Easily Set Sturdy Fence Posts EVERY TIME

We walk you through exactly how to set a long-lasting fence post in concrete. From digging the hole to leveling the post--you've got this!

[@unclesteve5463]

Don't fret friend! Excellent advice, my children will start hearing that frequently! They are gonna love it! Thanks

[@SWiFence]

Excellent!

[@jimmyjunk2337]

That was great advice you just gave regarding only using 2 sides on wood post. That makes a lot of sense

[@tallpaul8880]

The way you talk about building a fence is a great analogy for life. ✌🏻🇺🇸

[@writing1235]

Mountains/foothills in the back are just beautiful. That’s what I love about building fences, you’re always outside

[@tehaunuiart]

great video! thanks for showing solutions to all the possible problems that could arise for someone new like myself.

[@violaspencer5628]

Great video - learned a lot - thanks!

[@davebenson1021]

This is the first video of yours I have viewed. Very informative, common sense (which some lack)enjoyed it. You have a nice voice and I believe I will be watching more. You seem to be a down to earth kind of guy. Thank you

[@SWiFence]

Glad it was helpful!

[@serenawood6991]

Wow! What a view out there 😍 I was having a hard time paying attention to the instruction...

[@NoahDevine91]

Another great job Dan, we always use Seymour clam diggers or Boston diggers, unless using an auger and bell our holes to help prevent frost heave hope you have a great dang day

[@markorlando460]

Try using a short handle shovel for mixing concrete, much easier and faster...In the Boston area we call it Belling a hole to prevent frost heaving when using concrete...

[@JesseSeaver]

Really enjoyed this and subscribed. thanks!

[@samueladams584]

Wish I could afford cedar posts but they're pretty expensive even with LBS1 lumber prices coming down over the past few months, although inventory for big box stores don't reflect impressive price drops. Learned some good tips here. I have about 10 fence posts to install on 1 side of the house to get some privacy. Still recovering from covid fatigue, hopefully it goes away soon

[@christophercale]

Greetings from central Texas, the home of flint rock and black gumbo clay soil. Man, as much as I hate any task that requires digging in this dirt, I LOVE watching all of your videos! 🙃

[@AD-zy5gr]

Great job! For some reason I felt like I was watching the late Norm Macdonald with weekly reviews... that was when Saturday night life was like you guys! This is just a Camel talking but, you guys are great 👍

[@mrwonderfulhere2]

nice vid...learned some...as for not being at proper grade mark ...could save time and effort ...just put in a few inches of gravel...excellent video dude

[@waltbe]

Thanks for the video - good practical tips. You are a pretty funny guy!

[@SWiFence]

I appreciate that!

[@VitorMadeira]

Great help. Thank you. Greetings from Portugal.

[@SWiFence]

You're welcome! Greetings from Wyoming, USA!

[@deeznutz7207]

Regardless of how you do it this guy knows what he's doing. Look at his other videos

[@mikegrok]

I am in a swampy area, things may be different where you are. Here the recommended method is the same as the uniform building code method for building concrete footings for decks, which is to embed the bottom 4 inches of the post in gravel, allowing it to drain from the end, and then pack the concrete on the sides. ubc:R507.3 Footings. My frost line is less than 1 foot, and my water table is usually 6 inches above or below ground level, but at least once every other month it is 4 feet below ground level, allowing the posts to dry. I set powder coated steel posts, that is what the city uses, and some are older than 30 years. Galvanized posts usually last under 15 years, but more than 10. Posts set in concrete like yours last about 3 years around here, or 8 if they have gravel at the bottom. I have been in this neighborhood 6 years and some of the new fences I saw put in after I got here are already falling over.

[@mandybeazley4510]

What do you do if your ground is soft and muddy?

[@madstrad123]

In Colorado, we have clay. I set the post in put the clay dirt back in some water. Pack it down. A couple of inches of tar around the base. In a couple of days. It's hard as a rock. P.S. it's always in Wyoming.

[@olivierlegault1329]

How do you do this in wet soil?

[@wyzukee]

I use the post levels that attack to the post and give you two levels at same time. They attach to post or poll with a rubber band and you can level it, then fill, check level again and your done. Get two so you can set one, leave it while that’s drying and set the second as well. Move them as you go two by two.

[@kurtruesterholz8100]

You mean plumb?

[@waltbe]

good tip

[@leelunk8235]

I LIVE IN FLORIDA AND WYOMING IS THE BEST STATE EVER, I LOVED IT THERE, 9 DAYS AND WENT TO ABOUT 6 DIFFERENT CITIES WHILE THERE.

