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Just realized my fence post holes have been too narrow for years
I was watching a fence building video from this old timer in Texas last night, and he mentioned that most people dig post holes barely wider than the post itself. He said your hole should be at least three times the width of the post. I've been doing it wrong for like 6 years, digging holes maybe 8 inches wide for a 4x4 post. No wonder some of my fences have sagged or shifted over time. The wider hole lets you get concrete packed in there good and gives the post more stability underground. I checked a few of my old jobs and sure enough, the ones that held up best were the ones where I accidentally dug a bigger hole. Has anyone else measured their hole width and found out they were skimping without realizing it?
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elizabethf852mo ago
Oh come on, bigger holes are just more work for no real reason. I've built plenty of fences with holes barely wider than the post and they've stood strong for over a decade just fine as long as you pack the dirt tight and use gravel at the bottom. Concrete in a tight hole actually holds better because the post can't wiggle as much before it sets up.
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the_derek2mo ago
Yeah fair point, I've definitely seen tight holes hold up fine in dry ground too.
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benwilliams2mo ago
Well actually @the_derek is right that tight holes can work okay in certain ground, but it's not really that concrete holds better in a narrow hole. Concrete needs enough room around the post to get good bonding and proper drainage, otherwise water sits right against the wood and rots it out faster. I think you got lucky with your dry ground, Elizabeth.
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