
Many builders use 8-foot posts and bury them about 2 feet deep in concrete, leaving a small margin for trimming the tops of the posts to the finished height after the posts and/or the fence panels are installed. The deeper you dig the holes, the more stability your fence has, but you must also purchase longer posts. A general formula is to dig the holes one-third to one-half of the post’s aboveground height.

The minimum depth that you should dig your fence post holes for panel sections is 2 feet. This method makes it easier to replace a post in the future if it breaks or splits. An alternative method is to backfill around the posts with soil and gravel, tamping each layer firmly as you go.

Concrete provides the most strength for your posts. Not all fence installers use concrete to set the posts, but the vast majority do. One rule of thumb is to make the holes three times wider than the post width, or about 10 1/2 inches for four-by-four posts. Dig your holes about 8 inches in diameter if you’re using the same posts and backfilling with soil and gravel. The width of your post holes should be a minimum of 10 inches wide, if you’re using four-by-four posts and filling the holes with concrete. An auger is a drill-like machine designed to dig out post holes in hard ground. Post holes can be dug with a post-hole digger and shovel, or you can use a power auger. The typical panel height on a privacy fence is 6 feet, and the standard panel length is 8 feet. These are the approximate dimensions for standard milled lumber rough-sawn posts tend to be larger and measure closer to their nominal sizes. They are commonly four-by-fours, which measure approximately 3 1/2 by 3 1/2 inches, or six-by-sixes, at around 5 1/2 by 5 1/2 inches.

Post lengths for fences start at 8 or 10 feet for a 6-foot-tall fence. This will help you to avoid interrupting services or potentially putting yourself in danger. Before digging your fence post holes, call 8-1-1, the national Call-Before-You-Dig hotline, to start the process of having all underground utility and communication lines marked on your property. If you do not get the post holes deep enough there is a greater potential that your fence can be blown over. The depth of your post holes–and how well the posts are anchored–are the most important factors in the stability of your fence.
