Fence post footings: Remove or move on?

September 29, 2024 6:45 PM

I recently took down a chainlink fence about 75' long. The fence posts, which are steel and set into concrete footings (of unknown diameter and depth) remain standing. Based on previous footing-removal experience, taking these out and filling the holes would be a daunting amount of work. I don't know why I'd do that. What am I missing?

They're in a location where nothing will ever be planted and no new fence will ever be installed (for the time I'll live here, anyway).

I'm inclined to sawz-all these posts flush with the ground, then - if the embedded part of the posts aren't already filled with concrete - pour in aggregate, sand, cement, and water. If I need to remove any at a later time, fine, I'll take them out as needed.

I think I can do that and make sure no dangerous edges stick up, threatening feet or mower blades.

If it matters, I live in northern Iowa, a few miles from the Minnesota border.

Is there some reason I should NOT just leave these things where they are?

posted by Caxton1476 to Home & Garden (21 answers total)

They may be a lot easier to remove the concrete with the post attached. If the hole the concrete was poured into was mostly cylindrical a piece of chain and a farm jack/hi lift/jack all can just pull them up.
posted by Mitheral at 7:01 PM on September 29 [10 favorites]

Yeah, with the post there you can pull them up easy. I guess it all boils down to whether you want to be “that guy” to the next owner of the property. “That guy” at my place stapled on window screens and landscaped with those nasty broken-up rocks. Fuck him unto the seventh generation. … But you’re fine.
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 7:13 PM on September 29 [8 favorites]

My house had no fence when I purchased it, and along the way I've found the old footings from the previous fence. It's not a huge deal to find them and take them out later, and it feels like your are discovering some history associated with your property, at least to me. i'd leave them in.
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:47 PM on September 29

They probably wouldn't be hard to add an attachment point to to pull out later if you did cut them off now. I'd probably cut them and I wouldn't bother filling them with anything cementitious, dirt or nothing at all would be fine.
posted by deadwax at 3:30 AM on September 30

Even if you cut them "flush" with grade (easier said than done), they will tend to become exposed again over time, generating new hazards at an unpredictable rate.

I personally watched my young child narrowly avoid injury tripping over a nasty sharp post stump that emerged on my property, long after someone thought what they did was "good enough" and "won't be a problem as long as I live here" or some similar lazy thinking.

I can't say I'll never do anything similar, because we don't know what we don't know. But now you know.

Farm jacks are fun and handy for lots of stuff, I vote you get one and be done with this the right way.
posted by SaltySalticid at 4:42 AM on September 30 [7 favorites]

I recently removed a 50' section of chain length fence by sawing off the cemented posts just below grade and filling in with dirt. I did take pictures, measure and record distances from the end points in case I need those for future reference.
posted by tronec at 4:44 AM on September 30

Hard jobs get easy when you have the right tool. In your case, that might be a self-propelled machine with hydraulic lifting capability.
posted by SemiSalt at 4:45 AM on September 30

I haven't actually tried this, if you live in an area that gets snow in the winter- for no rush removal of concrete it might be an interesting experiment to take a hammer drill and a masonry bit, drill a series of holes partway through the concrete and then wait for the inevitable water freeze/expand/concrete cracks. You might at least be able to get these footings at least somewhat below grade in one winter season.
posted by Larry David Syndrome at 5:14 AM on September 30 [1 favorite]

My advice is don't do it halfway. Either pull them out or leave them as is. Don't bother cutting them short.
posted by mhoye at 6:26 AM on September 30 [7 favorites]

I fully recommend renting a post puller for the day - you'll be able to lift and drag them wherever you want without too much physical effort. It would probably take less time than using a sawzall, and much less potential for exposed jagged metal offcuts.
posted by Think_Long at 7:04 AM on September 30 [2 favorites]

I just wanted to mention that I had this, and was agonizing about what to do, and a local tree service gave me a great quote on plucking them all out with a bobcat. With the bobcat it was about as tough for them as pulling cherry stems. (They were already out to clear the trees from the fence line, and when we told them our plan they offered this additionally.)
posted by ftm at 7:42 AM on September 30 [4 favorites]

Response by poster: Hi, friends!

Lots of great ideas and things to think about here!

At the moment, I'm leaning toward "leave them in place after removing the fenceposts".

Some additional info:
+ The fence removal is prep for a deck replacement that probably also involves removing footings. Those have 4x4 wooden posts embedded. The deck contractor I'm hiring may be willing to remove the fence post footings, too, BUT I took down the entire 12'x14' deck, plus a 20'x4' walkway between that deck and a smaller deck, myself, to save money. Like, railings, decking, joists, and posts. Cost is an object here.
+ The metal fence posts are in the viewshed between our lower level and the river our home overlooks. Eagles, herons, etc. The posts have to go.
+ This is important - About half the footings are flush up against either 1) the foundation of the house, or 2) a flagstone patio. I fear that removing those footings risks damaging something far more valuable.

