everyone on site was cheering, but it just felt wrong. I checked five of them the next morning and two were already a quarter inch out of plumb from the concrete curing too fast in the heat. We used a fast-set mix to keep pace, but I think we traded long-term stability for a number that looks good on paper. Has anyone else pushed for speed on a big job and later regretted it?

A customer in Franklin asked me to leave a small gap at the bottom of his fence.

He said, 'The rabbits need a way to get to their burrow.' I was setting a cedar privacy fence on a slope, and he pointed to a spot under his shed. I cut a six inch opening at the base of one panel. It felt odd to build a break in the line on purpose, but his reason stuck with me. Anyone else ever had a request like that?

Warning about that cheap post hole digger from the big box store

I needed a new post hole digger last spring and grabbed one for about $60 from the local hardware chain... figured it would be fine for a few jobs. The second time I used it, the weld on the handle snapped clean off while I was working on a cedar fence line. I had to stop everything, drive back to town, and buy a proper one, which cost me another $120. All told, I wasted the $60 on the broken tool plus about three hours of lost work time. The job was for a regular client, and I looked pretty bad having to explain the delay. Now I just bite the bullet and buy the good stuff from the start, even if it hurts the wallet a little more upfront. Has anyone else had a tool fail on them at the worst possible moment?

I used to think chain link was just for cheap jobs until a project in Cincinnati changed my mind

We put up a vinyl fence for a client's backyard last year, and it looked great for about six months. Then a big storm came through and a tree branch smashed three whole sections flat. The same client called us back this spring and insisted on a 6-foot black vinyl-coated chain link instead. It cost them about 15% less, and honestly, after that storm, I get it. Has anyone else had a client switch materials on you after seeing how something holds up?

Vent: Picked cedar over composite for a big privacy fence in Tacoma

The client wanted something that would last, and I had to choose between the lower upfront cost of cedar or the no-maintenance promise of composite. We went with cedar, and after staining it with a solid color, it looks great, but I'm already thinking about the re-stain talk in about four years. Anyone have a go-to solid stain that holds up better than most?

Choosing between cedar and pressure-treated for a big backyard privacy job

Had a client in Springfield who wanted a 6-foot privacy fence but was really torn on material. I pushed for cedar for the natural rot resistance and look, even though it was about 30% more upfront. It's been two years now and they still thank me every time I drive by, says it's holding up perfectly. Anyone have a go-to argument for convincing clients to invest in the better material?

My post hole digger snapped on a job in Boise last Tuesday

I was setting a 6-foot cedar fence line and hit a rock the size of a football about two feet down. The handle just gave out with a loud crack. Had to finish the last three holes by hand with a digging bar, which took forever. What's the toughest thing you've hit in the ground that stopped your gear?

Had a post hole digger decide to quit halfway through a job in Sacramento last week... the shear pin snapped clean and the auger just spun in place like a confused metal dog.

Update: I read a report that said vinyl fence demand jumped 40% in the Southeast last quarter

I found this in a trade magazine for building materials at my local supply house. It was a small article on page 12, but the number really stood out. It made me think about how many more calls I've been getting for vinyl quotes compared to wood lately. Has anyone else in Georgia or the Carolinas seen this kind of shift in what customers are asking for?

Hot take: That new 'fast set' concrete mix from the place in Lansing is a joke

Had a job in Brighton last week where the specs called for setting 20 posts with their quick stuff. Followed the bag to the letter, gave it the full 4 hours they said. Came back the next morning and three posts were leaning like they'd been in a hurricane. Had to pull them and redo it with the regular 5000 psi mix, which set rock solid. Anyone else get burned by a product that just didn't do what it promised?

Shoutout to the old guy at the lumber yard who told me about fence post spacing

He said the old rule of 8 feet between posts is fine, but for a really solid vinyl fence in a windy spot, you should go down to 6 feet. I tried it on a job last week in Omaha and the difference is huge. Anyone else adjust their spacing for different materials or locations?

I finally got a stubborn post to stop wobbling with a bag of frozen peas.

The ground was too hard for my usual trick, so I duct taped a bag of frozen peas around the base for an hour. It shrank the soil just enough to get a solid pack. Anyone ever use something weird as a temporary frost wedge?

A client in Phoenix wanted a 4 foot chain link fence with posts set 10 feet apart to save money.

I had to explain that even with light gauge mesh, that spacing is too wide and the fence will sag and wobble in the wind. I always set posts at 8 foot centers for residential chain link, but some guys I know will push it to 9 feet to cut costs. What's the max spacing you think is safe before you're asking for a callback?

Rant: A city inspector in Boise told me my 6-foot cedar posts were fine for a 4-foot fence, and I've been overbuilding for a decade.

He said, 'You're putting a Corvette engine in a mail truck,' and now I'm rethinking every materials list I've ever written, so what's your rule of thumb for post size to fence height?

I blew $1,200 on a 'universal' post driver attachment that bent on the third cedar post.

I was setting post concrete wrong for years and didn't know it

I was doing a big cedar fence job in Gilbert last month, about 40 posts total. My helper pointed out that the concrete mix looked way too dry. I'd always just mixed it until it felt right, no measuring. We did a slump test with a coffee can and it failed hard. Turns out I was using almost half the water I should have been for a solid set. The whole crew had to chip out and reset six posts we'd already done that morning. Has anyone else had a wake-up call about their concrete mix?

Just finished my 500th cedar fence panel this year

I was adding up my invoices from a big subdivision job and the total hit 500 panels installed since January. Some guys say chasing volume like that leads to sloppy work, but I think it shows you've got a solid system and a good crew. Where do you stand on tracking job numbers versus just focusing on each fence as it comes?

Vent: My brother-in-law swore by using a 4-inch auger for every post hole.

Tried it on a job with heavy clay soil in Knoxville. Spent half a day fighting it before switching to a 6-inch. Anyone else have a go-to bit size for different ground types?

I finally stood my ground on mandatory break times.

Everyone says working non-stop gets more done, but I've found that scheduled pauses cut down on costly re-dos.

Showerthought: Switching to a morning tool check made my fence days smoother

I used to grab my gear and head straight to the site, often finding I was missing something or a tool needed fixing. A few months back, I made a rule to spend ten minutes each morning checking all my equipment before leaving the house. I look over the post driver, make sure the auger bits are sharp, and test the tension on my lines. Last Tuesday, I caught a loose bolt on the gate hinge jig that would have snapped mid-job. That little pause meant no frantic runs to the hardware store and no delays. The whole install went without a hitch, and I finished an hour early. It feels good to have one less thing to worry about when I'm on the clock. This small change has really added up over the weeks.

Old timer's string line hack cut our fence time in half, no kidding

PSA: Tree roots from next door messed up my new fence posts

I set a line of posts last Tuesday without looking for roots. A month later, they're all leaning from root growth. My crew lead says we should always probe for roots first. But another guy on site thinks that's too much time for small jobs. I had to redo the whole section on my own dime. So what's the rule, check every time or only on big trees? This cost me a full day's pay.

My dad's hand-dug post holes versus today's auger rigs

I've been putting up fences for over twenty years, and I've seen a big change in how we do things. Back then, my dad taught me to dig each hole by hand, feeling for rocks and roots with the shovel. We mixed concrete in a wheelbarrow, and it took all day to set a few posts. Now, with gas augers and ready mix, a team can zip through a whole yard in half the time. I get why it's done this way, but something feels lost. You used to know the ground under each fence, you know? Now it's all about speed. I just hope these new fences hold up as well. What's your take on the old ways versus now?