At Capitol Fence we take securing our fence posts properly very seriously.   

1. We dig 24-36 inches into the ground at the area the post will go into the ground.
2. Often we use 4″ by 4″ posts and thus we make the hole slightly larger at the bottom in order to anchor the post into the ground firmly.
3. Next we adjust the height and orientation by adding dry packed concrete that will absorb the moisture in the ground and will set the post very quickly.  This step is critical and the better packed the post is in the ground the faster it will set.
4. We use a level in order to make sure the post is level (plum).
5. A finished post in this manner needs 48-72 hours to properly set before we can start adding rails and boards.