Fencing
Fence Repair
Repair of a fence that's failing, rather than replacement of one that isn't.
What it covers
Post replacement, resetting leaning sections, rail and picket replacement, gate re-squaring and rehanging, storm damage, matching new work into an existing run.
The detail
How it's built.
Nearly every fence failure is a post failure. The pickets and rails are usually fine — what moved is the thing holding them up, either because it rotted at the soil line or because the footing was never deep enough for ground that moves.
So the first question is always the same: is this a repair or a replacement? That gets answered by checking the posts, not by counting the broken boards. A fence with sound posts and tired pickets is genuinely repairable and worth doing. A fence with soft posts is on a countdown regardless of what you spend on the top half.
Storm damage is its own category. Wind takes out the weakest section first, which means the section that went down is information about the rest of the run. We look at what's still standing before quoting what's not.
Matching matters on a repair. New cedar next to weathered cedar is going to be obvious for a season or two no matter what — but matching the style, picket width and rail layout means it blends as it greys rather than staying visibly patched.
Fix what failed, not what's visible. They're rarely the same thing.
What goes wrong
Re-picketing a fence with failing posts. It looks finished for about a year, then the same section goes over again and the money is gone. If the posts are sound the fence is worth repairing; if they aren't, repairing the visible part is just a slower way of replacing it.
Questions
- Is it worth repairing or should I replace it?
- Check the posts. Sound posts with tired pickets is a repair worth doing. Failing posts means repairing the visible part is money spent on a countdown.
- One section blew down. Do I have to replace the whole fence?
- Not necessarily — but the section that went is usually the weakest, not the unluckiest. We look at the rest of the run before quoting, so you're not back in three months for the next one.
- Can you match my existing fence?
- Style, picket width and rail layout, yes. Color takes a season to catch up — new cedar next to weathered cedar is always visible at first and always evens out.
Before you decide
What drives the cost of a fence
Why do fence quotes vary so much?
Metal vs wood fence posts
Should I use metal or wood fence posts?
Who owns the fence between neighbours
Who is responsible for the fence between two properties?
Staining a cedar fence
Should I stain my cedar fence, and when?
How long a fence takes to build
How long does it take to install a fence?
Questions to ask a fence contractor
What should I ask a fence contractor before hiring them?
Also in fencing
Start here
Tell us what you want built.
Send the details. We'll set up a time to come walk it.