Posthole drilling questions, answered

No. We pride ourselves on disturbing your existing lawn as little as possible. We use fiberglass composite mats to move our equipment across finished lawns, driveways and sidewalks and, more importantly, to turn our machine on your finished lawn. The mats let the machine spin in its own length on top of the mat with little to no disturbance to your property.

Every job is a little different. The price depends on how many holes you need, how wide and how deep. The drilling minimum is $350 in the Fowlerville and Howell area, $400 in the Lansing area and $500 in the Detroit area. Other areas are priced by distance. Most deck and fence projects run $350–$450. Fill out the contact form and Kirk will give you an accurate estimate. See pricing and minimums

Most projects are planned, so figure about three business days. Kirk files a MISS DIG ticket for every job, and MISS DIG needs 72 business hours (Mon–Fri) to clear: A ticket submitted Friday at noon clears the following Wednesday at noon. He doesn't drill without clearance.

Yes. Kirk files the MISS DIG ticket himself, through his contractor portal, for every job, commercial and residential. It's required by law and protects valuable infrastructure, and he doesn't drill without clearance. MISS DIG needs 72 business hours (Mon–Fri) to clear. A ticket submitted Friday at noon clears the following Wednesday at noon.

We run 8 auger sizes: 6, 8, 9, 12, 15, 16, 18 and 24 inches. The deepest we drill is 10 feet. Footings in Saline went the full ten feet, 18 inches wide, to reach undisturbed soil.

It needs a 42 inch gate. If your gate is narrower, fence sections can be removed for access. Tell us about the access when you call and we'll plan around it.

Yes. We work year-round, frozen ground included. Our photos include deck holes drilled in the snow in Brighton, and one customer watched us finish a job with a foot of frost in the ground. Ground screws are a good fit for winter builds because there's no concrete to cure.

Yes. If a hole isn't plumb or to depth, Kirk redrills it free.

Yes. Any type of excavating, which hole augering is, can be dangerous: hauling, loading, unloading and operating equipment all carry real risk. We carry general liability and workers' comp, and a certificate of insurance is available on request. Don't hire a contractor who isn't insured: doing so causes you to assume their liability.

Yes. Kirk does layouts for fences and straightforward decks, quoted separately. Complex decks usually come laid out by the builder. Final approval is the customer's responsibility, and we assume no liability for building code compliance.

We serve Livingston, Ingham, Washtenaw, Oakland, Wayne, Genesee and Jackson counties in southeast Michigan, from our home base in Fowlerville. We regularly work in Fowlerville, Howell, Brighton, Lansing, Ann Arbor, Fenton, Flint, Southfield, Detroit and Downriver. Farther from Fowlerville the minimum goes up, so reach out and we'll tell you where you stand. See the service area

Our professionalism aside, our equipment and attention to your project set us apart. We use an LED inclinometer to make sure your holes are perfectly plumb and vertical regardless of terrain, which is essential for a well-built finished product. And our use of ground protection and dedication to preserving your property are unmatched. Your project and property are our number one priority.

For drilling, $350 in the Fowlerville and Howell area, $400 in the Lansing area and $500 in the Detroit area. Other areas are priced by distance. Dig and set, concrete piers and ground screw installation each have a $600 minimum.

Yes. A single hole is $250 when Kirk is already working nearby. Otherwise the minimum applies.

The depth, diameter and number of holes, and where the project is. Most deck and fence projects run $350–$450. Call or text with those details and Kirk will give you a number.

We can remove the spoils from drilling. Haul-away starts at $350, or we can move the dirt wherever you want it on the property.

Below the frost line and down to undisturbed soil. Next to a basement, the soil along the foundation was dug out and backfilled when the house was built (the over-dig area), so footings there often need to go 7 to 10 feet. We can drill up to 10 feet in most soil conditions, straight, right next to the foundation.

No. We cover the holes for safety, and we keep the machine and spoils inside the build area whenever the site allows.

In most municipalities we work in, there's no inspection for ground screws. The building department accepts the engineering report, tributary load calculations and torque report. In Livingston County, an inspector comes out to watch one screw go in, and we schedule that for you. We'll help you figure out what your project needs.

Yes. There's no concrete to pour or cure, so ground screws go in on frozen ground. That makes them a good fit for winter deck builds, and the structure is buildable immediately.

Your plans, through the contact form. Kirk picks the right screws for your loads and sends an estimate. When you're ready, he provides the tributary load calculations, a drawing that calls out each pier, ICC-ES ESR-4226 and the other documents for your building permit application, then installs and gives you the torque report.

Torque. As each screw goes in, its torque is recorded by a hub that connects by Bluetooth to an app on Kirk's phone. If a screw reaches its minimum torque, it bears its rated load. Every screw is logged by pier number in the torque report.

No. A ground screw goes into the ground in place of a dug-and-poured footing, so there's no concrete, no cure time and no hole spoils. The posts stay out of the ground.

Ground screws: $149–$210 per screw, including the screw, flange and hardware. Installation: $75 per screw, with a $600 minimum installation charge. Every ground screw installation includes tributary load calculations, a permit drawing calling out each pier, ICC-ES ESR-4226 and the other documents for your permit application, and a torque report after installation.

Concrete piers are priced per pier: 8 in pier: $80; 10 in pier: $90; 12 in pier: $110; larger than 12 in: contact us for pricing. We dig, supply and pour the concrete, and set your brackets or J-hooks; you supply the brackets or J-hooks, and Sonotube forms if you want them. Prices are for standard 42-inch-deep piers. Deeper piers, like footings next to a foundation, are quoted. Concrete pier jobs have a $600 minimum.

Dig-and-set jobs get a reduced drilling fee, plus a per-post setting charge: $50 for a 4x4 fence post (8 in hole); $80 for a 4x4 post for gates or fences over 7' (10 in hole); $60 for a 6x6 fence post (10 in hole); $90 for a 6x6 post for gates or fences over 7' (12 in hole). You supply the posts; we supply the concrete. Dig-and-set jobs have a $600 minimum.

No. You supply the posts. We supply the concrete, set each post plumb and in line, and you build.

Dig-and-set jobs get a reduced drilling fee, plus the per-post setting charge, with a $600 minimum. Setting posts takes an extra person, the mixer, a run for materials, and often a second trip to set after the hole inspection.

Yes. We remove and dispose of the concrete and any other debris you need cleared for your project, then drill the postholes.

Yes. We remove the old deck and haul the debris, and the same crew can drill the footing holes for the new one.

Yes. We pull the old fence, cut out old posts set in concrete, haul it all away, drill the new holes and can set the new posts.

Yes. Concrete removal doesn't have to come with postholes. We break it out and haul it away.

Yes. Kirk has a concrete mixer that mounts on the front of the mini skid, so we can drill the footing holes and fill them with concrete.