Fence Post Depth Code

If not conventional rules of thumb offer a reliable guide.

Fence post depth code.

If your post is 6 feet tall you will dig down at least 2 feet. The code frost depth is meaningless for a fence. Some cities say posts must be set in concrete. It s a lot harder to push over a post that s buried deeply so always keep that in mind.

Here are a four tips to help you find the correct fence post hole depth. Others leave that up to the builder. You need to dig a 12 inch wide hole for a 4 foot wood post. Keep the height of your fence in mind when digging your post holes.

The depth of the post hole needs to be 1 3 to 1 2 the height of your fence. Gates require a hole with a depth of 36 to 40 inches in the ground and with a diameter of at least 12 inches. Building codes and ordinances in your area may stipulate a legal depth and diameter for fence post holes. That also means that you d need to use an 8 foot post.

Common construction requirements include post size spacing and depth. Frost line by zip code. As a general rule of thumb you ll need to place at least 1 3 the height of the post in the ground. That is why there is a specified depth for building footings.

For a fence a little heaving is not easy to notice and does not destroy the servicability of the fence. For example a 6 foot tall wood fence may need 4 x 4 or larger posts spaced no more than 6 feet apart and buried in the ground at least 2 feet deep. For the width you need to make the hole three times the width of the post you intend to use. The depth of your post hole plays a key role in the strength of your posts.

For a structure it is important since any cracks caused by heaving will destroy the servicablity and appearance of the structure. The maximum frost line depth is 100 inches as seen near the tip of minnesota north dakota and alaska all the way to zero inches in florida southern arizona and southern california. For example if you are building a fence that s 6 feet tall you will need a hole that is at least 2 feet deep. Check your frost line by zip code or address using this map from the national weather service.