Introduction
Setting fence posts is one of the most DIY-accessible parts of construction — the tools are rentable, the skills are learnable in an afternoon, and the work is honest rather than technical. It’s also one of the easiest jobs to underestimate: 20 holes at 36 inches deep through rocky soil is a different project than the same 20 holes through soft loam, and the difference shows up in your back, your timeline, and your budget.
The Fence Post Calculator gives you the quantities either way — post counts, hole volumes, bag counts. This guide helps you decide who should do the digging: an honest comparison of DIY and professional installation on cost, time, quality, and risk, and the situations where each choice clearly wins.
The Cost Comparison
Using the canonical 150-ft run (20 posts, 80 bags) with typical US planning ranges:
| Cost item | DIY | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Posts (20 × $15) | $300 | Included |
| Concrete (80 × $6) | $480 | Included |
| Gravel + hardware | $100 | Included |
| Auger rental (1 day) | $75–$150 | $0 (their equipment) |
| Labor | Your weekend | 20 × $75–$150 = $1,500–$3,000 all-in |
| Total | ~$955–$1,030 | ~$1,500–$3,000 |
Prices are typical US planning ranges and vary substantially by region — labor rates especially. The DIY column covers materials plus one day of auger rental; the pro column is the installed per-post rate ($75–$150/post) applied to 20 posts. The cost guide breaks these numbers down further, including the contingency both columns need.
What DIY Actually Takes
Time
For 20 posts in diggable soil with a rented two-person auger: roughly one full day for two people to dig, set, brace, and pour — plus a second shorter day for cleanup and panel installation after the concrete cures. By hand with post-hole diggers, triple the digging time. Rocky soil can double everything; that’s the variable that breaks DIY schedules.
Tools
The rental list is short: a two-person auger (or a one-person auger for small jobs), post-hole diggers for cleanup, a post level, a wheelbarrow or mixer, shovels, and a tamper. Budget $75–$150 for the auger day plus whatever you don’t already own. Buying the auger only makes sense if you have more fence projects ahead.
Skills
The skills are straightforward — digging to depth, setting a post plumb, bracing in two directions, mixing to the bag ratio, crowning the finish — and each is covered in the pro tips guide. The hard part isn’t any single skill; it’s maintaining the discipline (brace, plumb, check twice) across all 20 posts when you’re tired at 4 p.m.
What a Pro Brings
Speed and equipment
A fencing crew with a skid-steer auger digs 20 holes in a couple of hours — work that takes a DIYer all day. They also own the edge-case tools: rock augers, concrete breakers for old footings, and the trailer to haul 80 bags without a second trip.
Layout experience
Pros lay out fences daily: string lines, gate clearances, slope transitions, and the judgment of where a post needs upsizing. The mistakes catalogued in the common mistakes guide are mostly mistakes pros have already learned not to make.
Warranty and accountability
Reputable installers warranty their work — if a post settles or goes out of plumb in the first year, they come back. That warranty has real value on a fence, because post problems show up after the first winter, not on installation day.
When DIY Clearly Wins
- Small jobs. A 4–6 post garden fence or a single gate replacement: the pro’s mobilization cost exceeds the whole DIY budget.
- Good soil. Soft loam or sandy soil where an auger walks through holes in minutes — the digging is genuinely easy.
- Flexible timeline. If the fence can go up over two weekends, the DIY time cost is spread thin.
- You want the skill. Fence posts are a gateway skill — the same setting technique applies to decks, pergolas, and mailboxes.
- Budget is the constraint. At roughly half the installed cost, DIY is the only way some projects happen at all.
When Hiring Clearly Wins
- Rocky or hard soil. Caliche, bedrock, heavy clay with stones — hand digging is miserable and auger rental teeth wear fast. This is the number-one DIY-killer.
- Old fence removal. Pulling concrete-set old posts and hauling them away is heavy, slow work that pros price efficiently.
- Long runs. Past 30–40 posts, the crew’s speed advantage compounds: what takes them two days takes a DIYer two weekends.
- Tight timeline. A fence needed before a closing date, a pet’s arrival, or an HOA deadline — pros deliver on schedule.
- Slopes and tricky layouts. Stepped sections, retaining transitions, and multi-gate layouts benefit from experienced layout.
- Physical limits. Twenty 36-in holes and 80 bags of concrete is genuinely strenuous work. There’s no shame in pricing that honestly.
The Hybrid Option
Many projects split well: DIY the layout and materials ordering (you know your property and your gate needs), hire the digging and setting (the backbreaking part), then DIY the panels after the concrete cures (the satisfying, visible part). Some fencing contractors will quote post-setting alone — ask. You get the pro’s holes and warranty on the structural work, and you save the panel-installation labor.
Whichever path you choose, the quantities are the same: run the estimating guide’s field process, compute the posts and bags, and hand the same numbers to the contractor you’d use yourself. A contractor who quotes from your measurements will respect that you did the homework.
Related Guides
- Cost Guide — per-post pricing and whole-job budgeting.
- Pro Tips — setting, bracing, and alignment advice from the trade.
- Install-Day Checklist — everything to verify before you start digging.
- Common Mistakes — the errors that distort results, with fixes.
- Material Guide — wood, steel, and concrete posts compared.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much can I save by setting fence posts myself?
Roughly half. On the 20-post example: ~$1,000 DIY (materials + auger rental) versus $1,500–$3,000 installed — a savings of $500–$2,000 for a weekend or two of labor, with the spread depending on local labor rates.
Is setting fence posts hard for a beginner?
The skills are learnable in an afternoon — the challenge is stamina and consistency across every post, especially in difficult soil. Rocky ground is the main reason beginner DIY fence projects stall.
Should I rent or buy an auger?
Rent, unless you have multiple fence projects planned. A two-person auger rents for roughly $75–$150 per day; buying one costs several hundred dollars and it will sit unused afterward.
Get Your Number
DIY or pro, the estimate is the same starting point: post counts, hole volumes, and bag counts from the Fence Post Calculator. Get quotes against those exact quantities — it keeps every contractor bidding the same job and shows you exactly what the labor is worth.
Disclaimer: Calculator results are planning estimates based on the dimensions you enter. Verify quantities with your supplier and consult a licensed professional or your local building authority for structural or code-related decisions.
