Removing old concrete fence post

Ivor Windybottom · 2 Jun 2026

Farm jacks are not expensive. I have one, have used it to pull up concrete posts and well established bushes. It's pretty unstoppable, it's capable of lifting a Land Rover so a concreted in fence post is nothing.

You will need something horizontal, e.g. a bolt through a hole in the post. Most have holes.

https://www.diy.com/departments/high-lifting-ratchet-farm-jack-3t-60-high-lift-off-road-rescue-hoist-recovery-trail-/0600988553149_BQ.prd

KentExpert · 2 Jun 2026

If you can't get a car Jack and a chain around it then I would dig around it and smash away at with under ground level with a sledge hammer or angle grind it off or even go at it with an SDS drill. It may have metal reinforcing rods, so watch out for these. The only problem with smashing them off is that you may have to change the position of the posts for a new fence. I did once did some out where space was limited and I used a power washer to get around the old concrete. Good luck

stevie888 · 2 Jun 2026

If you are replacing the fence you can get 7foot panels if you need to offset the post.

My three-hapenceworth would be leave the post long and rock it about: shove a hose down there to soften the soil.

If you get lucky it will have been put up with postcrete which will probably fall apart.

amfisted · 7 Jun 2026

Many thanks again, all.

I now have a slightly different post removal issue. Since my original question was posed I’ve put in a short run of 4ft panels with 1ft gravel boards and 6ft 9in concrete posts, but I’ve overcompensated when attempting not to crush my neighbours plants and set one panel 3 inches out of kilter with the boundary line. It’s sloppiness on my part (and lack of string ) but needs sorting, though not urgently. The techniques already explained will be useful to remove the wrongly positioned post though with the Postcrete being new, I'm not sure whether it’ll be any harder to break up. I’m pretty sure it’ll still line up nicely with the rest of the panels when it’s reset, anyhow.

The old post has gone, by the way. Levering back and forth loosened it from the ground fairly easily and most of the setting concrete came out with the post.

Tigercubrider · 7 Jun 2026

Concrete gets harder as it ages. But years, not months.
If you can get the old post out, an Sds drill might help get the old concrete off?

The issue will be that you likely will end up with a massive hole, just where you want the new post location.

One suggestion (I doubt if it would work?)
Dig a tiny amount of soil around three sides of the postcrete, a larger hole on the neighbour’s side and somehow use a crowbar to shift the entire mass toward the neighbour’s side? Then add more postcrete to fill the gap.
The idea is to not disturb the soil as much as possible.

jj4091 · 7 Jun 2026

Do you have access to any scaffold poles and a block and chain? If so make a tripod/teepee of the scaffold poles and fit the block and chain in the apex. Fasten another chain or strong rope/strap to the pole and pull it out. In fact a good stong ratchet strap might be as good as a block and chain.

amfisted · 7 Jun 2026

Tigercubrider said:
Concrete gets harder as it ages. But years, not months.
If you can get the old post out, an Sds drill might help get the old concrete off?

The issue will be that you likely will end up with a massive hole, just where you want the new post location.

One suggestion (I doubt if it would work?)
Dig a tiny amount of soil around three sides of the postcrete, a larger hole on the neighbour’s side and somehow use a crowbar to shift the entire mass toward the neighbour’s side? Then add more postcrete to fill the gap.
The idea is to not disturb the soil as much as possible.

One of those solutions is bound to work, thanks. And I do have an SDS drill, with a chisel attachment that I used to break up old concrete and stones and split/shred several roots, when I was digging the post holes for the new fence.

amfisted · 7 Jun 2026

jj4091 said:
Do you have access to any scaffold poles and a block and chain? If so make a tripod/teepee of the scaffold poles and fit the block and chain in the apex. Fasten another chain or strong rope/strap to the pole and pull it out. In fact a good stong ratchet strap might be as good as a block and chain.

I don’t have access to any of that stuff but thanks for the suggestion, anyhow.

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Removing old concrete fence post

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