A fence rarely fails all at once. It starts with one post that rocks a little when you lean on it, or a gate that has to be lifted to close. Then a winter storm comes through and a whole section ends up on the ground. Most of the time the rest of the fence is still in decent shape, and replacing everything would be a waste of money. That's where repair comes in. We fix fences all over Shasta County, from older wood fences in Shasta Lake to vinyl and chain link around newer homes in Cottonwood, and we match the repair to what's already there so it doesn't look patched.
This page covers the signs your fence needs work, how to tell a repair from a replacement, how we handle a repair job, and who pays when the fence sits on a shared line. Most repairs take a few hours to a day, and we can usually match the boards, posts and hardware you already have. If your fence turns out to be past saving, our fence installation page walks through what a new one involves.
Signs Your Fence Needs Repair
Push on a few posts. If one moves more than an inch or two at the top, it's loose at the base, and it'll get worse with every windstorm. Look along the line from one end. A fence that dips, bows or leans in one spot usually has a failed post right there.
Other signs are easier to spot. Boards that are cracked, warped or missing. Rails pulling away from the posts. Nails backing out. A gate that drags on the ground or won't latch without a shove. On vinyl, look for cracked panels and posts that have shifted out of plumb. On chain link, look for bent top rail, sagging mesh and ties that have rusted through. On older fences, check where sprinklers hit the posts. Years of daily soaking at the base will rot a wood post faster than anything the weather does.
Catching these early keeps a small fix from turning into a bigger one.
Repair or Replace? How We Decide
Most wood fences in our climate last somewhere around 15 to 20 years, depending on the wood and how well it was built. Redwood and cedar tend to outlast pressure-treated pine. Age is a starting point, but the posts tell the real story.
If a handful of posts have rotted and the boards are still solid, repair makes sense. We can pull and reset the bad posts, or brace a weak one with a steel repair stake driven beside it when the concrete is too stubborn to remove. If most of the posts are going, or the boards are gray and splitting along the whole run, you'll end up paying for repairs every year. At that point a new fence usually costs less over time.
We'll tell you plainly which one you're looking at. Sometimes the honest answer is that a few hundred dollars of repair buys you another five years.
How a Fence Repair Job Works
We start by walking the fence with you and checking every post, not just the one that fell over. A storm often loosens the posts on either side of a failed section too, and fixing only the obvious one means another call a few months later.
Then we give you a written estimate for the work. On the repair itself, we dig out the old post and concrete, set a new post with gravel and fresh concrete, and reattach or replace the rails and boards. We match the wood, the board style and the height as closely as we can. New boards will look lighter at first and weather in over a season.
Gate repairs usually come down to a sagging post, worn hinges or a missing brace. We fix the cause so the gate stays square.
Shared Fences and Who Pays
If the fence sits on the line between you and a neighbor, California's Good Neighbor Fence Act generally treats you as equally responsible for its upkeep. In practice, that usually means splitting the cost of a repair. The law asks you to give your neighbor 30 days' written notice before the work, describing the problem, the repair and the estimated cost.
Most neighbors are happy to split a repair once they see the estimate. We're glad to put the quote in writing so you can share it with them. The same goes if it's your neighbor's side that failed and the fence is leaning into your yard. A written estimate makes that conversation a lot easier.
If you're replacing a damaged section anyway, it can be a good time to consider vinyl fencing, which won't rot or need staining down the road.