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In the corner of my yard 4 other neighbors’ fences meet. At that junction there is no post they are all just nailed into eachother.

One side has a double fence. Old residents of my house didnt want to repair the rotten section so the neighbors just built a small section on their side.

I am tearing down the rotten fence and just leaving the neighbors fence up. The problem is that there is no corner post. So I need to dig a hole and put one in.

Simple task but its in the corner behind my shed. Theres about 2 feet from the shed to fence on either side.

How would I go about digging this hole for the corner post with very limited range of motion with a post hole digger or auger?

Attached is a sketch of the area. Red circle=dig hole. Brown=fence thats staying up Orange=rotten fence to tear down

Please help. Thank you.enter image description here

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  • can you physically get into the space? Or is it that there is not much room to use tools?
    – Ack
    Commented Apr 12, 2020 at 2:05
  • Shovel and elbow grease.
    – Jimmy Fix-it
    Commented Apr 12, 2020 at 2:18
  • A peeler, long handle shovel with angled blade and perseverance. Also available are “shovel pliers” especially made for this... like this: homedepot.com/p/…
    – Solar Mike
    Commented Apr 12, 2020 at 5:12

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I don't think there is any clever way to accomplish this that is going to make it any less unpleasant. It's a tight space and it doesn't sound like there's any hope of getting an auger in there. I'd get a nice sharp (yes, sharp) post hole digger and a spade, plus a wheelbarrow to haul the dirt out, and have at it. Really, digging a 3-4' hole there isn't going to be that awful.

Only thing I can think of that might make it easier is to try and convince your neighbors to temporarily take down part of their fences to clear the area and give you more area to work in. You might be able to grease the skids a bit if you pitch the new post as something that all of the fences could then attach to for improved support. Normal people aren't going to turn down your offer to improve their property for free, and the less work they have to do, the more true that becomes.

I'd actually like to see a photo of the current situation. 4 fences meeting like that with no solid support sounds really janky. I can't imagine anyone is particularly happy with it as-is.

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  • To me it very janky. It has held up but just barely. With 4 fences tied together with nails they are all kinda leaning on eachother. Ill see if i can get a picture before and after.—the posts on that fence are wooden posts and have held up well. Question now is Wood post or metal?
    – GoFast8
    Commented Apr 12, 2020 at 2:37
  • wood is going to be overall easier to work with, and you'll have an easier time connecting all the fences to the post. Wood will also cost less. Metal is going to take a little inventiveness to make it work, but it can be done. Metal will also cost more, but if you do it right it will likely outlast you and all the neighbors. If you go with metal, don't go cheap: I'd look for a 10' length of schedule 40 galvanized steel tube, set 4' deep in concrete, with a gravel base and a cap on top. For wood, 10' 4"x4" cedar is a safe bet, concrete preferred but not required.
    – Z4-tier
    Commented Apr 12, 2020 at 2:56
  • Awesome! Thanks! Ill go with wood and some concrete. Be easier to tie everything in like youre saying.
    – GoFast8
    Commented Apr 12, 2020 at 3:04
  • Sounds crazy, but if your dirt isn't clay, you might be able to bust it up with a rod and then vacuum it out with a shopvac. Bust, vac, bust, vac, repeat.
    – Aloysius Defenestrate
    Commented Apr 12, 2020 at 3:34
  • another option for the post that is probably cheaper and will last longer but not as attractive as ceder (you can't see it right?) is pressure treated wood.
    – Ack
    Commented Apr 12, 2020 at 4:07

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