How To Set A Post In Concrete When It Rains

If you are building a fence or a deck, you need to know how to set the posts properly. While setting fence posts is not terribly difficult, what if it starts to rain? It can be slightly annoying, if not downright irritating. If the rain pools in your posthole, you'll need a piece of PVC pipe to help you finish setting the post.

Step 1

Use posthole diggers to dig a hole 30 inches deep. Make the hole's diameter three to four times the width of the post.

Step 2

Fill in the hole with 6 inches of gravel to keep the post from sagging into the ground and to drain away water.

Step 3

Mix a bag of quick-drying concrete with water in a wheelbarrow according to directions on the concrete. Thoroughly combine the mixture with the shovel.

Step 4

Place the post in the middle of the hole. If water is standing in the hole, you will need to use a piece of pipe to funnel in the concrete. Have a friend hold the post steady while you proceed to the next step.

Step 5

Insert a 4-foot-long piece of 4- to 6-inch diameter PVC pipe down into the hole next to the post. Have your friend hold the pipe 2 inches above the bottom of the hole.

Step 6

Begin shoveling the concrete into the PVC pipe. The concrete will travel through the pipe and spread out on the bottom of the posthole. Since concrete is denser than water, it will push the rainwater up and out of the hole. Lift the PVC pipe up slightly as the concrete level rises so it's always 2 inches above it. Stop shoveling concrete when it's 3 inches from the top of the posthole.

Step 7

Bail out any water from the top few inches of the hole, using the shovel. Align the post with the level to make it plumb, then shovel soil into the top of the posthole. Tamp down the soil with the shovel.