Fence repair
Not every damaged fence needs replacing. A snapped post, a split board or a loose rail can often be put right in one visit, and we will tell you honestly whether a repair is worth doing before you pay for one.
About fence repair
Most repair jobs come down to one question: are the posts sound? If the post line is solid, replacing a panel, a few boards or a rail is quick and good value. If the posts are rotting at ground level, repairing the boards above them buys a year or two at most, because the next strong wind finds the weak posts.
A test you can do yourself: push a screwdriver into the base of each post at soil level. Firm timber resists; soft timber lets the blade in. Once about a third of the posts on a run are soft, replacing the fence usually works out better value than repairing it in stages.
- We repairPosts, rails, boards, panels
- Deciding factorThe posts
- Storm damagePrioritised
- EstimateFree and written
What we repair
Snapped or rotten posts
The old post is dug out, its concrete broken out, and a new timber or concrete post set in its place. Where a timber post has snapped at ground level but is sound above, a concrete repair spur bolted alongside it can be a sensible cheaper fix; we will say whether it suits your fence.
Loose or broken arris rails
On closeboard fences the rails tend to split where they meet the posts. A broken rail is replaced; a sound rail that has pulled loose can be re-secured with a galvanised arris rail bracket.
Split boards, missing panels
Feather-edge boards are replaced one at a time. Overlap panels are swapped for a matching size. New timber is paler than weathered timber at first; staining the run evens it out.
A fence that is going over
A lean usually means posts have moved in the ground. Some can be reset; often they need replacing. We check every post on the run, not only the one that is visibly out.
Is it the right choice?
We would rather point you to the right job than the bigger one. This is how we would advise on site.
Repair it when
- The posts are firm at ground level
- The damage is one bay, a few boards or a single rail
- The fence is otherwise in good order
Replace it when
- A third or more of the posts are soft at the base
- Several posts have already been patched
- The boards are rotting along the whole run, not in one place
Fence repair, answered
Yes. One bay, one post or a few boards is a normal job for us, and we take small repairs as readily as full boundaries.
Yes. We repair timber fences whoever built them, matching the existing timber and style where we can, and we say before starting if an exact match is not possible.
Keep clear while it is still windy, photograph the damage and the bottoms of the posts, and call. Storm damage is prioritised ahead of planned work. Our storm damage page covers what to do while you wait.
Related work
We work across London, with local pages for Barnet, Enfield, Finchley, Muswell Hill, Wood Green, Haringey, Camden, Hackney, Clapham, Wimbledon. See all areas we cover.
Get a written estimate
We measure the run, check the posts, the ground and the access, then put an itemised figure in writing. The visit and the estimate are free, and we reply within 24 hours.