Fence post repair: fixing a leaning fence

Why fence posts lean

• Rot at the ground line. Where wood meets soil and air it stays damp, and that is where most wood posts fail, even when the rest of the post looks fine.
• Shallow footings. A post set too shallow for its height acts like a lever, especially on privacy fences that catch the wind.
• Frost heave. In cold climates, footings above the frost line get pushed up and tilted over the winters.
• Soil and water. Erosion, saturated clay and downspouts emptying at the fence line all loosen footings.
• Gates. A gate's weight and swing work the hinge post loose faster than any other post.

Diagnose it before you dig

1. Push the fence near the top of the post. If the post moves but stays straight, the footing is loose. If it bends at the ground, the post is rotted.
2. Dig back 2 or 3 inches of soil at the base and probe the post with a screwdriver. If it sinks in easily, the wood is soft.
3. Check the neighbors. If several posts in a row lean the same way, look for a shared cause such as wind, drainage or a soil change before fixing posts one at a time.
4. Look at the rails and panels. If they are rotted or split too, a post repair alone will not make the fence last.

Three ways to fix it

1. Brace it. If the post is sound above ground and rotted only at the base, a galvanized steel repair bracket or spike driven into the ground beside it and bolted to the post can stand it back up. It is quick, costs the least and avoids digging out old concrete. It is a repair, not a new post.

2. Reset it. If the post is solid but the footing is loose or too shallow, dig around the post, pull it back to plumb, brace it, and pour new concrete, sloped away from the post at the top so water runs off.

3. Replace it. If the post is rotted through, it has to come out. Support the panels on either side, detach the rails, and remove the old post and its concrete. Breaking out the old footing is usually the hardest part of the job.

How to set a new fence post

1. Call 811 a few days before you dig. The utility locate is free and required by law in most states.
2. Dig the hole about three times the width of the post and deep enough to bury roughly a third of it, typically 2 to 3 feet for a 6-foot fence. In cold climates, go below the local frost line.
3. Put a few inches of gravel in the bottom for drainage and tamp it down.
4. Use a post rated for ground contact. Set it, plumb it on two sides with a level, and brace it in place.
5. Fill with concrete and slope the top away from the post so water sheds instead of pooling against the wood.
6. Let the concrete cure, usually at least 24 to 48 hours, before reattaching rails and panels.

What fence post repair costs

Most of the cost is labor and digging, not the post itself, which is why fixing several posts in one visit is far cheaper per post than a call-out every time one leans. For panels, gates and full sections, see fence repair cost; for other fence types, chain link and vinyl fence repair.

Making the repair last

• Use posts labeled for ground contact, not lumber rated for above-ground use.
• Keep soil and mulch from piling up against the wood.
• Point downspouts and sprinklers away from the fence line.
• On tall privacy fences in windy spots, closer post spacing helps more than deeper holes alone.