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Vent: I used to think a 6-inch post hole was fine for a 4x4 in soft ground
For years, I'd just dig a hole about twice the post width and call it good, especially in sandy soil. Then last fall, a big windstorm in my area knocked over three sections of a privacy fence I'd just put up for a client. The posts just tipped right over, concrete and all. I went back and dug one out, and the concrete base was basically a skinny little lollipop with no real grip. A guy I know who's been doing this for 30 years told me, 'In soft ground, you need a bell shape at the bottom, and that hole needs to be three times the post width, minimum.' I felt like an idiot. Now I always over-dig and flare the bottom, even if it takes more time and mix. Has anyone else had a fence fail because the hole was just too small?
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fiona_reed1mo ago
You only dug a hole twice the post width? In sandy soil? That's asking for trouble. A 4x4 needs way more than that to stand up to wind. The concrete just forms a weak plug that can pop right out. No wonder your fence fell over.
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west.claire1mo ago
Yeah I read somewhere you need the hole three times the post width in sand.
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