Care & longevity
Repair It or Replace It? A Straight Answer
The deciding factor is nearly always the posts. Sound posts make almost anything else a repair, failing posts across a run make repairs a way of spending twice.
We get called out to plenty of fences where the honest answer is that it does not need replacing, and we say so. We also get called to fences where three panels have been patched over two years and the money would have been better spent once.
Here is the way to tell the difference, including a two minute test you can do yourself before ringing anyone.
The two minute post test
Push firmly on each post at shoulder height, and separately try to rock it at the base. A post that moves at ground level while the fence above stays still is a post that has gone or is going. Then scrape the timber at the soil line with a key: sound timber resists, failing timber gives way like damp cardboard.
- Movement at the base with no movement above it means the post is failing
- Soft timber at the soil line, even where the post looks fine at eye level
- Concrete posts cracked around the slot, particularly at ground level
- Metal post spurs rusted through where they enter the ground
Repair territory
If the posts are sound, most other problems are worth repairing rather than replacing. A repair also buys time to budget properly for a replacement later rather than being forced into one in February.
- A handful of broken or split boards on an otherwise sound run
- One or two failed posts along an otherwise healthy fence
- A sagging gate that needs rehanging or new ironmongery
- Storm damage confined to a section of the boundary
Replacement territory
Once the failures are spread along the run rather than concentrated, repairs stop being economical. Matching new timber into a badly weathered fence also looks patchy, which matters if you are going to be looking at it every day.
- Several posts moving at the base along the same boundary
- Boarding thin, cupped or splitting generally rather than in places
- Rails soft where they enter the posts across multiple bays
- A fence that is simply the wrong height or style for what you now need
The cost logic
One repair on a sound fence is clearly the right money. Three repairs in two years on a failing fence usually adds up to a meaningful share of a new boundary, without the new boundary at the end of it. If more than roughly a third of the run is involved, replacement is normally the better value decision.
We will tell you which it is
We would rather do an honest repair than sell an unnecessary replacement, because the next job on your street usually comes from the last one. Send some photos through the contact page or ring 07885907880 and we will give you a straight answer.
Frequently asked
How do I know if my fence posts have gone?
Rock each post at the base. Movement at ground level while the fence above stays still, or soft timber at the soil line, both mean the post is failing.
Is it worth repairing an old fence?
Yes where the posts are sound and the damage is localised. Repairs stop being economical once failures are spread along the whole run.
How much of a fence needs to be failing before replacement makes sense?
As a rough guide, once more than about a third of the run is involved, replacing it is usually better value than repeated repairs.
Can you replace a single fence post?
Yes, and it is one of the most common repairs we do on otherwise decent fences, particularly where boarding still has years left.
Will new panels match my existing fence?
Not closely, on a weathered run. New timber stands out for a good while, which is worth considering if appearance matters as much as function.
We would rather do an honest repair
Send a few photographs or ask us to call round, and we will tell you plainly which of the two your fence needs.