Metal Fence Post Removal

Metal T-posts are commonly used for livestock fencing.

If you understand the different installation techniques of metal fence posts, you'll be better prepared to remove them. Two common methods are used to install metal posts: pounding them in and cementing them in. Pounding requires the use of a fence post pounder to drive the post into the ground. Cementing requires digging a hole big enough to accommodate the post and cement. Metal posts pounded in can sometimes be pulled out by hand, but digging is usually required for cemented metal fence post removal.

Remove the Fencing

Cut iron fence panels from the post with a hacksaw. If the fencing is wire, cut the wires with a pair of wire cutters. If the fencing is wood, undo the screws holding the wood to the metal post mounting brackets. You'll need to use an electric screw gun for this. Clear a 10-foot area around the fence post.

Loosen the Post

Soak the soil around the post with water using a garden hose attached to a water source. Wait 24 hours. Grab the post with your hands, and move it back and forth and from side to side. If the post isn't cemented in, lift up on the post with your hands. It may lift up out of the soil. If it doesn't, you'll need to dig around the post.

Dig Around the Post

Dig out the dirt from around the post with a shovel. Dig until you can freely rock the post back and forth. Throw the dirt far enough away from the hole to keep it from falling back into it.

Pull out the Post

Pull the post out of the hole if it isn't cemented in. Wrap a chain around the base of the post if it's encased in cement. Hook the chain back to itself, and hook the other end of the chain to the bumper of a pickup truck. Pull the post up out of the hole by driving the truck forward. Remove the chain, and ask,three to four people to help you lift the post into the pickup bed for removal.