Keeping Kitty Contained in a Fenced in Yard

How To Remove Old Fence Posts The Easy Way

31 March 2017 by Norman Beck

You probably installed a fence at one time or another, and after pouring the concrete to hold the posts thought to yourself, "good luck removing that post someday." Then that someday happens and you need to remove those fence posts. They're held in concrete, so how do you go about removing them? You could rent a bobcat, try to pull them with a truck (damaging your yard in the process), you could dig and dig to get the post and concrete out, or you could do it an easier way. See below for tips on how to remove an old fence post the easy way.

Here's What You'll Need:

• Car jack
• Drill
• 2 x 4 piece of wood
• Screws (nuts and washers)
• Shovel

Instructions:

1. Start by attaching two pieces of 2 x 4 lumber (about 12 inches long) to the fence post using the screws, washers and nuts to create a jig. You can just hand tighten the nuts to the post. 
2. Then place the jack next to the post and begin jacking it up under the jig. Continue jacking it up until you see the post coming out of the ground. 
3. If the post is stuck, you can try digging out some of the dirt covering the concrete. Sometimes if you have a lot of clay or hard earth, it can be difficult to remove (even with this method). Shoveling out some of the dirt can help loosen it.

Another method you can use if you don't have a car jack is to use a floor jack. Place the floor jack onto a piece of solid wood. Using another post screwed (or chained) to the post you want removed, and another piece of wood (or cinderblocks) on the other side of the post to be removed to use as leverage. Jack up the post and the post in the ground will begin to move up and out. Again, if the post is in hard clay or hard earth, you may want to shovel some of the dirt out of the way to help make it easier to move. You don't need to shovel it all the way out, but some will help.

Whatever the reason you need to remove the fence posts, be it because they're rotten, or because you want to update your yard with a new fence, try one of the methods above using a jack to help do most of the work for you. If you don't feel you can do this on your own or if you have problems, consider contacting a fence installation expert.

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