Repair the fence when the damage sits in one area and the posts are still solid in the ground. Replace it when the repair would cost about half as much as a new fence, or when most of the posts are rotted or termite-eaten at the base.
A simple way to decide
- Repair: the damage is in one section, the posts stay put when you push on them, and the boards are sound.
- Rebuild one side: several posts in a row have failed but the other sides are straight.
- Replace everything: posts are soft at the ground all the way around, or the repair comes to roughly half the cost of new.
My fence is about 15 years old, a few posts are rotted and it leans. Posts or whole fence?
Push on each post before choosing. Three or four bad posts among many firm ones means new posts are worth it. If most of them wobble, the fence has reached the end. In Los Angeles the boards tend to outlast the posts, since the dry air is kind to wood above ground while sprinklers and termites work on it below.
The repair quote is $1,400 and a new fence is $5,200. Which makes sense?
Go with the repair if the posts that are staying are sound. $1,400 is about 27 percent of $5,200, far below the half-cost line. Have the contractor say in writing how many of the remaining posts are firm. If a second round of posts fails after the next windy season, two repairs can add up to half a new fence and you still own an old one.
Half my pickets are rotting and the gate will not close. Fix it section by section?
Yes, provided the posts and rails are solid. Pickets that rot from the bottom up are nearly always sitting in soil or mulch or being sprayed by irrigation. Deal with the gate first, since that points to a post. Then swap the pickets section by section and move the sprinkler heads or lower the soil so the new wood stays dry.
How long does a wood fence last in Los Angeles?
It varies too much for one figure. Species, grade, how the posts were set and whether the bottom of the fence stays dry all count. Redwood and cedar heartwood hold off rot and insects better than plain softwood. Our dry climate helps boards last. Posts are the weak point, mostly because of irrigation water and termites.
We can only give a real price after seeing the fence line. The estimate is free. Call (310) 361-5119 or text us a photo of the yard.