[@lukekillian1626]

How do you use them at a 45 angle

[@randhawa345]

Great

[@carpenterpilot487]

SET your post toss one bag dry concrete one bucket water then other dry bag right in the hole. That concrete will wet all the way through and will hard as rock. Thats the faster way to set fence post you really don't need the wheel barrel for mixing in .Use wheel barrel for riding in. But hey thanks for your video.

[@tatyanadarius4017]

I guess how much concrete bag you need depending of the size of hole, or doesn’t matter? So 1 hole 2 bags?

[@naterbator]

@Carpenterpilot487 that's the lazy hack job way and wont be uniform, which will end up reducing strength and leave room for cracking.

[@deeznutz7207]

There's a Mexican on here that puts up hundreds of feet of fence in one day look him up and then you'll see how to make it good and fast

[@carpenterpilot487]

I like to use a post hole digger it works well and a spade.

[@leelunk8235]

HELL YEA THATS WHAT I USE..EASY TO OPEN A DEEP HOLE WITH IT AND ITS NICE AND SQUARED OFF..IF I NEED TO MAKE IT WIDER I SCRAPE THE 4 SIDES ALL THE DOWN WITH THE TOOL AND REMOVE THE EXCESS DIRT

[@rogerbettencourt9654]

Another great video guys. I suggest a name change for your orange cylindrical tool, that holds water. A bucket, pronounced “ Bouquet”, makes the water less heavy in a fancy tool. Lol.

[@SWiFence]

We'll have to implement that immediately!

[@jasonp177]

Chop 1/2 the handle off the shovel, makes a great mix in shovel

[@SWiFence]

Good thought!

[@marcospags7941]

What do you suggest I do? I have 4’ deep holes using 12” so o tubes but the post is only going in tube 2’. How do I keep post from falling deeper ?

[@SWiFence]

You can pour the concrete drier, or you can set up blocks at the bottom of the hole so that the post rests on the blocks. 👍🏻

[@willieguffie84]

Do you guys have an office or installer in Denver or Englewood Colorado?

[@SWiFence]

No, sorry.

[@ourv9603]

DAN, they make a tool for that. Its called a post hole digger. Only 32"? Not the full 40" as is the cowboy way? Each bag of concrete tells you on the bag how much water is required. OR, The easy way is to use foam which is quicker-stronger-lasts longer-cleaner-req less tools. !

[@SWiFence]

Yeah that foam is weird stuff. kzbin.info/www/bejne/n3PKiKtorp6joJo

[@ptown0358]

Dude has a Mike Rowe vibe

[@SWiFence]

Oh man I consider that a compliment!

[@garymckinziejr7194]

I attach a piece of treated 2x to the bottom and just compact mine in. We have all clay soil. So far this seems fine what do you think?

[@SWiFence]

This is extremely dependent on what kind of soil you have. You have to have the right soil. You have to go deep enough. And you have to compact it WELL. But this can be an excellent option. 👍🏻

[@Loadedgoods]

We're Almost their! That's What she Said LOL. Hey Dan Have You ever mixed the concrete in the hole using the auger attachment LOL? New guy put the bag of concrete in the Hole didn't Mix shit OMG! Challenge Accepted.

[@SWiFence]

🤣 Well there you go! No I haven't but now I'm going to have to look into this. I'm pretty sure I saw a guy do this and the concrete didn't turn out the same.

[@Loadedgoods]

@@SWiFence our holes had 2inches of bentonite walls with 5inches of ram packed sand at the bottom engineer requirement of the job. I would not suggest it with a hole around lose dirt. I'd have new guy take it out.

[@j.hernandez983]

Tbh I was wondering where the post hole diggers are at and why you chose not to use them?

[@SWiFence]

Just because I don't carry them on the truck. We typically run into more bad ground than good around here, so they don't prove useful very often for us.

[@j.hernandez983]

@@SWiFence okay that makes sense. I do t have any rocky mess where I live. Red clay and mud.

[@gulashonu]

believe it or not, there's alot to consider for fence posts. Not going to go into it lol. SCIENCE!

[@astanfartin1647]

i scream u scream we all scream for ice cream

[@jamesblevins7115]

Why wouldn’t you use post hole diggers?

[@SWiFence]

😊 One of our favorite questions! It's our ground. The ground in Wyoming is so. hard. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z2bdfWuYhL2IZ6c

[@kurtruesterholz8100]

Why are you using a shovel to dig a post hole?

[@SWiFence]

Because it tends to work better in our area than post hole diggers. Shovel and a digging bar are often our standard tools.

[@fenceman95]

Enjoy most of your Videos, but a set of post hole diggers are much better for digging the hole and a concrete hoe works so much better than a shovel for mixing the concrete. At least here in the Ark-La-Tex soils.

