Wooden Posts:  For purposes of post installation, the most suitable wooden posts are pressure-treated 4 x 4s. These should be installed at least 2 feet deep for fences up to 4 feet tall and at least 3 feet deep for taller fences. Should the frost line be deeper where you live these posts should go deeper– because, unlike thin posts they are subject to frost heaves. Wooden posts are generally about the same price or a bit less than comparable metal posts. However, they are more visible than the metal posts, very expensive to ship, and time-consuming to sink into the ground.

Metal Posts:  We offer black pvc-coated round steel posts with caps that are long-lived, good-looking, and well-suited to residential and estate settings. One can equally well use steel T-posts or U-posts, which cost less; but these tend to look poorly, and so any reduction in cost is over-matched by the fence’s changed appearance. Our 1-3/8 and 1-5/8 inch posts are galvanized under their black powder-coat finish, so they are maintenance-free and will not rust. They also hold the ground well and look attractive in a suburban setting. Plan on putting these posts 2 feet into the ground.

Round Metal Posts with Drive Sleeves:  These posts with sleeves are a bit more expensive than round metal posts alone, and they work differently. That is, they come with drive sleeves that get fitted with a heavy metal drive cap (to prevent damaging the sleeve) and then get driven into the ground with a heavy hammer. The post is then inserted firmly into the sleeve. Advantages: The sleeves grip the ground a bit better than the round metal post without a sleeve; no manual post driver or post-hole digger is needed to install the sleeves; and the posts and fencing can be taken up seasonally or can be taken up and reinstalled elsewhere on other sleeves. Disadvantages: the posts with sleeves cost more than those without sleeves; and they’re are harder than the regular posts to install straight in soil with roots or rocks. 

Brace bands:  These should be regarded as an integral part of post installation. Be sure to get brace bands for any round metal posts that you select. These bands prevent the fencing from sliding down the posts by providing an anchor point for a zip-lock tie at the top of the fence. The general rule is to have one brace band per post, but this does not have to be rigidly observed. (A few posts without brace bands will make no difference.)