Check this photo. Are these guys doing the job right?

EricsGarden

We're having a new fence installed at the end of our garden. 

6 ft-high posts, with 6 x 6 ft fence panels.

Yesterday I was examining their progress, and noticed that in one of the holes one of the posts was put into now appeared to be filled with concrete. They haven't done this with the other posts, but this one is right in the middle, so maybe that's why.

Anyway I have been planning to put a DIY flagpole in my garden for a while, and several months ago I got hold of a nice scaffold pole that I was planning to bury next to the fence and use it to support the rest of the flagpole. 

When I saw the hole filled with concrete, I thought I would try putting my scaffold pole into it, as it would be in the perfect position at the end of the garden.

After a bit of thought I decided to go for it, and I tried pushing the scaffold pole into the cement, but to my surprise it only went in about an inch.

When I pulled the flag pole out, this is what I saw. 




So as you can see, the concrete is only 10mm thick at most. 

Maybe I'm wrong to have expected it to go much much deeper, as I admit I'm no builder.

But as it looks it makes no sense to me why they even bothered with such a thin layer of concrete at all.

What do you guys think? Is this OK or should I call them out on it this morning?

I would probably normally not even bother you all and ask for help about this, but I've had great help from this forum in the past, and they've already made two big mistakes with the fence since they started work, so I'm now keeping an eye on their progress at every step, and I think it's not unreasonable to want to make sure they're doing their job well and not cutting corners.

Thanks all.

Fairygirl

Are they not concreting all the posts in? 
Are you sure there's only a few inches of concrete there for that one? It wouldn't be worth using at that depth.
Some products for concreting require the holes to be filled with water first and then have the dry mix added, but it shouldn't look wet like that after the mix is added. I've used those products [Postcrete etc] many times, and it shouldn't look like that after you put the post in and tamp down the mix. 
I'd certainly be asking why they aren't securely fixing the posts. Doing fencing for animals is a different process and doesn't require them to be concreted, but, unless the fence is very low, I'd be worried.
 
What is being attached to the posts for your fence?

owd potter

From what I can tell from photo's this doesn't look like a thin layer of concrete to me.
It looks like laitence, which is essentially water from the concrete that leaches to the surface when concrete is overworked.
It doesn't suggest that the concrete is thin. I can't see that there is earth beneath the hole you have created. I reckon it's fine
 

Wilderbeast

As a builder I'd say there using postcrete it sets very fast, however if they use a lot of water it tends to come to the top leaving a top layer that can take much longer to set. I wouldn't have a problem so long as they are filling the hole full. It looks fine to me. Personally I would concrete each post as I went but I've seen people dig all the holes and the concrete after. Talk to your fencer see what he says and ask about postcrete/concrete 

Dovefromabove

... and if you plan to attach a flag pole to one of the uprights tell the fencer your plans then he can ensure that the upright in question is secure enough to take the additional forces/strains that will be on it.  

Fairygirl

I'd still be asking questions, if they've already made other mistakes.
My sister had a conservatory built - by a well respected local company.
The founds were 4inches deep....
Needless to say, it all had to be redone. 

Ergates

I may have misunderstood, but did you say you tried to push the flagpole into the cement round the fence post? If so, presumably it wouldn’t go in very far because the deeper layers were already too hard?
Id definitely ask if they are putting cement round the other fence posts, and watch them doing it, if you can.

EricsGarden

Fairygirl said:

Are they not concreting all the posts in? 
Are you sure there's only a few inches of concrete there for that one? It wouldn't be worth using at that depth.
Some products for concreting require the holes to be filled with water first and then have the dry mix added, but it shouldn't look wet like that after the mix is added. I've used those products [Postcrete etc] many times, and it shouldn't look like that after you put the post in and tamp down the mix. 
I'd certainly be asking why they aren't securely fixing the posts. Doing fencing for animals is a different process and doesn't require them to be concreted, but, unless the fence is very low, I'd be worried.
 
What is being attached to the posts for your fence?

owd potter said:

From what I can tell from photo's this doesn't look like a thin layer of concrete to me.
It looks like laitence, which is essentially water from the concrete that leaches to the surface when concrete is overworked.
It doesn't suggest that the concrete is thin. I can't see that there is earth beneath the hole you have created. I reckon it's fine
 

Wilderbeast said:

As a builder I'd say there using postcrete it sets very fast, however if they use a lot of water it tends to come to the top leaving a top layer that can take much longer to set. I wouldn't have a problem so long as they are filling the hole full. It looks fine to me. Personally I would concrete each post as I went but I've seen people dig all the holes and the concrete after. Talk to your fencer see what he says and ask about postcrete/concrete 

Dovefromabove said:

... and if you plan to attach a flag pole to one of the uprights tell the fencer your plans then he can ensure that the upright in question is secure enough to take the additional forces/strains that will be on it.  

Thanks for all your replies. A mixed response 😁

I'm not sure of much except what I can see with my own eyes.

They are building new houses on the land that was on the other side of this fence, and they offered to replace our and our neighbours fences.

Here are some photos I've just taken to provide more visual information. 

So far they have done 1 and 2 of the 4 panels (3 posts so far).

And I aired earlier, the posts are about 8 - 8.5 ft from ground level and the ground slopes down from left to right.





They're trying to keep it level, the same as our old fence was, but I'm unclear why they didn't put the first one at ground level and then put bricks under the it as it went to the right, because now they will have a huge gap between the bottom of the last fence and the ground.

AnniD

Hedgehog highway perhaps?  Not being facetious, they are a thing 🦔🦔🦔🦔.
https://www.discoverwildlife.com/news/hedgehog-highways-to-be-included-in-new-housing-developments/

Nanny Beach

Hopefully by now you have managed to see what is going on. We have bricks one end because of a slight slope. Hubby used postcrete,but on every post,and each one is about 12x12inches and same depth. Fairy I watched the guys do next doors huge conservatory with full size brick wall each end, about a foot deep,then laid in breeze blocks. Mind you, I was very impressed they managed to carry the materials on horseback!

Fairygirl

Surely they're stepping the fence accordingly, as the ground slopes?
That would be the normal approach, otherwise you'll have a very odd looking fence, and will either need to back fill all the ground under it, or technically end up with a fence that's too high at one end. 
A pic of the site from further out would help in that regard. 

I must say  that the bit you show looks fine though.