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The depth to dig your post hole varies by region. Rule of thumb is that in dry areas with no heavy winter
freeze, you should set the post 18” to 24” in ground. In areas with heavy winter and persistent freeze, you
should set them 24” to 36” in ground.
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Before digging your post hole, be sure to account for the height of the post that needs to remain above
ground. To determine how much post you need above ground vs buried in ground, take the following
into consideration:
o
The height of your fence panels
o
How much of a gap you want under each panel for grass trimming/ landscaping (ideally 2-3”)
o
Where you want your post caps in relation to the top of the fence panels
§
NOTE
- If you have a fence panel style with finial tips sticking through the top, we
recommend installing the fence so that the tips of the fence panel line up with the top of the
post WITHOUT the post cap on.
§
NOTE
- If you have a flat top style fence panel, we recommend setting the top rail at least 1
½
inches below the top of the post so you have room for your brackets and post cap.
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EXAMPLE
- Let’s say we have a 4’ tall fence panel style with finial tips on top, 7’ long posts and we want
a 2” gap at the bottom of the fence. You would set your post so that 4’2” was sticking up above ground
and your post hole was 2’10” deep (4’2” above 2’10” buried = 7’ post length).
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EXAMPLE
- Let’s say we have a 4’ tall fence with a flat top style, 7’ long posts and we want a 2” gap at
the bottom. You would set your post so that 4’3.5” was sticking up above ground and your post hole was
2’9” deep (4’3.5” above 2’8.5” buried = 7’ post length). That way we can have the 2” gap at the
bottom of the panel and the 1.5” gap from the top of the post.
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You can choose to have the posts stick up higher or inline with the fence tips matching the height with the
post cap attached. Simply adjust the example calculations above to match up with your desired look.
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Once you have determined the depth of your post holes, it’s time to start digging. Be sure to check your
post hole depth and width as you go. Keep loose dirt away from the top of your hole. You can utilize a
flat object at the top of your post hole and a tape measure to monitor the depth as you proceed.
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If you accidentally dig too deep, add gravel (not loose dirt) to the bottom of the hole. It can actually be
beneficial to over dig your post hole by 2-3 inches and add gravel at the bottom, but it is not required.
The gravel will allow for water to drain away and unlike loose dirt it will not compact over time. It also
makes fine tuning your above ground post height much easier.
