Fence repair: a guide for pros

What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.

Offering fence repair

Fence repair is steady local work, and customers return to pros who fix the posts and footings rather than only the parts that look broken. Win the job by probing the posts, showing the damage in photos and quoting the repair in parts the customer can compare.

What customers ask

  • Can you fix just the section that is leaning, or does the whole fence need work?
  • Will the new boards match the rest of the fence?
  • Why does my gate keep sagging?
  • How long will the repair last?
  • Can you do it without digging up my yard?
  • Do I need a permit to reset the posts?

How to win the job

  • On the first call, ask what happened, when the fence started to lean or break, and whether there was a storm or a vehicle hit.
  • On site, probe every post at the ground line and mark the rotted or moving ones before you talk about boards.
  • In the quote, list each section and the post, rail, board and gate repairs separately, so the customer sees the scope.
  • Show a photo of a probed post and a rotted section on the fence, so the customer sees why the posts need resetting.
  • Match the materials as closely as possible, and show a sample of the new boards next to the old ones before the work starts.
  • Give a treatment and gate adjustment plan in writing, so the customer knows what to do to keep the repair in good shape.

What to put on your profile

  • Before and after photos of post resets, board replacement and gate repairs, shot from the same angle
  • Fence types you repair, including wood, vinyl, chain link and metal
  • Materials you match and the treatments you apply to wood fences
  • Your service area and whether you also install new fences, gates and automatic gate systems

Follow-up that helps the customer

  • Offer a gate and latch check after the first season, explained as routine care
  • Suggest a stain or preservative refresh on the timing the wood needs
  • Mention a new section or a full replacement as information when repairs are adding up on an older fence

Licenses and permits

Whether fence repair needs a contractor license varies by place and by job size, and tall fences, pool barriers and post setting in concrete may need a permit in many areas. Confirm what applies where you work with your state or local licensing agency and local building department, and keep your insurance current.

Questions

What do I do when the customer wants boards nailed on rotted posts?

Decline to hang new boards on rotted posts, since the fence will fail again at the same spot. Explain the post reset in writing and quote it as the repair that holds the fence.

Should I warranty the repair on an older fence?

Warranty your work on the posts and parts you replaced, and state clearly that the older sections you did not replace are outside the warranty. Put the scope in writing so both sides know the limit.

About this guide

This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.

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