Warning: that "easy" Saturday fence job cost me a whole week

Last spring I took on a small yard in Portland, thought it would be a 2 day job. The homeowner said "it's just a straight line, 80 feet max." I showed up and the ground was pure clay mixed with old roots from a maple tree they cut down. My auger couldn't punch through more than 6 inches without hitting a rock or a root chunk. I ended up digging every single hole by hand with a clam shell digger, took me 5 days total. The worst part was the rain came on day 3 and turned everything into mud soup. I learned to never trust a "quick job" description from a client, always go check the soil first. Has anyone else had a simple looking job turn into a nightmare because of hidden ground conditions?

3 comments

3 Comments

seth6832mo ago

My buddy thought he was just fixing a sagging gate and ended up digging out an old septic tank nobody knew existed.

robinj292mo ago

Wait, did he actually hit the tank or just find it while digging?

-1

jessica_hall492mo ago

Got a metal detector guy I know who says old tanks ping exactly like buried treasure if you don't know what you're looking for. Would explain how he ended up so deep into it.