If you want a flag pole for your house or business, you will need to decide what size flag pole for your flag. If you have a house mounted flag pole, you will probably need a five-foot flag pole for a two-and-a-half-foot by four-foot flag. You will need a six-foot flag pole for a three-foot by the five-foot flag. But you may want to consider what size flag pole for your flag if you have a house mounted flag pole and the flag touches things surrounding it, like bushes, trees, gutters, siding, door knob.  Contact with the ground or unclean surface causes unnecessary wear and tear on your flag. If you have enough room, you may want to consider increasing what size flag pole for your flag. If you can, use an eight-foot-pole to protect your flag.

Now let’s figure out what size flag pole for your flag if it is an in-ground flag pole. The general rule is that the length of the flag should be about a fifth the height of the flag pole. So if you have a three-foot by the five-foot flag, which is the most common, using the rule, you would need a fifteen to the twenty-foot flag pole. AC Flag and Banner offers another example, if you have a five-foot by the eight-foot flag, you would need a twenty-five-foot flag pole.

Of course, you should also consider what the flag is made out of and how it will be exposed to the wind. Flags are usually made from cotton, 1-ply polyester, 2-ply polyester, or nylon. Cotton flags are strong but often fade from exposure to the sun. The 1-ply polyester flag is usually less expensive while a nylon flag is used most often because it is strong, lifts in the wind, and is moderately priced. For people who find their flag wears out every six months or so, may want to try a flag that’s a little tougher. The 2-ply polyester is great for high winds or other extreme outdoor weather conditions. Sun, rain, wind, ice, and snow all weaken flag fabrics and threads. AC Flag and Banner recommends taking your flag down during the harshest weather, so you can significantly increase the life of your flag.

It’s important to know what size flag pole for your flag, because if you fly a larger flag than is recommended, it can result in damage to the flag pole. Please consult the AC Flag and Banner flag pole to flag size chart below.

Common size ranges chart 

Pole                  Flag

15’                    3’x5’

20’                    3’x5’-4’x6’

25’                    4’x6’-5’x8’

30’                    5’x8’-6’x10’

35’                    6’x10’-8’x12’

40’                    6’x10’-10’x15’

45’                    8’x12’-10’x15’ 

50’                    10’x15’-12’x18’

60’                    10’x15’-15’x25’

70’                    12’x18’-20’x 30’

80’                    15’x25’-20’x38’

90’                    15’x25’ -20’x38’

100’                  15’x25’ -30’ X 60’

Now that you know what size flag pole for your flag, if you want to fly two flags from the same flag pole, you will need two sets of snap hooks. The two flags can be on the same rope or halyard. AC Flag and Banner says flag etiquette requires always putting the American flag on the top. Then leave about twelve inches between the American flag and the one underneath it.