c/fence-erectors

Serious question, just read that a standard 6 foot privacy fence can have over 200 pickets. Is that right?

I was looking up some material estimates for a job in Vancouver. Client wants a full cedar fence, about 150 feet long. Did the math on a lumber site. They said for a 6 foot tall fence with 5/8 inch pickets spaced for privacy, you're looking at 220 to 230 pickets for that run. I've been doing this for years and never actually counted them out like that. Always just ordered by the bundle and went by feel. That number seems crazy high when you think about it. Means I'm hauling, cutting, and nailing over two hundred boards for what feels like a normal sized backyard job. Makes my arm hurt just thinking about it. Has anyone else ever tallied up the actual count on a longer privacy fence? Does that sound about right to you guys?

2 comments

kais67•14h ago

Tried a new post hole digger attachment versus the old manual way on a job in Tacoma

We had 40 holes to dig for a chain link job and the new auger head cut the time in half, even in that rocky soil. My back felt a lot better at the end of the day, which is saying something. What's the best power tool upgrade you've made for digging?

2 comments

luna_clark38•17h ago

Just finished my 100th vinyl fence install in Boise

I mean, I never really kept count before, but my partner pointed it out when we closed the books on a big subdivision job. It made me think about how much faster I am now compared to my first few, maybe because I finally got a rhythm for setting posts in this rocky soil. Do you guys track your numbers, or is it just me?

2 comments

taylor.paige•21h ago

Vent: Had to pick between cedar and composite for a big job in Austin

Just wrapped up a big backyard fence job in Austin where the client was stuck between cedar and composite. The cedar was cheaper up front, about $28 a linear foot for materials, but they were worried about the upkeep in that Texas sun. The composite quote was nearly double that. I pushed for cedar, telling them a good stain and seal job would make it last. We went with it, and I used a heavy oil-based stain I get from my local supplier. The job looked great, but now, six months later, they're already calling about some boards starting to warp and asking about re-staining. Makes me wonder if I gave the wrong advice for that climate. What do you guys tell clients when they're stuck on this pick?

2 comments

shane_wilson•3d ago

Dropped $400 on a hydraulic post driver attachment and I'm split on it.

It saved my back on a big commercial job with 80 posts, but for a typical six-panel residential job, the setup time kills the benefit. Anyone else find these tools only pay off above a certain scale?

2 comments

shanejackson•5d ago

Heard a guy at the lumber yard say he never checks for property pins

Honestly, I was grabbing a load of cedar pickets in Springfield last Tuesday and this older contractor was telling his helper to just 'eyeball it from the neighbor's fence'. Ngl, that made me stop cold. If you set a fence even six inches over the line, you're asking for a lawsuit and a tear-out order. I've seen two jobs get totally wrecked from that kind of guesswork. How many of you actually pull a plot plan or call for locates before you start a dig?

3 comments

shanegibson•5d ago

Thought those new composite posts were just overpriced junk

Had a client in Tampa who insisted on them for a whole backyard fence, even after I showed him the price tag. After putting up 200 feet of it last fall, I have to admit the stuff hasn't warped or faded a bit, even with the sun and rain. Anyone else been forced into using a material they hated that actually worked out?

3 comments

willow_garcia•6d ago

PSA: I think we're overdoing it with the concrete for corner posts

Everyone says to use a full bag of mix per post, but on a job in Tempe last month, I only used half a bag for a 6-foot cedar fence and it's rock solid after a full monsoon season. Has anyone else had a good result with less concrete, or did I just get lucky?

3 comments

tessa_hart18•9d ago

My uncle told me to always soak cedar posts in a vinegar mix before setting them, so I tried it on a job in Tacoma.

The whole yard smelled like a giant pickle jar for a week, but honestly, those posts look fantastic a year later. Anyone have a less pungent trick that works just as well?

2 comments

leo_murphy•10d ago

Ran into a retired guy at the hardware store who had a killer trick for setting posts in clay

I was grabbing some concrete bags in Spokane last fall and this older guy saw my work shirt. He said, 'Son, you mixing that whole bag for a corner post in this gumbo?' I told him yeah, and he shook his head. He told me to dig the hole a foot wider than usual, line the bottom with 3 inches of gravel for drainage, and then use only half a bag of mix, but let it cure for a full 48 hours before putting any weight on it. Said the gravel stops the post from heaving as much when it freezes. Tried it on a job two weeks ago and those posts are rock solid. Anyone else use a gravel base in heavy clay soil?

2 comments

the_phoenix•10d ago

Switched to a 4-foot post hole digger for a rocky job in Boise last month and it cut my time in half.

We were putting in a 200-foot cedar fence and hit a band of river rock about 18 inches down that my old 3-foot auger just couldn't break through. Renting the longer tool let me get past the rocks and set the posts right the first try, no broken bits or extra trips. What's your go-to method for getting through tough ground without bringing in a mini-excavator?

2 comments

campbell.stella•12d ago

PSA: I was setting my post holes wrong for years and didn't know it

I was on a job in Springfield last month, putting in a basic cedar fence. The ground was pretty soft, so I was just digging down about 18 inches, dropping the post in, and tamping. My new guy, who used to work for a big outfit out west, was watching me. He finally said, 'Boss, you're not making a bell at the bottom, are you?' I had no idea what he was talking about. He grabbed the shovel and showed me how to undercut the hole, making the bottom wider than the top. It creates a concrete anchor that stops the post from heaving up in the freeze-thaw cycle. I've been doing this for eight years and never learned that trick. Has anyone else had a basic technique they missed for way too long?

2 comments

kelly.daniel•13d ago

DAE get stuck on a rock-solid clay post hole?

