I need to dig / bore post holes for a short chain link fence into an area that is covered with pavers. It was laid as it should have been 5 years ago. pavers > sand> gravel > fabric etc. Anyone have a less messy way to to this?

Rent an earth auger

Around me it's $80 a day to rent one, I just grabbed one of these, and an extension from Harbor Freight, it's worked great for me so far

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Champion-Power-Equipment-53cc-4-Cycle-Gas-Powered-1-Man-Earth-Auger-with-8-in-Bit-201092/321775388

I put a fence in around the rear of my suburban yard—rented an augur and it was a lifesaver. Mine was a two man augur—not sure if there are smaller augurs that don’t need a person at both sides. Beats the hell out of post hole diggers.

And the fabric - auger+fabric=fun

I have an auger. I guess pull a few pavers, throw the gravel on a tarp etc as I go. I'm hoping not to dislodge all this under the neighboring pavers as I go is all. I've never had to pull up and work under pavers before.

Vac truck.

You must have some easy light soil. I’ve operated probably almost every power tool there is, and I would put the 2 main auger up there with the most miserable tool there is. You start it up and one of 2 things happen. It either screws itself into the ground like a giant screw and is impossible to get out of the ground, or it starts digging properly, and then it hits a rock, root, or hard soil and then it 2 of you go spinning around like some demented dancers. Horrible tool to use. After using one once, I never used one again. I always rented a towable one that had the engine on one end of a beam, and the hydraulic auger counterbalanced on the other end with the wheels as a fulcrum. So much easier, almost effortless

I’d probably try hole sawing the right size hole for the post then pounding one in before ripping the pavers up to auger holes.

What kind of posts? If it's those steel T posts, just pull up the pavers and buy that $40 pounder tool. Totally worth it.

If it's a galvanized post, look into a big rotary hammer drill. I found one on the ding and dent table at Harbor Freight and picked up the biggest SDS Max masonry bit they had (1" I think? Grabbed an unlabeled option from clearance). I had to put in some 4x4 posts along a sidewalk recently. My earth auger kept getting stuck on concrete that flowed below the form boards, and the auger diameter was too much to get the posts where I wanted them. A masonry bit worked great to chew up the dirt right where the posts needed to go, then I could scoop it out with a post hole digger or my hands.

I don't know if your paved area has any roots, cables, or other stuff below it that might be a similar pain to dig through, but going the masonry bit route would cause the least soil disturbance.

Shop vac. Pull the filter and suck the dirt out of the hole. Dump it into a wagon or wheelbarrow. Nice clean hole, lot less shoveling.

Rent a core drill and diamond core bit. Drill right through the pavers, etc into the ground. Nice and clean.

I agree try pounding one. If it’s sand it will be very easy. If it doesn’t work go with plan B