[@SWiFence]

Depending on your soil you are absolutely right. 👍🏻

[@ablam8]

You don't NEED a wheelbarrow to mix concrete. Lay a 4x4 plywood or puck board or similar. Make a hole in center of concrete mix, add water, take a hoe and mix it up. Use a flat shovel to dispense it. A wheel barrow and a round shovel makes it awkward.

[@tomasgimenez4592]

That's how I learned to do it 60 years ago

[@OfficialMarkZuckerberg]

Those cedar post and steel posts are insanely expensive

[@SWiFence]

"Insanely" seems like a bit of a stretch. *More* expensive than the rot-a-ways, yes, but once you factor in the cost of not having to rebuild in 10 years you start to see the real appeal.

[@jimmyjunk2337]

thats interesting that you set at 66 inches leaving your pickets higher than the post. I always set at 72 inches because here in Florida I was told that you don't want the pickets higher than the post because of wind.

[@terrieculliver621]

Amazing. Loved loved how simple you made this. Definitely following.

[@planetvespa]

why didn't you show it when it was dry and finished ?

[@SWiFence]

Because we're busy people and had to move on. And because it looks exactly the same.

[@jmward1984]

Only 3 feet? Our area is farmland and incredibly windy.

[@SWiFence]

Our area is incredibly windy as well. Of course the taller your fence is the deeper you need to go in the ground.

[@owen8106]

You filled 3 inch dirt around the post? it will create a water pond there and will rot the post.

[@SWiFence]

We'd rather let the ground freeze over the top of the post--helps with post heave. This is why we don't actually ever use wood posts, though--we always use steel.

[@henrys.3399]

concrete and wood post= bad idea....rain water will rot out the post in 3-4 years....you need to provide drainage for rain water otherwise the post will absorb the water...i have used gravel and compacted it every 6 inches...never had a problem in 30 years

[@SWiFence]

We actually NEVER use wood posts (as we say at the end of the video). You're right. It's a bad idea. Steel all the way.

[@douglasfence]

If you're going to go through all the work of mixing the concrete why would you not fill it to the top and trowel it so you didn't have to tear up the post with the weed wacker and looks professional

[@SWiFence]

The only time we surface concrete is if there is a mow curb, otherwise keeping the concrete below grade is far better. 👍🏻 For example in winter it prevents frost heave since the frost literally locks it in the ground.

[@AngelPerez-nw5cd]

The 4x4 is not man made?😅

[@SWiFence]

Er... not in the same way, no. 👍🏻

[@TheButtman420]

Easily set posts when the hole is already there and you dont have to dig them👌👍 no wonder you said “easily” you didnt have to dig

[@thishex]

The video could have been 3 minutes without all the superfluous clowning.

[@SWiFence]

This comment could have been so much shorter without all the superfluous criticism.

[@treeamigo8447]

Some of you people are miserable.

[@tomasgimenez4592]

Mixing the concrete by hand is not "easily"

[@SWiFence]

There's definitely work involved.

[@rafko8913]

3-4 bags of concrete per hole??? 😂 Plzzzzz

[@Masticas.]

Is that too much?

[@campeonbara1823]

Dirt over the concrete 😢😢 why!?!

[@elbandito5411]

Funny how none of these videos talk about when you dig and run into a big rock in the ground. Digging is not that simple.

[@SWiFence]

We hate hand digging in our area because of the rocks. We typically use augers on skidsteers. But if we're digging by hand we bust out the digging bar. Takes forever and we hate it, but it has to get done.

[@elbandito5411]

@@SWiFence oh. So does a digging bar break rock in the ground?

[@SWiFence]

Er... maybe. It's more for getting around the edge of and prying it out.

[@elbandito5411]

@@SWiFence whatever happened to breaking rock with a tool and not a power tool?

[@elbandito5411]

@@SWiFence I bought a tampering bar that is very heavy and I tried to break the rock and all it did after me hitting it for a good half and hour was chip little tiny pieces of. So I wasted my money on this bar. It's a lost cause. I'm not getting a jack hammer to break this rock so I'm going with 2 feet. At this point I don't care about the frost line.

[@luka9529]

What when the wood rots?! Pole breaks and you leave the concrete in there. And then you can’t put a new post in the same place. This is a shit plan.

[@SWiFence]

Which would be why *we* never mix wood and concrete, but this is how most of the country does it.

[@michaelmcclellan9422]

Is this a parody? WTF!

[@SWiFence]

Uh... no.

[@Dogs_are_god99]

Should of watched this before we put up a fence post. I did everything wrong 🫠 lol