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Had a whole cedar panel fence blow over in a storm last Thursday
It was a job we finished just two weeks ago in the West Hills area. Client wanted the full 6-foot privacy look. We used 4x4 posts set in concrete, everything felt solid. Then that windstorm hit, gusts up to 50 mph. Got the call the next morning. Drove out and the whole 40-foot section was flat on the ground. The posts snapped clean at the base. Turns out the ground there was mostly loose fill from an old garden bed, nothing for the concrete to grab onto. We never hit solid dirt. Now we have to pull it all out, dig deeper, and start over on our dime. How do you guys check for bad soil before you start setting posts?
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grant_palmer1mo ago
Honestly, that "loose fill from an old garden bed" is a nightmare. Tbh I always ask the homeowner directly if there's ever been a pool, garden, or construction backfill on the property line. Ngl, people forget to mention it until after the fact, but it saves you from exactly this.
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