That said:
SaltySalticid, I do think about the trip-and-fall hazard. I might start by sawing off one in a totally remote location and seeing if I'm nervous about its exposure.

If I decide to remove them, I'll borrow a farm jack. This is rural Iowa, I can get one. And I'll get a new chain to use with it - I've known too many "old reliable" chains to break and either maim or scare the wits out of people to trust anyone else's.

Keep sharing experiences, ideas, and so on!
posted by Caxton1476 at 9:26 AM on September 30

I left mine for a couple of years. Then I took to swinging from the posts when I went through, nothing strenuous, which loosened the concrete from the ground around it. This meant that when I decided I wanted the posts out I was able to do it with a bit of older-sedentary-person brute strength and no tools, dragging them out by tugging on the posts. I wouldn't cut the posts off because leaving them in will make it much more easy to get the concrete out and much more easy to find them. But if you take the posts out and leave the concrete someone in the future may damage their roto-tiller, or their shoulder when using a spade, or some such.

YGSINMGS: Your garden soil is not my garden soil. Experiences may vary.
posted by Jane the Brown at 9:44 AM on September 30 [1 favorite]

If it's not creating an issue with a neighbor, I would either leave the posts as-is, or finish the job fully by pulling them and the concrete out, and backfilling the holes. An old fence came down at my place, and I just cut the posts flush. After a couple years of frost heave, things shifted enough that the concrete footings were just proud enough to be a mower hazard. With the posts (or fence) still there, there was a clear marker to avoid the area; without them and just the mostly hidden concrete footings, it became a hazard. I wound up having to dig up all of those footings, and the job was much harder with the posts removed. In hindsight, I wish I'd just pulled them all when the posts were still present.
posted by xedrik at 12:51 PM on September 30

I'd concur with others that cutting the fenceposts flush is worst option. I have a half-dozen old chainlink fenceposts set in concrete on my property, leftover from a former owner, and I'm very glad to have the posts to serve as a handle to help remove (eventually, when I get a round tuit, those things are rare), and in the meantime as a warning of the hard/sharp thing underfoot.
posted by hovey at 1:13 PM on September 30 [1 favorite]

I see a lot of fence footings that are (improperly) flush or below the ground level. Some people really hate the look of a footing that sticks up above the dirt or grass, even if that's necessary for proper drainage! If you had flat or sunken footings and also were putting a new fence on top, I wouldn't bother removing just because there would be no benefit to anyone. Since you're not planning on a new fence, I agree that you want to pull them out now if you can afford to.
posted by wnissen at 1:58 PM on September 30

I would remove them now (maybe except where they are flush against something that could be damaged by the removal, but I'd at least check if they are attached to something else and, if not remove them) and be done with them forever. They will be immeasurably easier to remove with the posts attached and I guarantee you will wish at some future time that you removed them now. Removing them by pulling sideways on the posts will be a much easier job than digging all around them and using machinery to lift the concrete lumps out.

Future you will be grateful you did the job properly now.
posted by dg at 6:59 PM on September 30

Response by poster: You aren’t go to believe this but: there are NO FOOTINGS.

I took a long look at the base of one post and thought, maybe I can’t see the footing because it’s not even there. So I stuck a long screwdriver into the dirt and it kept going in. Like, almost a foot. Then I leaned on it real hard, and it moved!

Now I’m on Team Removal. I’m going to soak the ground a bit, then rock the post back and forth a bunch of times, then figure out some way of levering it up and OUT.
posted by Caxton1476 at 7:40 PM on September 30 [2 favorites]

hall of fame thread.
posted by pjenks at 8:41 PM on September 30 [1 favorite]

Dry soil sometimes allows the posts to move more than wet soil does, as the humus in your soil may soak up the water and expend, making the ground denser. It depends on your soil, but if wet soil doesn't work for you try wriggling the posts after a week or so without rain.
posted by Jane the Brown at 10:59 AM on October 1

Response by poster: Jane the Brown, I think that's my next move. No real rain here for weeks, with none in the forecast. Soaking the ground (which has definitely helped in the past) didn't do much.

If just rocking it back and forth doesn't loosen it enough to extract, I'm going to apply leverage...somehow. In my (fanciful) imagination, I try this: saw one off about about foot above ground, then drill a hole through the post. Through the hole, thread a heavy bolt, then attach a chain that is fastened to a lever - maybe a farm jack (if I locate one in time) or - even more fun! - a long 4"x4", which I use to pull out the bottom of the post.

I know. way to involved. I'm sure oscillating the thing will get it done, but that's not nearly as entertaining.

If readers of this thread want to join the fun, they can contribute even more Rube Goldberg-esque methods. Or maybe just better ones!
posted by Caxton1476 at 6:19 PM on October 1