Repair the fence when the damage is in one place and the posts are still firm. Replace it when the repair bill approaches half the price of a new fence, or when most of the posts have gone soft at the ground.
A simple way to decide
- Repair: one section is damaged, the posts do not move when you lean on them, and the boards are solid.
- Replace one side: a row of posts has failed but the other sides are straight and sound.
- Replace all of it: posts are soft all along the fence, or the repair quote is close to half of a new fence.
My fence is about 15 years old, a few posts are rotted and it leans. Posts or whole fence?
Test every post by pushing on it at chest height. If three or four give and the rest are solid, new posts are worth it. If most of them rock, the boards are being held up by habit and a new fence is the better buy. Connecticut winters, wet springs and leaves piled against the bottom rail are hard on wood, and the posts give out before the boards do.
The repair quote is $1,400 and a new fence is $5,200. Which makes sense?
The repair is a little over a quarter of the new price, so it makes sense as long as the posts that are staying are sound. Ask the contractor that exact question. If more posts fail next year and you pay again, you are on the way to buying a new fence in pieces.
Half my pickets are rotting and the gate will not close. Fix it section by section?
You can, if the posts and rails are good. Pickets that rot from the bottom up are usually sitting in mulch, soil or wet leaves, so clear that away or the new ones will go the same way. Do the gate first. A gate that will not close is a post problem, and that is the part that cannot wait.
How long does a wood fence last in Stamford?
There is no single number. It depends on the wood, how deep and how well the posts were set, and whether the fence is sealed and kept clear of soil. Cedar boards outlast pine boards. The posts are nearly always the first part to fail.
We only give a firm price after seeing the yard, and the visit is free. Call (203) 409-8830 or text us a photo of the fence line.