Fence Post Replacement in Arvada, CO

Here’s something a lot of installers get wrong: setting posts in concrete isn’t automatically the safest choice, especially in a freeze-thaw climate like ours. If a concrete footing doesn’t sit below the frost line, the freezing and thawing ground can actually grab the concrete and heave it upward over time — pushing the post out of alignment year after year.

That’s why we pay attention to two things most companies gloss over:

• Depth below the frost line — posts need to be set deep enough to get below where the ground freezes, not just “deep enough to feel solid” on installation day
• Drainage at the base — a layer of compacted gravel under the post lets water drain away instead of pooling against the wood, which is the number one cause of rot at the ground line

For most residential wood posts, a gravel base with proper depth actually outperforms a straight concrete plug over the long run. Concrete still makes sense for gate posts and corners that face constant lateral pressure — we just don’t apply it everywhere by default the way some installers do.