How to Set a Lamp Post With a Concrete Sonotube

Dig a hole for the lamp post at the location where you are installing it. Dig the post hole 1 foot across and 2 feet deep.

Pour a 6-inch gravel base into the hole, and tamp it down to compact it.

Dig a trench 18 inches deep and 2 inches wide to accomodate the electrical cord that will lead from the post to the energy source, such as an adjacent house.

Measure and cut 1-inch PVC pipe to fit the length of the trench. If necessary, connect different sections of pipe with PVC connector sleeves. Place a PVC elbow on each end of the pipe, pointing the elbows straight up.

Cut a slit in the bottom edge of the Sonotube to fit over the PVC conduit.

Place the Sonotube into the hole, sliding the slit over the conduit. Lay a level across the Sonotube, and tap the tube down gently to level it, if necessary.

Backfill the hole around the Sonotube with dirt, checking it for level as you do so.

Feed an electrician's fish tape through the PVC conduit in the hole, so it exits the conduit near the house. Tape a 12-gauge UF-rated cable to the end of the fish tape, and reel the fish tape in to pull the cable through the conduit.

Make a mark on the lamp post 12-inches from the bottom.

Mix a batch of concrete, following the manufacturer's instructions, and fill the Sonotube with the concrete. Smooth the surface of the concrete with a trowel.

Lay the lamp post on the ground, with the bottom edge next to the concrete base, and feed the electrical cable through the post. Place the post into the concrete over the PVC elbow, pushing it into the concrete to a depth of 12-inches.

Drive stakes into the ground on opposite sides of the lamp post, then wrap straps around the lamp post and tie them to the stakes. Check the lamp post for plumb--vertically straight--adjusting the straps as needed. Allow the concrete to set for the time specified on the packaging.