Not every leaning fence needs to come down. The useful question is whether the failure is local or general. A wind-broken panel, a post the neighbor's tree landed on, a gate that quit latching, or three posts rotted at grade while the rest of the run is solid are all section repairs, and treating them as a whole-fence problem is an expensive way to solve a small one. A good contractor should be willing to tell you when the answer is a partial fix.
The line gets crossed when the failures stop being isolated. When post bases are going soft along the whole run, when the fence has a visible wave in it from posts that have heaved, or when you are repairing something new every spring, a replacement is usually the cheaper path over time even though the number is bigger today. The other honest factor is matching. Repairs to a weathered fence rarely disappear, because new material next to sun-aged material looks new for a long while.
Push on posts, look at the ground line, check whether the run is straight. The visible damage is often a symptom of a post problem a few feet away.
Isolated failures get repaired. Failures showing up along the entire run mean the fence is at the end of its service life and repairs will keep coming.
If a whole run is being replaced, that is the moment to verify the property line rather than assuming the old fence was in the right place to begin with.
Posts get reset or replaced, sections rebuilt, and gates rehung and adjusted last, because a gate that fit the old geometry will not fit the new one.
Repairs are priced by scope rather than by the foot, so the number depends on how many posts have to come out and whether old concrete footings need to be dug out with them. Full replacement goes back to linear footage, height and material, plus whatever the terrain adds, since slope and rocky ground both slow the work. Gate count matters, because each one is its own build. The two line items to confirm explicitly are removal and disposal of the existing fence, and access, since a backyard the equipment cannot reach turns into hand labor.
Look at whether the failures are isolated or spread out. A few bad posts, one broken section or a sagging gate on an otherwise sound fence is a repair, full stop. Soft post bases along the entire run, a visible wave in the line, or a new problem every spring means you are paying repeatedly to postpone a replacement. Ask the contractor to walk the whole run rather than just quoting the part you pointed at.
Yes, and it is common work. The complications are getting the old footing out, matching the post to what is already there, and the fact that the surrounding sections have to be supported or partially disassembled while it happens. On older wood fences the material around the repair is dry and brittle, so some collateral damage to adjacent pickets is normal and should be discussed beforehand.
Not immediately, and anyone promising otherwise is guessing. New wood sits next to years of Utah sun exposure and looks obviously new until it weathers in. With vinyl, color and panel profiles change over time, so a new panel can read slightly different. Staining can help blend a wood repair. The realistic expectation is that it will look repaired for a while and then quietly settle in.
Almost always the posts or their footings rather than the panels. Wind loads a solid fence and passes that force to the posts, and whichever post had the shallowest footing, the most rot or the softest ground gives first. Push on each post along the run to find the loose ones. If several move, the problem is how the fence was set, and repairing only the visible section will not end it.
Cedar or treated pine, built board by board on site, which is why wood follows a slope and an odd corner better than anything else. It moves with the seasons, it takes stain, and it wants that attention on a schedule.
Learn more →Vinyl keeps its color and never asks for a stain rag, which is most of the appeal. The real questions are how the posts are set and how much wind those solid panels are going to catch out where you are putting them.
Learn more →Ornamental aluminum and steel where you want a boundary you can see through, chain link where you want dogs contained and a back line marked. Both let wind pass instead of fighting it, which matters on an exposed lot.
Learn more →Gates are the moving part, and moving parts are what fail. Width, post size, hinges, latch type and whether that post was set to carry a swinging load are what separate a gate that closes from one you lift.
Learn more →Get quotes from contractors who set posts properly. No fee to be matched.
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