Repair the fence when the damage is in one place and the posts are firm. Replace it when the repair bill gets near half the cost of a new fence, or when most of the posts are soft at ground level.
A simple way to decide
- Repair: the problem is in one section, the posts do not move when you lean on them, and the boards are solid.
- Replace one run: a row of posts has failed, but the other sides of the yard are straight and firm.
- Replace it all: posts are soft at the soil line all the way around, or the repair price 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 hard at the top. If three or four move and the rest are solid, new posts will give the fence more years. If most of them move, replace the fence, because you would be hanging old boards on new posts and paying again soon. In our climate, sprinkler water at the base and freeze and thaw in winter take out posts long before the pickets.
The repair quote is $1,400 and a new fence is $5,200. Which makes sense?
The repair is roughly a quarter of the new price, so it is a fair choice as long as the posts that are not being replaced are firm. Ask the contractor to tell you how many of the old posts they checked and how many are solid. If another batch fails next spring, two repairs will have cost about half a new fence.
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. Start with the gate, because a gate that will not close is a post problem. Then replace pickets where they are soft. Rot along the bottom usually means sprinklers are hitting the fence or soil and bark mulch are piled against it, so fix that too or the new pickets will go the same way.
How long does a wood fence last in Salt Lake City?
There is no single number. It depends on the wood, how deep and how well drained the posts are, and whether it gets sealed. The dry air here is kind to boards above ground. The strong high-altitude sun is not: it dries and cracks unsealed wood. Posts fail first, usually where sprinkler water meets the soil line.
The only way to get a real price for your yard is a free on-site estimate. Call (385) 402-8455 or text us a photo of the fence line.