I was setting posts with a 4-foot level for years before a guy in Boise showed me his trick with a 6-footer.

He said 'you're checking two sides, but you're missing the twist,' and now I always check all four sides with the longer level before the concrete sets, which saves so many callbacks for leaning fences.

3 comments

3 Comments

troyp371mo ago

That bit about missing the twist really hits home. I was so focused on getting two sides plumb that I never even considered the post could be turning like a corkscrew. Using a longer level to check all four faces was a total game changer for me too.

julia_fisher281mo ago

Have you tried what @james_martin93 does with the plywood?

james_martin931mo ago

Man, the twist thing is huge. But you know what else gets me? Even with a long level, if your ground isn't level where you're standing, you're already fighting a losing battle. I'll sometimes throw down a scrap piece of plywood to stand on just to make sure my own feet aren't throwing me off. It's a tiny thing that makes a big difference.