A customer in Denver said my post holes looked 'like a toddler dug them'

I was setting a cedar fence for a client last spring, and after I finished the first section, the homeowner came out and just stared at the holes. He said, 'I'm paying for a professional job, and these look like a toddler dug them with a beach shovel.' I mean, I was using a standard auger and thought the holes were fine, just a bit messy with loose dirt around the edges. But he pointed out that the uneven, sloped sides could cause settling issues down the line, especially with our freeze-thaw cycles. It stung, but he was right. Now, I always use a post hole digger to clean up and square off the sides after the auger does the heavy lifting, and I keep a tarp right next to me for the spoil. It adds maybe 15 minutes per hole, but the bases are way cleaner and more stable. Has anyone else had a client call them out on something basic that you just got lazy about?

2 comments

2 Comments

fionarodriguez1mo ago

My kids' sandcastles have better structural integrity than my first few post holes.

ivangrant1mo ago

Yeah that Denver guy had a point, the freeze-thaw will mess up a sloppy hole. I started using a hand digger to clean up after the auger too, makes a huge difference. @fionarodriguez is right, it's all about that clean base.