Question 1

My fence is leaning, what should I do?

Accepted Answer

Push the fence upright by hand and watch the base of each post. If a post moves in the ground or the timber crumbles at soil level, that post has failed and the panel is holding on borrowed time. Make it safe, keep children and pets away, and book a repair. Post rot at ground level is the most common cause of fence failure.

Question 2

How do you fix a fence post snapped at ground level?

Accepted Answer

The post has to come out. A timber post that snaps at ground level has rotted through in the wet zone at the soil line, so the sound timber above has nothing holding it. The repair is breaking out the old concrete footing, setting a new post about 600mm deep, and refixing the panels. Allow around half a day per post. Our repair prices run £60 to £150 per repair, excluding VAT.

Question 3

Does home insurance cover storm damage to fences?

Accepted Answer

Often, but check two things first: whether fences are covered at all, and what your excess is. Many home insurance policies include storm damage to fences, and many define a storm by a minimum wind speed. Most exclude rot and gradual deterioration, so a fence that has been failing for years rarely qualifies. If your excess is more than the repair, claiming gains you nothing.

Question 4

Can you repair a fence without replacing the posts?

Accepted Answer

Yes, if the posts are sound. Test each one: push at shoulder height and press a screwdriver into the timber at soil level. A post that resists the blade and does not pivot can carry a new panel. Sound posts turn a fence rebuild into a panel swap, at £85 to £150 per panel excluding VAT rather than a full run.

Question 5

What if my neighbour's fence falls into my garden?

Accepted Answer

Move it clear, photograph it, and tell your neighbour. You cannot repair or replace someone else's fence without their permission, and there is no general legal duty on them to repair it. Citizens Advice is explicit: if the fence is safe and their deeds say nothing about repairs, it is their choice. The exceptions are a repair covenant in the deeds, or a fence that is dangerous.

Question 6

Can a leaning fence be straightened?

Accepted Answer

Sometimes. If the post is sound and the footing has worked loose in soft ground, the post can be plumbed up and re-set in fresh concrete. If the post has rotted through at the soil line, straightening it achieves nothing, because there is no sound timber left to hold. Dig around the base and test the timber before anyone quotes for pushing it back.

Question 7

Why do fence posts rot at ground level?

Accepted Answer

Because the soil line is the one place on a post that stays wet and exposed to air at the same time. Below the surface the timber is often waterlogged with little oxygen. Above it, wind and sun dry it out. The band either side of ground level gives wood-rotting fungi both things they need. Trade sources put timber posts at seven to ten years.

Question 8

Is it worth repairing an old fence?

Accepted Answer

Repair is worth it when the posts are sound, the damage is confined to one or two bays, and the fence is under about ten years old. Replace when posts are rotting at the base along the run, the fence is past fifteen years, or the repair comes to more than about half the cost of replacing that section. Test every post before deciding.

Question 9

How soon can a fence be repaired after a storm?

Accepted Answer

Make it safe the same day, then expect to wait for the repair. Every fencing firm takes storm calls in the same 48 hours, so a single panel or post typically books in within a week or two and a full run takes longer. Ground conditions matter as much as the diary. Setting posts in a flooded hole is wasted work, so a few dry days often improves the job.

Fence Repairs and Storm Damage