Repair the fence when the damage is limited to one area and the remaining posts are solid. Replace it once the repair would cost around half of a new fence, or once posts are giving way up and down the line.
A simple way to decide
- Repair: a single damaged spot, posts that do not move when pushed, rails and boards still firm.
- Replace a section: several posts next to each other have gone, and the fence beyond them is straight.
- Replace it all: posts are loose or soft at the ground along the whole run, or the repair price is near half of a new fence.
My fence is about 15 years old, a few posts are rotted and it leans. Posts or whole fence?
Push on each post and you will have the answer. If only a handful move, change those and keep the fence. If most of them give, the posts have reached the end of their life together, and new ones here and there only delay the bill. Shade, wet leaves and snow sitting against the base all shorten the life of a wood post in this area.
The repair quote is $1,400 and a new fence is $5,200. Which makes sense?
Repair, provided the posts being kept are sound. $1,400 is about 27 percent of $5,200, comfortably below the half-cost mark. What you want to avoid is paying again next spring. Have the contractor test the remaining posts and put the count of good ones in writing.
Half my pickets are rotting and the gate will not close. Fix it section by section?
You can, as long as the posts and rails are still strong. Pickets rot upward from the bottom where mulch, leaves and wet ground touch them. Deal with the gate first, since a gate that will not shut means its hinge post has shifted. After that, replace pickets a section at a time as your budget allows.
How long does a wood fence last in Ann Arbor?
We will not quote a number of years, because it depends on the species, the post depth, the shade and the care it gets. Cedar boards last longer than pine. A sealed fence in an open, sunny yard lasts longer than a bare one under trees. The posts nearly always fail before the boards.
We price every fence after seeing the yard. The estimate is free and comes in writing. Call (734) 441-3554 or text us a photo of the fence line.