Had one in a backyard in Akron that my auger just bounced off of. Poured a gallon of water in and let it sit overnight, came back and it dug like butter. Anyone got a better fix for that kind of ground?

3 comments

susan_nguyen•14d ago

Pro tip: I switched from a standard post hole digger to a power auger for a big job in Phoenix last summer.

We went from digging 40 holes by hand in two days to finishing them all in one morning. Anyone else find the upfront cost totally worth it for the time saved?

2 comments

victor_ward•14d ago

Serious question, has anyone else tried using a ratchet strap to pull a bowed post straight?

I had a 6x6 cedar post that was leaning about 2 inches off plumb after a concrete pour in Denver last fall. Everyone on site said to just pull it and brace it, but I was short on good bracing lumber. I ran a heavy duty ratchet strap from the top of the post to a solid anchor point on the opposite side of the next post in the run. I cranked it slowly over two days, checking it each morning, and it pulled right into line. I know it's not the textbook method, but it saved the post and the job. Has anyone else had to get creative with basic tools to fix a setting mistake?

2 comments

lily_dixon27•15d ago

An old timer told me my post holes were too shallow and he was right

Honestly, I was putting up a cedar fence in Springfield about 5 years ago and thought my 24-inch holes were plenty deep. This retired guy from down the street, who used to run a crew, just shook his head and said, 'Son, that frost line is 36 inches here. You'll have a wavy mess in two winters.' I changed my whole process after that. Now I always check the local frost depth first and go at least 6 inches deeper. It added maybe 2 hours to that job, but that fence is still straight. Anyone else get a piece of advice that totally changed their basic setup?

2 comments

clairer79•16d ago

Just realized I've been setting post holes wrong for like a decade lol

On a job in Boise last month, the ground was pure river rock. My usual method of a post hole digger and a bar was taking forever. I remembered an old guy at a supply house once mentioned using a pressure washer to blast out the fines around the rocks. Figured it was worth a shot. Hooked my little electric unit up to the client's spigot and went at it. It worked... way too well. Ended up with a hole three times the diameter I needed and a mud slurry that took two days to dry out enough to set the post. Had to bring in a ton of extra concrete. Learned that trick needs a very specific soil type and a lot more control than I had. What's your go-to method for rocky ground that isn't a full-on mini excavator?

3 comments

alex_king•18d ago

Just lost a full day's pay on a vinyl fence job because I didn't check for a gas line first.

The city marked out the water and electric, but not the gas. Hit it with the auger about two feet down. The gas company's fine was $500, plus the time to fix it. Anyone have a good checklist they use before they start digging?

2 comments

loganbaker•18d ago

Vent: My new post driver head broke on the second day of a big cedar fence job

I was setting 6x6 posts for a long run of cedar privacy fence out in the country. The ground was rocky, so I figured I'd get a heavy duty post driver to make things go faster. I dropped about $180 on a new cast iron head from a local supply house, thinking it would last me years. First day was fine, but on the second morning, I gave a solid swing and the whole head just cracked right at the neck. It split clean in two, sending metal pieces flying. I had to stop everything, drive back to town, and buy a temporary replacement, which set me back half a day and another $90. I'm going to try to get my money back, but I'm really ticked off about the lost time. Has anyone else had a tool fail that fast on a job, and what brand do you actually trust for drivers?

3 comments

uma_nguyen24•21d ago

Saw a fence in a Denver park that made me rethink post spacing

I was walking through City Park in Denver last weekend and saw this old wooden fence around a garden. The posts were set about 9 feet apart, which seemed way too far for the 6-foot pickets they used. The whole middle section was sagging like a smile, and you could see where the rails had pulled away from the posts over time. It was a clear case of someone trying to save on posts and lumber but costing more in the long run. It got me thinking about all the shortcuts we see on jobs and how they never hold up. Has anyone else run into a fence where the spacing just doomed it from the start?

3 comments

juliag19•23d ago

Question about using a standard post driver on a rocky slope in Colorado

I always thought a manual driver was fine for any soil until last Tuesday, when I hit a hidden shelf of granite at a 20-degree angle near Boulder and the shock nearly broke my wrist, so what's the best tool for steep, rocky ground that won't send you to the chiropractor?

3 comments

carter.ben•23d ago

Putting up a cedar fence in Spokane with a 4-foot post depth

Everyone around here says to go 3 feet down for frost line. I went a full foot deeper on a job last fall, thinking it would be rock solid. The ground froze so hard it actually pushed two posts up and out of plumb by spring. I learned that sometimes going deeper can make the ground grip the post and lift it. Has anyone else seen this happen with extra deep holes in a cold snap?

3 comments

xena_kim•23d ago

Tried a 4-foot frost depth for a vinyl fence in Minneapolis last winter

Everyone said to go 3 feet, but I pushed it deeper thinking it would stop the heave. The whole line still shifted almost an inch by spring. So much for that extra work and concrete. Has anyone else in a cold zone tried something different that actually held?

3 comments

blairj55•23d ago

Just counted the cedar pickets we've set this year and it's over 4,000

That's a whole lot of nails and a ton of linear feet. It really hit me how much material moves through a small crew when you're doing mostly residential privacy jobs. Anyone else have a number that made them stop and think about scale?

3 comments

riverw85•25d ago

Shoutout to the old guy at the lumber yard in Knoxville who showed me a trick with a string line.

We were setting posts for a long cedar fence on a slope, and my levels were giving me fits. He told me to run a string line from the top of the first post to a stake at the end, then use a 6-foot story pole with a mark to set each post height along the string. It saved us a full afternoon of measuring and adjusting. Anyone else have a good method for keeping post tops level on uneven ground?

3 comments