How to: DIY Wire Fence Posts

Determine the height of your fence. Add 12 inches to this height to get the length of your fence posts.

Cut 4-by-4-inch treated lumber to the previously determined length for the posts using a circular saw. Make enough posts for the perimeter of your fence, with the posts spaced 8 feet apart along the fence.

Dig a 12-inch hole with a post hole digger. Set the fence post in the hole using a carpenter's level to ensure the top of the post is level. Fill the hole with the removed dirt. Tamp the dirt firmly in place to hold the post securely.

Set a 16-foot long 2-by-4 inch board over the top of the posts to span the three posts. The ends of the 2-by-4 should only cover half of the top of the two end posts in the span.

Nail the 2-by-4 into the top of the fence posts to form a top rail. Continue adding top rails to the top of the posts until the entire length of the fence has a top rail.

Cut 2-by-4-inch boards to fit between two posts to form the bottom rail. Measure the distance between each set of posts before cutting, as a slight variation in distance may occur after post installation.

Set a bottom rail between two posts at 1 to 2 inches above the soil surface. Toenail the bottom rail to the posts by angling a nail through the top of the bottom rail and into the side of the fence posts. Repeat for each bottom rail, keeping the rails level with each other around the perimeter of the fence.

Stretch the wire mesh between the fence posts. Staple the fencing to the posts, the top rail and the bottom rail to hold it in place.