Got called out for my post hole spacing on a big cedar job

A few months back, I was putting up a 200 foot cedar privacy fence for a client in Grand Rapids. I was spacing my posts at 8 feet on center, like I always have. The homeowner, who turned out to be a retired engineer, came out and said, 'Son, with this soil and the wind load here, you're asking for a wavy fence in two years.' He showed me his soil report and the math. I switched to 6 foot spacing for the rest of the run, and the difference in rigidity was huge. Has anyone else had a client change their mind on a basic spec like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

sage5282d ago

Had a client insist on deeper posts for a vinyl fence near the coast. Dug them an extra foot down like they asked and that section held up perfectly in the last big storm. Sometimes the customer actually knows their own land better than you do, right?

wyatt_fox682d ago

Wait, an extra foot down? That's wild, sage528. I've seen guys try to cut corners on post depth all the time, especially with vinyl since it's so light. But near the coast with that wind and sand? That client was dead on. Makes me wonder how many other jobs would still be standing if we just listened more.

vera_roberts2d ago

Sage528 is right, I've seen deeper posts save fences in sandy soil too.