No Mess, No Dig, No Problem: The Future of Fence Installation
The Smarter Way to Build a Fence: No Mess. No Dig. No Regrets.
Imagine getting a new fence installed in your yard—without ripped-up landscaping, piles of dirt, or days of waiting for concrete to cure. Sounds impossible, right? Not anymore.
At Basin Fence, we believe fence installation shouldn’t be a drawn-out, messy experience. That’s why we’ve embraced an innovative method that flips the script on traditional fence building: the no mess, no dig fence installation.
It’s not just efficient. It’s Smarter, Stronger, and Better for your home.
Let’s dig in (figuratively) to why this method is changing the game—and why you’ll never want to go back to concrete footings again.
Table of Contents
Old Habits Die Hard: But Are They Better?
A lot of folks still believe concrete is the only way to secure a fence post. We get it, it’s been the standard for decades for fence installations. But just because something’s been around forever doesn’t make it the best choice today. Have you ever taken a look at how bridges, skyscrapers, and pretty much all of our major infrastructure is built? In all of these instances, they drive in posts or pylons for these structures that will hold thousands of peoples lives in there hands.
Pounded post installation has actually been around for longer than you think. Fence companies in regions with deeper frost lines have used this method for decades all around the world.
This is a method that skips the concrete and goes straight for strength and speed. And contrary to popular myths, it doesn’t just benefit the fence contractor—it benefits you.
Let’s break down the top misconceptions:
- Myth 1: Concrete is stronger
- Myth 2: Pounding is just a cost-cutting shortcut
- Myth 3: This method only helps the fence company, not the homeowner
Spoiler alert: all false.
Built to Last: It’s All About the Post
Let’s talk materials. The strength of any fence starts with what’s holding it up.
For wood fences, we use engineered steel posts called postmaster steel posts. This post comes with an industry leading limited lifetime warranty and an unprecedented 81mph wind load rating and is driven over 4ft deep into the ground ( well beyond ASTM standard recommendation). Many other fence companies are still using wood posts that will begin to rot and warp in a few months. Some are offering round metal posts as thing as 16ga which is something we do not even use on 4ft chain link. The better companies are offering sch20 or even better sch40 round posts but even these fall short of the postmaster wind load rating. Wind and rot being the primary concern in our area makes postmaster posts the clear choice for us.
For Vinyl fences we use a 2.5in sch40 round post driven 4ft deep into the ground and then sleeved over with an American made vinyl post. This provides a much stronger fence than a vinyl post set in concrete alone. Many other fence contractors are using cheap Chinese made vinyl products with thin post walls and rails to cut costs. The problem with these cheap products is they often warp, sag, and become brittle from the sun beating on it constantly in the Lafayette climate. We buy an 8ft sch40 post for around $22 and put 2 high density post spacers ($3/piece) on it to fit the inside of the vinyl posts, while others are pouring one 80lb bag of concrete ($4.5) if you are lucky per post. Why does that matter? Because concrete and vinyl don’t mix well. As the seasons change, vinyl expands and contracts. Concrete doesn’t. That mismatch creates pressure that can cause posts to lift, shift, or crack over time. Our method eliminates that risk.
For aluminum fences we use a patented aluminum I-post driven 3ft deep into the ground and sleeved over with the aluminum post. This makes the post an estimated 300% stronger than typical aluminum posts set in concrete alone. These aluminum I-posts cost us ($30/post) while once again a single 80lb bag of concrete costs ($4.5/bag).
It’s Not Just Stronger. It’s Smarter.
Here’s what makes our no mess, no dig method the clear winner for homeowners:
✅ Faster Installation
No curing time. No delays. We can often install your entire fence in just one day.
✅ Cleaner Results
No digging means no torn-up yard, no dirt piles, and no heavy equipment making ruts in your lawn. Just a clean, polished finish.
✅ Built for Harsh Conditions
Frozen ground? Rock? Concrete slabs? We can pound through all of it. Concrete-set fences can’t compete.
✅ Better Protection at Ground Level
Wind loads are strongest where the fence meets the earth. That’s also the weakest point for traditional fences. With our steel driven posts, your fence can stand tall through storms, seasons, and time.
