Scarecrow pole height
Figure pole length to buy from display height plus bury depth — fixed inches or a 1/3-of-display rule.
pole_ft = display_ft + bury_ft · bury = fixed_in/12 or display_ft/3
When to use
Use this page when you need a transparent scarecrow pole height estimate before you buy décor or hang lights in Prince William County. You will enter desired display height above ground (feet), fixed bury depth (inches), and extra / hat / cross-arm spare (inches).
Figure pole length to buy from display height plus bury depth — fixed inches or a 1/3-of-display rule. Read the formula and worked example so the number is arithmetic you can check — not a guess from last year.
If a product package publishes its own coverage chart, keep that chart in the loop — this tool is the independent check.
Used when mode is fixed. Soft soil often needs 18–30 in.
Worked example
Start with the calculator’s default entries: Desired display height above ground (feet) = 5.5; Bury depth mode = Fixed bury depth; Fixed bury depth (inches) = 24; Extra / hat / cross-arm spare (inches) = 6.
With those entries the calculator returns:
Bury depth: 2.00 ft (~24 in)
Pole length to buy: 8.00 ft
Round up to the next stock lumber or bamboo length at the store.
Formula used: pole_ft = display_ft + bury_ft · bury = fixed_in/12 or display_ft/3
Recompute the first line by hand from the formula. If your arithmetic and the result differ by more than rounding, the usual cause is a unit mix-up (inches vs feet, percent vs decimal) rather than the formula.
What changes if you change one input? Raise Desired display height above ground (feet) from 5.5 to 8.25 and leave everything else alone. The result becomes:
Pole length to buy: 10.75 ft
Changing one measured value at a time like this shows which input drives the answer, so you know which value is worth measuring twice before you buy.
Limits / assumptions
Units: keep every length in one system (feet or inches end-to-end) and every electrical quantity in the units the labels name. Mixing without converting invents a wrong answer.
Where the formula fails: odd roof geometry, wind on inflatables, worn sockets, and conditions not listed on the page are outside the model. Zero or nonsense inputs should error — do not force a number.
Not a substitute: the scarecrow pole height result is a planning aid for holiday decorating — not an install quote, structural opinion, or product warranty.
Call 811 before digging. Keep poles clear of overhead lines and do not leave sharp stake tops exposed at kid height.
FAQ
When to use the 1/3 rule?
A common garden-post rule of thumb: bury about one-third of the above-ground height for stability in average soil.
Concrete vs driven stake?
Driven T-posts or rebar sleeves may need less bury; follow the stake’s rating and local frost/soil conditions.
Cross arms?
Add the spare inches for a hat block or shoulder cross-arm above the display height you measured.
Utilities?
Call 811 before digging any deep post holes near buried lines.