Repair the fence when the damage is in one place and the posts on either side are firm. Replace it when the repair bill gets close to half the price of a new fence, or when most posts are rotted or termite-eaten at the ground.
A simple way to decide
- Repair: the problem is in one section, the posts do not move when you lean on them, and the pickets are solid.
- Replace the section: three or more posts in a row are gone but the rest of the line stands straight.
- Replace the fence: posts are soft at the ground all along the run, you find termite tunnels in several of 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?
Test every post before deciding. Push on each one and poke the base with a screwdriver. Three or four soft posts out of twenty is a repair, and the fence should give you several more years. If most of them give, replace the fence, because good boards on failing posts will be on the ground after the next storm. Fifteen years is a fair age for a pine fence in this heat and humidity.
The repair quote is $1,400 and a new fence is $5,200. Which makes sense?
The repair, as long as the posts being left alone are firm. $1,400 is roughly a quarter of $5,200, well under the half mark. The risk is paying for a second round of posts next year and ending up near the cost of a new fence anyway. Ask the contractor to tell you in writing how many of the remaining posts they tested and found solid.
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 have usually been sitting in wet mulch, soil or sprinkler spray. Start with the gate, because a gate that will not close is a post problem and affects safety. Then replace pickets section by section as the budget allows, and pull the mulch back from the fence.
How long does a wood fence last in Montgomery?
There is no single number. It depends on the lumber, the treatment level of the posts, and upkeep. Central Alabama is hard on wood: long humid summers, heavy rain and termites that are active most of the year. Posts rated for ground contact, pickets kept off the soil, and a coat of sealer every few years add the most life. The posts are nearly always the first part to go.
A price for your yard takes a visit and a tape measure. The estimate is free. Call (334) 649-8995 or text us a photo of the fence line.