How to Install a Flagpole

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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Full-size flagpoles are made up of several components, all of which can be purchased from specialty flagpole dealers. Here's how to install your flagpole and get Old Glory waving.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Guy Wires
Concrete
Yellow Pages
Concrete
Flagpole
Shovels
Levels
Wooden Boards Or Ropes
Shovels

Step 1

Dig a hole for a concrete foundation. The size of the hole depends on the size of your flagpole.
Step 2

Lay the flagpole out on a flat, clean surface and put the sections together as instructed in the manufacturer's directions.
Step 3

Attach the halyard rope (the rope that raises and lowers the flag) and flag snaps as directed, tying the two halyard ends together with a square knot. The flag snaps will eventually attach to holes (or "grommets") in the flag.
Step 4

Raise the flagpole once it has been assembled; place it in the center of the foundation hole. Be sure to orient the pole so that it will face in the desired direction for access to the rope, or for any decorative item on the top.
Step 5

Prop the pole up with sticks of wood or guy ropes or wires attached to stakes in the ground. Use at least three.
Step 6

Check that the pole is fixed so it's "plumb" (straight up and down), using a carpenter's level. Use a level that's at least 2 feet long, preferably longer.
Step 7

Wet down the hole just enough so the dirt is damp, and mix enough concrete to fill the hole. After the concrete has set for a while, smooth the top to the finish you prefer. (This is a good opportunity to write your name for the ages!)
Step 8

Check the pole one last time while the concrete is still relatively movable to be sure it's still plumb.
Step 9

Let the concrete cure for at least 24 hours before removing the supports.

Comments

ynohtna said

Flag This Comment

on 7/20/2009 Great thanx 5*

on 12/6/2008 I'm most interested in how you set the flag pole once you have the base and sleeve completed. I think it's a bit premature to set the pole before the cement is dry. If you are installing a 20-ft pole, how do you keep it from destroying the sleeve installation if the cement is not dry and cured a bit? Then, how do you get a 20-ft pole that weighs gosh knows how much into a 2-1/2" or 3" sleeve? Even with a couple of helpers, this seems to be a pretty dicey problem. So, how do you accomplish this task?

haredwa said

on 6/21/2008 I want to install a 20' telescoping flagpole on a granite rock surface which I can't dig into. Does anyone have any idea how large a concrete base I would need to pour to make the flagpole stable? Thanks

MikeK3 said

on 6/19/2008 I am planting my third Flag pole in ten years. The winds & storms in Oklahoma have taken two down. This ntime I am going to use Steel pipe instead of aluminum, and am putting the base pipe(2"X12') into a five gallon bucket of cement and burying it 26" into a deep hole. Once that cement cures I will use a 1 1/2 X 12' pole to go inside 2" pipe and add cement into that pipe. Afterwards I will affix the neccesary
parts to raise the American Flag & a POW-MIA Flag.
I do believe it will be standing for a long time. I'm open to any suggestions.
Mike Kelly - 6953kelly@cox.net

Anonymous said

on 11/22/2005 I have found that when installing a flagpole in good, solid dirt, that concrete is not always needed. Several bags of play sand will hold the flagpole nicely in place, After digging your hole, pour the sand in and around the flagpole, making sure that you get it in all of the cracks and crevices of the hole. Make sure that you check the flagpole often to make sure that it stays plumb. This works for both small and large flagpoles.