How to Determine the Length Between Your Electric Fence Posts

When you’re installing electric fence posts, one thing you need to know is how far apart to place your fence posts. This is something that will depend on the type of fence you’re installing and whether it’s permanent or temporary. Each has its own demands and requirements. There are also other thoughts that you need to consider when installing electric fence posts.

Temporary Fence

You might well be setting up a temporary electric fence to contain stock while they forage in a particular area. You will want something that you can set up and tear down quite easily without putting in too much work or time.

However, at the same time, you want the electric fence to be effective at containing your stock so they can’t wander into other areas. In this instance, you’re best served by spacing the electric fence posts 50 feet apart. That might seem like too great a distance, but it’s actually ideal in getting the job done efficiently.

Make sure the posts are properly embedded in the ground and run the fence taut between the electric fence posts. Because the installation is just temporary you shouldn’t be using it for more than a few weeks, so the fence itself won’t have time to stretch and sag. It will remain taut and work effectively, even with the electric fence posts so far apart. The great advantage is that this spacing of electric fence posts means you can set up and remove the electric fence quickly and with the minimum amount of labor.

Permanent Fence

Things change when you’re installing a permanent electric fence. This is intended to stay in place and you don’t want to have to perform regular maintenance on it. There are two basic requirements: the fence shouldn’t sag and it should follow the topography of the land.

It’s vital to follow the contours of the land through the dips and hills. This means that the electric fence will remain at the same height to keep your stock where you want them. This is not going to happen if the electric wire or tape sags. When this occurs, it’s like opening a gate for your stock. You can’t constantly check the fence to see everything is fine.

To avoid the wire sagging or to stop the tape flapping wildly in the wind, the electric fence posts need to be much closer together than with a temporary electric fence. Although it’s really up to you, the commonly accepted distance between electric fence posts is 12 feet. However, others recommend anywhere between 15 feet and 30 feet. The longer distance can be problematic over time and you’ll need to keep a closer eye on it. The shorter distance means a lot more work in the shorter-term because you’ll have to install many more posts.

When you string your electric wire or tape on the electric fence posts, make sure it’s taut. This way, it will be less likely to sag. If you use wooden posts, they should have insulators attached. If your electric fence posts are plastic horse posts, ensure they’re fully pressed into the ground.