Common repairs
| Problem | Usual fix |
|---|---|
| Leaning section | Reset or replace the post, re-plumb, re-set in concrete |
| Post rotted at the ground line | Replace the post, or sister a steel post alongside it |
| Storm-blown panel | Replace pickets and rails, check neighboring posts |
| Sagging or dragging gate | Reset the hinge post, add anti-sag kit or steel frame, replace hinges |
| Broken or missing pickets | Replace with matching lumber; new wood will look different until stained |
| Chain link bent by a tree limb | Replace fabric section, top rail or line posts |
| Cracked vinyl board or rail | Replace the part from the same product line |
| Rusted iron picket or weld | Cut out and replace, re-weld, repaint |
Why posts fail here
Huntsville gets a little over 54 inches of rain a year, most of it from November to May, and the soil is largely red clay. Clay holds water against the post right at the ground line, which is exactly where untreated or above-ground-rated lumber rots and where termites, which are a very heavy risk across Alabama, find wood. Then a spring thunderstorm puts a 6-foot solid fence under wind load, and the weakest post goes.
That is why a repair visit should include pushing on every post, not just the broken one. A contractor can tell you how many are soft.
Repair or replace?
- Repair when the damage is local: one or two posts, a storm-hit section, a gate, a few pickets.
- Replace when many posts are soft, the pickets are split and gray throughout, or the fence has been repaired section by section for years. See fence replacement.
- Restain when the structure is sound and the wood is just weathered. See fence staining.
Fence repair cost
National guides put typical fence repairs at about $300–$900, for jobs like replacing a panel or a post; one puts the average near $613. Multi-post or multi-section jobs cost more, and some contractors price repairs per linear foot. We found no Huntsville-specific repair pricing.
If the repair follows a storm or a fallen tree, photograph the damage before anything is moved. Whether insurance covers it is a question for your policy, not the contractor.
Setting new posts still means 811
Replacing a post means digging a hole, and Alabama law requires notice to Alabama 811 at least two full working days before excavation. Old fence lines often sit right over buried service lines that were installed after the fence went in.
Main guide: fence companies in Huntsville, AL.