Fence Post Footing Depth

Don t make postholes too small.

Fence post footing depth.

Keep the height of your fence in mind when digging your post holes. 6 divided by 3 is 2 therefore the depth of the hole required is 2 feet. How to install fence posts in footing. Here are a four tips to help you find the correct fence post hole depth.

Dig post hole so diameter of the hole is 3 times the width of the post i e the hole for a 4 wood post should be about 12 inches wide. For example an 1800mm fence in wind zone a will require footings of a minimum of 600mm deep by 200mm wide whereas the footing dimensions for the same fence in wind zone d will need to be at least 700 1100mm deep. Even though it seems this would result in less stability this is not the case. This rule of thumb.

Consider the frost. Gates require a hole with a depth of 36 to 40 inches in the ground and with a diameter of at least 12 inches. Fence posts anchored in concrete footings last for years as long as they re installed properly. If not conventional rules of thumb offer a reliable guide.

If you re still intent on setting fence posts yourself rather than having a professional do it the key is in filling the hole only halfway up with concrete. You need to dig a 12 inch wide hole for a 4 foot wood post. 230mm wide 9 x 600mm depth. For example if you are erecting a 6 foot high fence using 4 inch fence posts the posts need to be 6 feet above the ground.

For the width you need to make the hole three times the width of the post you intend to use. To prevent a post from decaying too quickly as well as to. The depth of your fence post footings will vary according to fence height wind loading and soil type as well as other factors. For example a 6 foot tall fence will need at least 2 feet of post in the ground.

If your post is 6 feet tall you will dig down at least 2 feet. Set the post in the hole and brace it plumb or put a helper on the job and in line and level with the posts. As the post is 4 inches wide 3 multiplied by 4 is 12 so the hole needs to be 12 inches square. That little footing will give the post something to stand on instead of damp soil.

The depth of the hole should be 1 3 1 2 the post height above ground i e a 6 foot tall fence would require a hole depth of at least 2 feet. Building codes and ordinances in your area may stipulate a legal depth and diameter for fence post holes. As a general rule of thumb you ll need to place at least 1 3 the height of the post in the ground.