Fence Repair & Restoration

Metro Vancouver's climate is hard on fences. The combination of heavy rainfall — over 1,200mm annually — persistent moisture, occasional Pacific windstorms, and freeze-thaw cycles during winter creates conditions that accelerate fence deterioration faster than in drier regions of Canada. Leaning posts, rotted boards, broken rails, sagging gates, and storm-damaged sections are common across residential properties in every Metro Vancouver community.

Professional fence repair and restoration addresses these issues systematically, determining whether individual components can be repaired or must be replaced, and ensuring that the restored fence is structurally sound and visually consistent with the original installation.

Post rot is the most common fence failure in Metro Vancouver. Fence posts set directly in soil — without concrete footings or with inadequate concrete coverage — absorb moisture at the ground line and develop fungal decay that weakens the post until it can no longer support the fence. Leaning fences are almost always caused by post rot or inadequate footing depth.

Repair options include sister-posting (bolting a new post alongside the rotted one), post replacement with concrete footings set below the frost line, and steel post brackets that elevate the wood post above grade to prevent future ground-contact rot. For older wood fences where multiple posts have failed, replacing all posts while retaining sound boards and rails is often more cost-effective than piecemeal repairs.

Storm damage — typically caused by the strong southwesterly winds that accompany Pacific weather systems from October through March — can range from a few blown-off boards to entire fence sections laid flat. Wind damage repair involves resetting or replacing affected posts, re-attaching or replacing rails and boards, and in some cases reinforcing the fence against future wind events with deeper post footings, closer post spacing, or diagonal bracing.

Restoration work for aging but structurally sound fences includes board replacement where rot or splitting has occurred, gate realignment and hardware replacement, and re-staining or sealing to protect the wood from further moisture damage. Vinyl and metal fences may require panel replacement, post straightening, or hardware repair after vehicle impact or severe weather. WorkSafeBC coverage should be confirmed for all contractors.

Fence repair and restoration projects in Metro Vancouver typically cost $200 to $2,500, depending on the extent of damage, number of posts or sections affected, material type, and whether structural reinforcement is needed.