03qclb5spd

The string from end to end is always a great idea. But, most people would probably want to follow the contour of the ground to keep small animals in or out. If your ground is nice and even all the way across, then that will work perfectly. But if it rises across the span or dips, following the string from end to end will leave a gap in the low spots.

HOHN

Yes, but laser is just so cooooool..

HOHN

I always thought you could just hang the panels and carve it to match the ground contour with a sawzall

SolarExpress

I had my fence done about 5 years ago. 550 linear feet with 1-16' gate, 1-4' gate and 1-3' gate. About 104' was vinyl fencing, not fancy (4' tall with vertical 1" slats every 3" or so). The 16' gate was in the vinyl section as well as the 4' gate. The 16' gate setup was almost $800, the 4' was pretty close to the same. Aluminum "I" beams inside the vinyl gate posts cemented into the ground. The rest of the fence was green vinyl coated chain link with a 3' gate. Total cost was right at $6K. Contractor even hauled away the old pine post/hog wire fence that was torn down (again about 550'). I figured $6K was good since he wanted almost $12K to do the whole yard with the vinyl. I also went with the chain link as it was easier to manipulate around some of trees on the fence line. If I went with the vinyl, I would have incurred the additional price of removing alot of large trees.

I also built a fence between the house and the garage. About 8' with a gate in the middle. When I set the posts I poured about 6" of gravel in the hole, then DRY sacrete, set the posts, then wet sacrete to the top. Used some card board and made a small cap to wrap around the posts and filled with concrete about 3"-4" above grade. That way there is no contact at all with "wet" at all.

03qclb5spd

Zilla did you ever get your fence up?

I'm about to start a large fence project for some friends of mine and I was just reviewing this thread to see if there was anything I missed.

That's not an apples to apples comparison. Redwood is very resistant to decay, vs pine which a lot of people use for privacy fences at least around these parts.

Hopalong

I would not put wood posts in concrete, my experience is that they rot faster, and it would be overkill for a kids backyard fence, plus increase the cost.
Maybe on the post that holds the gate, if it's a heavy gate.
Dig one of those concreted posts out once, and you'll agree with me.
A fence that is not put in properly will look horrible. Get several estimates, there is a lot of leeway in profit margins.
"Don't eyeball it" was good advice.

03qclb5spd

About 4 years ago we did a fence removal job where the fence was over 15 years old (treated pine) and was not in the greatest shape due to no maintenance at all over the course of it's life. The posts were in decent shape, but had suffered years of weed eater cord eating through them, along with some damage from rot due to pooling water on the concrete that it was set it, and some of them had dirt/grass that has grown over the concrete at the time. We pulled the posts all the way out, and used a couple of strikes with a sledge to knock the concrete off and make it easier to load. Well....I guess concrete really is just a horrible way to set posts.....seeing how the part set in the concrete was in 10 times better shape than the best areas of any of the exposed fence....I'll never set them in concrete again. Just kidding, matter of fact I set some posts in concrete today.
I can recall removing 3 fences in the last 7 years or so, only one I know had posts set in dirt, and they were in horrible the first foot or so below ground, and some of them were still up only from support from the runners and fence boards. These were all treated pine fences.
Also replaced some 8 6x6 cedar posts that supported a carport a few years ago. That was a heck of a job, with the way they built the slab and set the posts and all....3 sides in the concrete and one side exposed to dirt on all posts with the side exposed to dirt having the worst damage. The bottoms were all rotting away the carport was literally sinking. But, the posts lasted nearly 30 years.
If setting them in concrete is bad, then why is it so recommended?

Hopalong

Your post makes my point. Pooling water, next to the concrete, causes the wood to rot. I'm not talking about the wood that's IN the concrete, but next to it. It's because the water can't sink in and run off, it pools. Both your examples state this.
Hey, knock yourself out, put all your posts in concrete.
When a horse, cow, or deer runs through the fence and breaks a post, dig out the concrete. When a tree or limb falls and breaks a post, dig out the concrete. People don't usually have heavy equipment involved when repairing one or two posts.
Concrete recommended by whom? People that sell building materials? Hello!
It's overkill, adds expense, and more work.
I know lots of cowboys. Contrary to popular belief, you know what cowboys spend most of their time doing? They build fence. Lots of it. Repair it. When they see posts set in concrete, they say bad words.

