Repair the fence when the trouble is confined to one part of it and the posts do not rock in the clay. Replace it when the repair price is nearing half of what a new fence would cost, or when most posts have gone soft at the soil.
A simple way to decide
- Repair: a single stretch is damaged, the posts stay put when you push on them, and the boards are not crumbling.
- Rebuild one side: the posts along one line have failed, but the other sides of the yard are still straight.
- Replace everything: posts rock all the way around, or the repair price comes to about half of a new fence.
My fence is about 15 years old, a few posts are rotted and it leans. Posts or whole fence?
Lean on every post in the run before you choose. A handful of bad posts among firm ones means new posts will buy the fence more years. If the majority move, it is time for a new fence. On San Jose's valley lots the boards tend to outlast the posts, since dry summers are easy on boards while sprinklers and clay keep the post bases wet.
The repair quote is $1,400 and a new fence is $5,200. Which makes sense?
Go with the repair, so long as the posts not being replaced are still solid. Divide $1,400 by $5,200 and you get about 27 percent, a long way short of the half mark. Have the contractor count the firm posts and write the number down. If the rest are close to failing, a second repair next year could bring you to half the price of new with an old fence still standing.
Half my pickets are rotting and the gate will not close. Fix it section by section?
That works if the posts and rails are solid. Boards rotting from the bottom up are usually sitting in soil or mulch, or in the path of a sprinkler head. Begin at the gate. When it will not shut, a post has moved. Then change boards section by section and move the dirt and the sprinklers away from them.
How long does a wood fence last in San Jose?
No honest single number exists for the valley. Species, lumber grade, post depth and how wet the base of the fence stays all count. Redwood and cedar heartwood resist decay better than untreated fir or pine. The dry season is kind to boards here but rough on finish, and irrigation against the fence line is what shortens the life of posts.
We only give a firm price after measuring the line in person. The visit is free and you get the quote in writing. Call (408) 217-2790 or text a photo of the fence.