✅ Easier Repairs
If a section of your fence ever needs fixing, we simply remove the metal post and swap it out. No digging, no jackhammers, no waiting. Just a quick fix that saves you time and money. In the instance of our vinyl and aluminum fences, we can often just replaced the sleeved over post, saving you even more.
Seeing Is Believing
We have had our postmaster post fence stand up against hurricanes and have personally tested these posts against a 95mph+ wind speed without failure.
- Postmaster posts are engineered to flex against a load instead of bending and failing.
- We had a neighbors fence installed in concrete about 6 months prior to ours completely fail and 80% of the fence line was leaning over.
That’s the power of postmaster steel, properly installed fence posts.
Why Driven Posts Just Make More Sense
As someone with an engineering background, I already understood how powerful compacted soil can be. But it wasn’t until I really started applying that knowledge to fencing that the lightbulb truly went off.
Think about it, the ground beneath our feet has been naturally compacted over thousands of years. And the deeper you go, the more solid it becomes. It’s common sense. So why, for so long, did the fence industry insist on digging holes and pouring concrete?
Well, before we had the equipment to drive posts deep into the earth, digging was the only option. But even as technology advanced, many companies simply upgraded their tools, from manual diggers to powered augers, without rethinking why they were still digging in the first place.
Here’s the problem with that traditional method: when you dig a hole, you disturb the soil around it, which reduces the ground’s natural stability. Then, in an attempt to make up for that, you fill the hole with concrete to hold the post in place. Essentially, you’re trying to recreate strength that already existed before you disrupted it.
With our no-dig method, we drive the post directly into undisturbed, compacted soil, keeping the ground’s natural density intact. The result? A stronger, more stable base without the need for concrete. In fact, driving a post actually compacts the surrounding soil even more as it goes in, locking the post into place with minimal movement and maximum durability.
In other words: the modern solution isn’t just faster and cleaner—it’s structurally smarter, too.
Bottom Line: This Isn’t a Shortcut—It’s an Upgrade
Some say pounding posts is just a cheaper, easier method. The truth? It’s actually more expensive in materials. A concrete mix might cost $4.5 a bag. A galvanized steel post? Around $35.
We invest more so you get a fence that lasts longer, stands stronger, and goes in cleaner and faster. That’s not cutting corners. That’s raising the bar.
From Oil Rigs to Backyard Fences: How Engineering Changed the Way This Fence Company Builds fences.
My interest in alternative fence installation methods actually started in an unexpected place, the oil industry.
While working as an engineer, I encountered massive 40-foot sound barrier walls surrounding drilling sites to minimize noise for nearby neighborhoods. These were towering structures, and I couldn’t help but wonder how they stayed standing, especially during the intense winds that would sometimes halt operations entirely.
Naturally, I assumed they were anchored in concrete. But after digging a little deeper—literally and figuratively—I was surprised to find out that wasn’t the case at all.
Instead, the posts were drilled eight feet into the ground, and then backfilled with dirt. In some cases, the first two feet of the hole weren’t even compacted. As strange as that seemed, the structures were rock solid.
Thanks to my engineering background, I understood exactly why this worked: the deeper you go, the more compact and undisturbed the soil becomes. That density is incredibly strong—often stronger than any concrete workaround. And it got me thinking: why aren’t we applying this same principle to fences?
After some research, I learned that post driving has been used in fencing for quite some time, especially in northern states and Canada. It wasn’t new—but it wasn’t mainstream either. We saw an opportunity to take what others had started and push it further, combining hands-on experience with real engineering data to refine the process and choose the ideal materials for post driving.
The result? A smarter, stronger, cleaner way to build fences—one that makes full use of the ground’s natural strength rather than working against it.
Ready to Upgrade Your Fence?
We’re proud to offer a lifetime workmanship warranty on all our no mess, no dig fence installations—plus material warranties from our trusted suppliers.
Whether you need a fence for privacy, pets, safety, or style, we’re here to make it easy, fast, and mess-free.
Want a quote? Contact us today and we will have someone come out and get you a free estimate. Let’s build you a fence you’ll love—without tearing up your yard to do it.