03qclb5spd

If I did not add that the concrete that was set around the aforementioned posts was not built up and sloped away from the post, I have now. That was the cause of the deterioration, whoever installed the posts in the concrete didn't slope it properly and it failed. All fences that I have seen installed in concrete that has been sloped away from the post properly look great. I have done several fence painting/staining jobs over the last few years and have always taken note of things like that. Of those I have seen with no slope on the concrete, or set just in dirt they have been chewed up by weed wackers and have signs of water damage the first several inches. At my parents old house I installed about 20 feet of fencing on both sides of my house to completely enclose the backyard which already had 3 sides from neighbors done. That was about 5-6 summers ago, IIRC. My parents divorced, but my mom's ex husband lives in the house now. He added on and wanted me to do some paint and drywall work. While there I checked my fence and the posts look almost new around the bottom. That's because I sloped the concrete to shed water, and built it up and out enough that grass won't come up and over it over time and allow moisture to build up right at the post, and it won't get chewed up by weed eater cord.
Also, I'm speaking from people who have fences around their back yards, not large pastures where farm animals decide to act a fool and knock fencing over. I think an entire tree would have to fall onto a fence to break a post require replacement. I did some tree trimming on my old house once and a good size limb that I cut off fell right on the fence. I only needed to replace a few boards.
Everyone has their own opinions, but I'll continue to tell people to set them in concrete and slope it correctly, or the post will fail at some from water damage.

Allways_Lost

See how many feet you got to go. They charged me 15-16 dollars a foot for my fence. 6' dog ear #2 panels with steel post.

03qclb5spd

For the one I'm working? I just set posts at the two back corners of the house yesterday to get a little bit of a head start. We've had the utilities marked, but due to a neighbor who my customer is sure doesn't want the fence up and also may be claiming more yard than is actually his we're waiting on the surveyor to come and mark the property. They were supposed to do it today but apparently can't make it until Thursday....so tomorrow I think I'm going to set another post one one side and get the gate fab'd up. They spent about 1100 so far on materials. I'm charging them $5 a foot labor. They are close friends of mine and have loaded me with quite a bit of work, so I'm giving them a pretty darn good deal. They want a deck too, but I'm not going to go soft on that one.

tool

I have a much easier and cheaper solution.

Go to your local Tractor Supply or similar store and buy a good high energy electric fencer, I would reccomend the Galagher brand. You can buy round rod posts that you just step on and push into the ground, run two strands of hot wire an one strand for a ground inbetween them and I garuntee that the kids ill stay in the yard, also keep a lot of nuisance animal out of the yard too!

This will only cost a couple hundred bucks and probably take 2 hours of your time or less, problem solved.

Years in the livestock business have taught me a few things.

Dodgezilla

I never did it yet. I have, however, bought all the posts and they are just waiting for me to dig a hole and pour concrete around them. $6000 is just way too much to pay for a fence that I can do myself for $2000 max. I don't mind doing the work, I just want to make sure I do it right. I have reinforcements lined up to help. I just have to coordinate it so that everybody is there at the same time. All I really need is help to get the posts set. I can do the rest.....

Fronty Owner

first, I read 15 posts before i realized this thread was a year old and I was trying to figure out who posted under my name.
second. THIS THREAD IS A YEAR OLD, DZ, get off your tail and get that fence up.

Dodgezilla

Ha! Ha! Funny! That's what my wife keeps telling my lazy butt!! I was prepared to spend my tax return getting it done professionally but I just could not part with that much $$$ for a stinking fence! My son definitely needs to be caged though so until I put this thing up I have to go outside with him everytime he goes out and watch him to make sure no ambulances or firetrucks need to be called. He's only 2.5 years old..........