Remove Fence Posts
The removal of wooden fence posts normally involves a process that includes loosening the post from the surrounding ground or concrete, then carefully extracting the post in a manner that does not cause the post to snap or splinter. By taking your time and making sure everything is in place before beginning to extract the fence post, the job can be completed with a minimum of difficulty. We'll show you how.
Contents
Steps
Using a Rope and Board
- Assess the status of the fence post. A wooden post that is sunk into the surrounding soil will be relatively easy to remove, while one that is sunk into concrete will require additional equipment. Any wooden fence post that is severely deteriorated may also require additional tools to manage the extraction.
- Dig a trench around the post using a shovel. The trench does not have to be any deeper than about 1 foot (0.3 m). Remove the dirt directly around the post, or around the concrete plug that is holding the post in position.
- Wear eye protection when digging around concrete, to protect against chipped concrete fragments.
- Soak the remaining soil. Watering the soil around the post will loosen it and make it easier to remove the post.
- Rock the post in place. Push it backward and forward several times to help loosen the post and plug as the hole is enlarged slightly. Try not to break the post.
- Nail it. Drive four nails into each face of the post. Position the nails so they are driven into the surface of the post at roughly 1 foot (0.3 m) from the ground level. Make sure the nails are driven at least halfway into the wood, creating a firm hold.
- Tie it up. Secure a length of strong rope to the series of nails on the post. This can be accomplished by wrapping the rope around and under each exposed nail head in succession, finally tying the rope tightly around the body of the fence post.
- Create a lever to help extract the post. This can be accomplished by placing one to two layers of concrete blocks on one side of the trench, and then laying a thick plank or board across the blocks.
- Attach the rope to the end of the board closest to the post. Drive a couple of nails into the board to create a means of securing the rope into position.
- Stand on the opposite end of the board. The effect will be somewhat like a seesaw, in that as your end moves toward the ground, the tension on the rope increases and pulls the post upward, slowly extracting the buried portion of the post.
- Remove the post from the hole. Once the post is pulled upward, detach the rope and move the post away from the open hole.
Using a Jack and Chain
- Dig out soil around the post. If the fence post has a large concrete base or is very firmly anchored in soil, you may need to use a farm jack (Hi-Lift jack) and chain to pull it out. To prepare for this, dig out the soil around the post to a depth of 1 to 1½ feet (0.3 to 0.46 meters). A posthole digger will make this easier.
- Break up the soil or concrete further. Use a pointed digging bar or rock bar to further loosen the soil, or to break up the concrete if possible. Wear eye protection to protect against flying concrete fragments.
- Lay a thick block across the hole. Use a block at least 4 inches (10 cm) thick, with a flat top that can support your jack. Place it across the hole next to the base of the post. Position the block securely so it will not shift during construction. Make sure it is located far enough from the post that the concrete base will not strike the block on its way up.
- Wrap a chain around the post. Wrap a 3 to 5 foot (0.9 to 1.5 m) length of chain several times around the post, as low to the ground as possible.
- Secure the chain to the jack. Place the jack on top of the block. Loop the chain tightly around the jack's runner and secure it in place.
- Operate the jack. Put on a pair of heavy leather gloves and stand to the side of the jack's handle. Operate the jack to lift the chain and gradually tug the fence post up and out of the ground.
Tips
- Fence posts sunk with concrete may require the use of heavier equipment, such as a post puller. Motorized versions of this device work by driving thin tines into the wooden surface of the post and using the power of the motor to extract the post and the concrete plug.
- Removing fence posts is easier with 2 people. The weight of a single person may not budge the post, making the homemade lever less efficient, whereas the weight of 2 people will likely be sufficient to extract the post from the ground.
- An alternative method would involve sliding a metal ring over the post and driving the nails in above the ring. Attach a strong chain to the ring, again using the blocks and plank to create a makeshift lever.
- Reuse the old concrete shell if it is solid and in good shape. A round corner square treated post can fit in a concrete shell left from a rotted out cedar post with maybe some minor trimming with a saws-all.
Things You'll Need
- Shovel
- Rope
- Hammer
- Nails
- Thick Plank
- Concrete Blocks
- Heavy-duty leather gloves
- Eye protection
Additional Equipment for Jack Method
- Farm jack (Hi-Lift jack)
- Chain
- Pointed digging bar or rock bar
