A homeowner in Asheville told me my post holes were too deep

I was setting a cedar fence for them about two months ago, going for a solid 36 inches down like I always do for frost heave. The guy came out, watched for a minute, and said, 'You're just making more work for yourself, you only need 24 inches here.' I stuck to my guns and explained the code and why the extra foot matters. He kept shaking his head, saying his old fence lasted 20 years on shallow posts. Sure, maybe, but I'm not building a fence that might tip in ten years. Has anyone else had a client try to talk you out of doing a job the right way?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_ryan23d ago

I mean, did he at least back off after you explained the frost line thing? It's wild when they hire you for your expertise and then argue with it. Makes me wonder if he was just trying to find a reason to nitpick the final bill later.

sarah_harris23d ago

Oh man, that's the worst. Had a guy once try to get me to skip the gravel base for a patio, said it was a waste of money. His logic was that the ground was hard already. Yeah, hard until the first big rain turns it into a mud pit and all the pavers sink. You just have to stand there and be the bad guy who knows better. They're paying for it to last, not for you to cut corners they don't even understand.