Repair the fence when the damage is in one area and the posts are solid. Replace it when repairs would cost about half the price of a new fence, or when most posts are rotted at the ground.
A simple way to decide
- Repair: damage is limited to a section, posts are firm when you push them, boards are sound.
- Replace the section: several posts in a row have failed but the rest of the line is straight.
- Replace the fence: posts are soft at ground level along the whole run, or the repair quote 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 every post, not just the leaning ones. If only three or four are soft, new posts buy the fence several more years. If most move, the boards will outlast the posts again, and a new fence is the better spend. Wood fences here take wet springs, snow piled against them and freeze and thaw, so posts usually go first.
The repair quote is $1,400 and a new fence is $5,200. Which makes sense?
That repair is about a quarter of replacement, so repair is reasonable if the remaining posts are firm. If the same fence needs another round of posts next year, you will have paid for half a new fence without getting one. Ask the contractor how many of the posts they did not replace are still solid.
Half my pickets are rotting and the gate will not close. Fix it section by section?
Rot along the bottom of the pickets often comes from sprinklers, soil or mulch piled against the fence. Section by section works if the posts and rails are good. Fix the gate first, since that is a post problem, then replace pickets where needed.
How long does a wood fence last in Boston?
It depends on the wood, the post depth and upkeep. Cedar outlasts pressure-treated pine above ground, and a fence that is stained and kept clear of soil lasts longer than one that is not. Posts are the part that fails first.
The fastest way to get a real number is a free on-site estimate. Call (617) 917-2681 or text us a photo of the fence line.