Fence repair prices confuse people because two jobs that look alike from the road can be very different underneath. A run that leans because one post rotted is a small job. A run that leans because every post rotted is a rebuild. Here is what sets the cost of a repair around Lake Livingston and how we decide what to recommend.
How many posts failed
Posts are the expensive part of any repair. Replacing a board is minutes; replacing a post means digging out or cutting off the old one, setting a new one in concrete, and reattaching everything that hung on it. One post is a quick visit. Six posts in a row is most of a new fence section, and at that point we price the rebuild of that run so you can compare.
Matching the materials
New cedar next to ten-year-old gray cedar does not match until it weathers or the whole run is stained. Odd picket widths, discontinued ornamental styles and old wire gauges sometimes cannot be matched exactly. We get as close as the material allows, tell you what will show, and suggest a stain or a full-section replacement where matching matters.
Access and ground
A back fence line behind a shed, on a slope, in the brush or at the bottom of a wet lot takes longer to reach and work in than a side yard off the driveway. Wet ground slows post work. Old concrete around a broken post has to come out. These are the things a photo does not show and the site visit does.
Gates
A dragging gate can be a hinge adjustment, a new hinge post, a brace the gate never had, or a new gate. The price range is wide because the causes are. We look at the post first, because a gate rehung on a leaning post sags again within the year.
Wire fence: it is usually the corners
Slack barbed wire or field fence almost always traces back to a corner or brace that failed. Re-stretching the wire without rebuilding the brace is money wasted. A proper H-brace is a bigger job than it looks and the only repair that holds. Here is how one goes together.
When a repair stops making sense
- Posts are rotted at the ground line along most of the run.
- Wire is rusted through rather than just slack.
- Boards are failing everywhere, not in one spot.
- The fence was built shallow or unbraced and keeps failing the same way.
When we see those, we say so and price the rebuild. A repair you have to repeat next year is the expensive option. Major causes of fence and deck repairs explains why fences get to that point.
Storm damage and insurance
If a storm did the damage, your policy may cover it. We provide the written estimate and photos the claim needs. See insurance claim fence repair.
Getting a repair price
Send a photo or two with the estimate form or call (936) 933-2500. We come look, free, and give you a written price for the repair, and for the rebuild if that is the honest comparison. Fence and gate repair covers what we fix.
Frequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to repair or replace a fence?
A repair is cheaper when the posts are sound and the damage is a few boards, a rail, a gate or a stretch of wire. Once the posts are rotted along most of a run, a rebuild of that run usually costs less than the second repair. We will tell you which we see.
Do you charge for a repair estimate?
No. We come look, free, and give you a written price. Send a photo with the form if you can; it helps us bring the right material.
Can you repair a fence someone else built?
Yes. Most of the fences we repair were built by someone else. We match materials and style as closely as we can.