Homeowner Whose Hired Fence Builder Once Hit The Main Water Line Rebuilds A Rotting Fence Alone, Then Puts The Gate Hinges In The Wrong Spot

The fence in the backyard of home renovator @dawson.diy was in rough shape. By the creator’s own description, it was “literally falling over.”

A homeowner standing beside his backyard fence, shown with a close view of a weathered wooden fence gate and latch

So the homeowner decided to fix it, from the old posts to the final pickets. There was one catch: this was a first-ever fence and gate build, and a bad memory was part of the motivation.

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“They Hit The Main Water Line To My House, And It Was A Disaster”

At a previous house, the creator says, a hired worker built the fence and gate. During that job, “they hit the main water line to my house, and it was a disaster.”

That experience left a mark. “I’m very motivated to try and do it myself,” the creator says.

Digging Holes Turned Out To Be The Hard Part

The first step was pulling out the old posts. Then came a simple layout trick: a piece of string and a stick to line up exactly where each new hole should go.

The creator says the new posts need to sit 24 inches deep, and that digging them “takes forever.” Partway through, the reality check arrives: “Oh my gosh, it’s only 10 inches.”

Anyone who has dug a post hole by hand will recognize that feeling. The ground, roots and rocks tend to win the first few rounds.

A $5 Tool And A Concrete “Volcano” Keep The Posts Steady

Once the holes were ready, the posts went in. The creator used a little tool that cost $5 to keep each post level while the concrete set.

Because the area floods, the posts were set a little higher than usual. The plan was to add extra concrete around each one, shaped “like a volcano” at the end, so water runs off instead of pooling.

Mixing the concrete right in the hole, the creator says, is the easiest way to do it. Then came the last post.

Then The Gate Hinges Went In The Wrong Spot

Here is where the first-timer moment arrives. To make the gate easier, the creator bought an adjustable gate kit, but “as you can imagine, I pretty much messed it up right away.”

The mistake was simple: “Apparently, I put a hinges in the wrong spot.” The reaction was a shrug and a smile. “Well, that’s the good part about DIYs. You can fix it yourself.”

After the hinges were finally right, the next job was figuring out how wide the gate should be. The creator cut a couple of boards to hold it together, added the rails and screwed everything in place.

The creator calls the kit very helpful, with a condition: “If you can follow instructions, I actually think this kit is very helpful.”

A Few Days Later, The Rotting Fence Was Gone

After the gate came the pickets. In just a couple of days, the creator says, the fence that was “truly rotting and falling over” became “something so much more functional and beautiful.”

The post ends with a before and after, and a teaser. Next up, the creator says, is a project using the old pavers left over from the job.

What First-Time Fence Builders Can Take From This

A fence rebuild is a doable weekend or multi-day project for many homeowners, but a few habits make it go smoother. The biggest lesson in this story is to plan before the first shovel goes in the ground.

Start by finding out what is underground. In the United States, you can call 811 a few days before you dig, and utility companies will mark the approximate location of buried lines for free. That is a general safety step that protects water, gas, electric and communication lines, and it is the very kind of problem the creator wanted to avoid.

Also check your local rules. Many towns and homeowner associations set limits on fence height, materials and how close a fence can sit to a property line. Permit requirements vary by location, so a quick call to your local building office can save a costly redo.

Small Habits That Prevent Big Headaches

Measure twice and dry fit once. The creator’s hinge mistake is common with gate kits, and laying out the pieces before screwing anything down can catch it early.

Dig to the depth the instructions call for. A common rule of thumb is that a post should be buried deep enough to resist wind and shifting soil, and the creator’s 24 inch target reflects that thinking. Digging only 10 inches, as the creator found partway through, would leave a post that wobbles.

In a spot that floods, consider setting posts slightly higher and slope the concrete away, as the creator did. Standing water around a wood post is one of the fastest routes to rot.

Call 811 before digging, and wait for the lines to be marked.
Use string lines so your posts stay straight and evenly spaced.
Keep a level handy and check every post before the concrete sets.
Read the gate kit instructions all the way through before drilling.

Mistakes Are Part Of The Project

The charm of this story is that nothing went perfectly, and the creator still finished with a fence worth showing off. Wrong hinges and shallow holes are the kind of slip-ups that first-timers hit, and most can be fixed with patience.

For anyone looking at a leaning fence of their own, the creator’s story offers a simple message. Take your time, ask for help where you need it, and remember that a mistake on a DIY job is usually a fix, not a disaster. Follow @dawson.diy for the next project.

Willow and Hearth