Repair the fence when the damage is in one place and the posts around it are still tight in the ground. Replace it when fixing it would cost about half of a new fence, or when the posts are soft all along the line.
A simple way to decide
- Repair: a few boards or one panel are broken, the posts stand firm when pushed, and the rails are not split.
- Rebuild one side: the posts along one property line have gone, but the other sides of the yard are still straight.
- Replace everything: most posts give when you push them, or the repair quote is near half the cost 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 at shoulder height before deciding between posts or whole fence. If only a handful move and the rest are solid, replace those posts and keep the fence. If most of them rock, the boards are being held up by habit and a new fence is the honest answer. In Fremont the sun dries boards fast after rain, so boards tend to last. The posts sit in damp clay and go first.
The repair quote is $1,400 and a new fence is $5,200. Which makes sense?
Take the repair if the posts that stay are sound. $1,400 is about 27 percent of $5,200, a long way under half. The risk is hidden posts. Ask how many of the posts not being replaced were tested. If several more are due to fail, a second repair next year puts you near the half mark with an old fence still in the yard.
Half my pickets are rotting and the gate will not close. Fix it section by section?
You can go section by section when the posts and rails are firm. Pickets that rot at the bottom are nearly always wet from below: soil or bark piled against them, or a sprinkler head aimed at the fence. Fix the gate first, since that points to a post. Then replace boards one section at a time and move the sprinklers or the soil so the new boards stay dry.
How long does a wood fence last in Fremont?
It varies too much for one honest number. The wood species and grade, the depth and drainage of the footings, and whether sprinklers hit the fence all matter. Fremont's long dry season is kind to boards. The weak point is the post at ground level, especially in clay that holds water. Many fences in the 1960s to 1980s subdivisions have had their posts replaced once already.
We can only give a real price after measuring the fence line. The visit is free and the quote is written. Call (510) 240-8149 or text a photo of the fence.