Why Most Fence Companies Will Not Dig Your Fence Post Holes
Many people like to trust their fence construction to the professionals. They’re happy to hire a fence company to install their new fences and gates and are more than happy not to get their hands dirty.
However, there are also many people who love DIY and are only too happy to install their own fences. Many of these people also try to find fence companies to dig their post holes, and most won’t have too much success. Here’s why most fence companies won’t dig your fence post holes and what you can do instead.
Why Don’t Fence Companies Dig Fence Post Holes for DIY Projects?
There’s no doubt that it’s frustrating calling around to try to find a fence company to dig your postholes and getting told no over and over again. However, there are some very good reasons why fence companies don’t do this.
It Would Cost You Too Much
Perhaps the most important reason why most fence companies won’t even give you a ballpark figure to dig your fence post holes is that it would simply be too expensive.
Fence companies price their labor by the hour or day, and that includes the time that they are not on your job site. So, even though they might only be on your job site for half a day, they’d still have to charge you for the time spent in their yard, loading and offloading equipment, and any time driving to your property.
When you add up all that labor, you’re probably going to pay for at least a full day plus a markup. That gets pretty pricey really quickly!
They Wouldn’t Make Enough
The other big reason why most fence companies won’t give you a quote to dig fence post holes is that they wouldn’t make any money on it. Even if they charge you for labor and the markup on that labor, they’d still be losing out on any money they would make on materials.
Most fence companies get their materials at much better rates from manufacturers and distributors, so they can make a markup on that when they quote fence projects. With no materials going into your post-hole digging job, there’s not enough money to make it worthwhile for fence companies.
That might sound harsh, but every business exists to make a profit!
What Can You Do Instead?
Even if you understand why fence companies won’t give you a quote to only dig fence post holes, you still need to get it done. The good news is that you do have some options.
Landscape Companies
Unlike fence companies that nearly always do materials and labour, many landscaping companies are used to doing labor-only jobs. So you might find that they’re more open to digging your fence post holes! Many landscaping companies also have very similar equipment, so they can get the job done well.
Most landscape companies don’t install fences, though, so they won’t know how to set out the post holes. So be sure you mark each hole carefully before they start digging!
Rent or Buy an Augur
| One of the easiest ways to dig fence post holes is to use an augur, and there are some great hand-held options that you can rent or buy to get the job done. Some of these are probably even cheaper than hiring someone to dig fence post holes for you! |
Buy a Post Pounder
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The other option you have is to skip post holes altogether and pound your posts instead. This usually works better for chain link and other fences that use tubular posts. |
Don’t Forget Locates!
Regardless of who digs your fence post holes and how they get dug, you should always ensure that you have someone come out and do underground locates for you. This will ensure you know where gas lines, electrical cables and other underground services are, so you can avoid them.
Underground locates are free in many cities and areas, but even if you have to pay for them, they’re still a lot cheaper than repairing damaged services and a lot safer for everyone involved.
