Repair or Replace?
How to tell
One test settles most of it, and it takes thirty seconds. Here is how to check, and the point where paying for repairs stops making sense.
Check the posts, not the palings
Almost every fence fails at the posts, at the point where they meet the ground. The palings you can see are usually the last thing to go, which is why a fence can look tired and still have years left, or look fine and be about to fall over.
The test: grab a post firmly and push it side to side. A sound post barely moves. If it rocks in the ground, or if you can push a screwdriver into it at the soil line, that post has failed. Do this at several posts along the run.
If the posts are sound and only palings, rails or a gate have failed, repair. It is usually a fraction of the cost of a replacement, and a repaired fence with good posts will genuinely last.
If more than about a quarter of the posts are failing, replace. Replacing posts individually within an existing fence costs nearly as much as a new fence, because the posts are the expensive, labour-heavy part. That is the point where repair stops being value.
What each symptom actually means
Symptoms in the left column, what they usually indicate, and what to do about it.
| What you can see | What it usually means | Repair or replace |
|---|---|---|
| A few split or cupped palings | Normal timber movement | Repair. Swap the palings |
| Fence leans in one section | One or two posts failing | Repair. Replace those posts |
| Fence leans along its whole length | Posts failing generally | Replace |
| Rails sagging between posts | Rail failure, or too few rails | Repair, and add a rail if there were two |
| Gate drags or will not latch | Gate post moved, or hinges worn | Repair. Almost always worth doing |
| Palings rotting at the bottom only | Ground contact and moisture | Repair if posts are sound |
| Post rocks when pushed | Post has rotted at the soil line | Replace that post, or the fence |
| Colorbond rusting along the base | Sheet set into soil | Replace. The rust will keep travelling |
Do the post test before deciding anything. A fence that looks terrible with sound posts is a cheap fix; a fence that looks acceptable on failing posts is a replacement waiting to happen.
Four things worth knowing before you decide
We do both repairs and replacements, and we turn down replacement work regularly. These are the judgement calls.
A sound post does not move at all
Not a little. At all. Any rocking at the base means the post has failed below ground, whatever the timber above it looks like.
The threshold
Once about a quarter of the posts are failing, individual post replacement costs close to a new fence. Digging out a failed post inside a standing fence is slower than setting a new one on an open run.
Replacement may cost you less
Under the Fences Act your neighbour generally shares the cost of replacing a dividing fence. They usually do not share the cost of you repairing your side. Sometimes replacing is the cheaper option for you personally.
Repairs on a dying fence
Repairing palings on a fence whose posts have two years left is money spent twice. Do the post test first, because it changes whether the repair is a saving or a delay.
Rot is never covered
If a storm brings down a fence that was already rotten, insurers commonly decline it as pre-existing condition. A fence you know is failing is worth replacing before the weather decides for you.
Repairs and replacements across Melbourne
Bayside
Known for Bayside, Glen Eira and Port Phillip councils.
Repair or replace questions
What owners ask when a fence starts looking tired.
Ask us to take a lookCheck the posts. Push each one firmly side to side and try a screwdriver at the soil line. If more than about a quarter rock or are soft, replace. If the posts are sound and only palings or rails have failed, repair.
Related guides
Rotting Fence Palings
Whether the palings alone are the problem, and what to do.
Read more GuideHow Long Does a Fence Last?
Realistic lifespans by material, and what shortens them.
Read more GuideStorm Damage and Insurance
Why a fence you know is failing should not wait for weather.
Read more ComplianceNeighbour Fence Disputes
Who pays for a replacement, and what notice you must give.
Read more ComparisonCompare Fence Types
If you are replacing, what to replace it with.
Read more
Not sure whether to repair or replace?
We will look at the posts and tell you honestly. We turn down replacement work when a repair is the better answer.