Repair the fence when the problem is limited to one stretch and the posts hold firm. Replace it when the repair bill gets to roughly half the price of a new fence, or when most posts have rotted, rusted or been eaten at ground level.
A simple way to decide
- Repair: the damage is in one spot, the posts stay put when you lean on them, and the panels or boards are still solid.
- Replace the section: several posts in a row are gone, but the fence on either side stands straight.
- Replace the fence: posts are soft or rusty at the base along the whole line, termites have been through much of the wood, or the repair price is near half of a new fence.
My fence is about 15 years old, a few posts are rotted and it leans. Posts or whole fence?
Check all the posts, then decide. Rock each one by hand and press a screwdriver into the wood where it meets the ground. A handful of soft posts can be replaced and the fence kept. If most of them wobble, replace the fence. In Broward's sun, rain and humidity, 15 years is old for wood, so check the pickets and rails for rot and termite trails while you are at it.
The repair quote is $1,400 and a new fence is $5,200. Which makes sense?
At about 27 percent of the new price, the repair is worth doing, provided the posts being left alone are sound. What you want to avoid is a string of repairs that adds up to a new fence without giving you one. Have the contractor mark which posts were tested and are staying.
Half my pickets are rotting and the gate will not close. Fix it section by section?
You can, as long as the posts and rails are solid. Deal with the gate first. A gate that will not shut means a post has moved. After that, change the soft pickets a section at a time. Look at what is wetting them: lawn sprinklers that spray the fence each morning and mulch heaped against the boards are the usual reasons the bottoms rot.
How long does a wood fence last in Hollywood?
Not as long as it would in a cooler, drier state. We cannot give you one number, because the lumber, the hardware and the upkeep all change it. Strong sun, near-daily rain in summer, humidity and termites wear wood down here. What helps most is posts treated for ground contact, a gap between the boards and the soil, sprinklers aimed away, and fresh sealer every few years. The posts go before anything else.
The fastest way to get a real number is a free on-site estimate. Call (754) 529-4274 or text us a photo of the fence line.