Fence posts debate - concrete or gravel?

What is the purpose of the fence? When I ran a farm and based on my days at OSU Ag School for field fence we would use concrete at gates but gravel or soil tamp for lines. Corners were concrete or gravel. For cattle chute concrete mostly but these were 6x6 or 8s as opposed to basic 4x4. If not for livestock but more decorative then gravel at end/corner/gate and tamp remainder. Then if solid the rules are different based on winds. I am talking about basic 3 or 4 rail fencing.

My 6ft privacy fence is 29 years old. The posts are simply tamped in. The fence has stood straight all these years. No posts have rotted. The only post I concreted in is one with a 12 ft gate on it.

We also have a farm. We drive most posts in. They aren't going anywhere after getting pounded in.

jovan said:

What is the purpose of the fence? When I ran a farm and based on my days at OSU Ag School for field fence we would use concrete at gates but gravel or soil tamp for lines. Corners were concrete or gravel. For cattle chute concrete mostly but these were 6x6 or 8s as opposed to basic 4x4. If not for livestock but more decorative then gravel at end/corner/gate and tamp remainder. Then if solid the rules are different based on winds. I am talking about basic 3 or 4 rail fencing.

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ColtRevolver said:

My 6ft privacy fence is 29 years old. The posts are simply tamped in. The fence has stood straight all these years. No posts have rotted. The only post I concreted in is one with a 12 ft gate on it.

We also have a farm. We drive most posts in. They aren't going anywhere after getting pounded in.

Click to expand...

Thanks guys. No livestock other than a small dog. This is just a yard picket fence.

Previous owner had put in gate "posts" as long square boxes made of 2x4s straight in the ground, about 20" deep. At one point they must have been tamped in with just dirt, but now they were wobbly and rotting below the ground level.
On the plus side I now have 2 8x8" holes in the ground that make a good start on post holes

Think y'all have convinced me of concrete for gate posts, gravel for the rest.

From growing up on a farm:

It's going to depend on the soil, but we didn't use concrete or gravel. We set corner posts to a depth at least equal to the height of the top strand of fence, and packed dirt with a shovel handle as we filled the hole.

Are you required to pull a building permit. If so, then they would have guide lines for you to follow. How deep to dig and what to use in the hole

I think you're gonna need a bigger gate if you use gravy...

Now I'm hungry

For a fence, gravel..or dirt. For a load bearing post, concrete in the bottom at frost depth and set post on top after a day and back fill with gravel.

thats been my rules anyhow.

I'm hungry too.

6 feet 4x4 posts

Holes all approx 12" square, 2' deep on top of 6" of gravel

2 cemented gate posts
3 gravel fence posts


Concrete is a PITwhotsit if you don't have a concrete mixer. Tried the directions on the packet - throw in hole and water on top. I needed to do a lot of mixing to get it near right. Worked up in layers, took ages. Messy. Harder to keep posts upright Blech.
Results - one gate post sturdy, one (the hanging post) less so. Latter has moved off vertical a touch. I may need to address if it moves further.

Gravel - easy peasy. dig hole, adjust height, pour in gravel, check levels, tamp down, pour in gravel, repeat. No mess, no fuss, and at least as sturdy as the cemented posts. Will call back in in 10 years to see which one rotted first, if any.


Appreciate the advice from all!

Concrete is great until the post rots out or it gets taken out by a wayward automobile or needs replacing.