Fence repair cost: per linear foot by material
$6–$50 per linear foot
Most US homeowners report paying within that band — lower for chain link, higher for aluminum and vinyl. Posts run $75–$250 each replaced. Your quotes will vary by region, access, and how deep the rot goes.
Fences fail from the ground up: posts rot at the soil line, gates sag and tear rails, and wind takes the weakest section. Pricing is straightforward once you learn the unit — contractors quote fence work per linear foot of run, plus per-post and per-panel flat rates. The material decides your baseline; the posts decide your real bill. Want the per-foot detail by material plus post-setting costs broken out? See the dedicated fence repair cost per foot page.
What drives the cost: labor vs materials vs extras
Labor. Fence crews commonly bill $50–$150 per hour or a day rate, with service minimums around $100–$250 on small jobs. Terrain matters: rocky soil, slopes, and hardpan triple post-setting time.
Materials. A wood picket is a few dollars; a privacy panel $100–$300; a vinyl panel section similar; chain-link mesh a few dollars per foot. Posts are the hidden budget item — 4×4 treated posts plus concrete run $30–$70 in materials each before labor.
Post extraction. Removing a concrete-embedded old post is the ugliest line item. If extraction breaks the footer, the repair grows. Ask for the “extraction and re-set” price per post in writing.
Permits and rules. Repairs are usually permit-free; replacements and height changes often aren't. Utility locate (call 811) is free but skipping it is very expensive.
Cost by material and component
| Item | Typical range | New-install comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Chain-link repair | $6–$16 / linear ft | New: $8–$20 / lf |
| Wood picket/privacy repair | $10–$32 / linear ft | New: $15–$45 / lf |
| Vinyl repair | $15–$42 / linear ft | New: $20–$50 / lf |
| Aluminum/steel repair | $18–$50 / linear ft | New: $20–$50 / lf |
| Post replacement | $75–$250 each | More for gate posts / deep concrete |
| Panel replacement (wood) | $100–$300 each | Material and height dependent |
| Gate repair / replacement | $150–$600 | Hardware often the actual culprit |
DIY vs hiring a pro
Comfortably DIY: swapping pickets and rails, tightening or replacing hinge/roller hardware, restretching a small chain-link section with a turn-buckle kit, and digging/replacing a rotted post in soil you can actually dig. Tools: post-hole diggers or an auger rental, level, saw, drill — $50–$200 or a day's rental.
Call a pro: long runs where line and plumb across 100+ feet is the actual skill; rocky soil; steel/aluminum systems where panel fabrication is specialty work; and anything over 6–7 ft tall where wind load is real.
The mistake risks: setting posts out of plumb/line (every panel after it inherits the error), skipping gravel drainage in the post hole (faster rot), embedding wood posts directly in concrete without sloping the cap (a moisture trap), and cutting into a sprinkler line or utility.
Repair vs replace: where the threshold sits
- The one-third rule: if more than ~33% of sections or posts are failing, stop repairing — section-by-section replacement costs less per foot than perpetual spot fixes.
- Probe the posts. Push a screwdriver into each post at soil line. If several are soft, the whole fence is on borrowed time regardless of how good the panels look.
- Wood vs age: a 12–15-year-old pine fence with 40% good posts is usually replace-now territory; a 5-year-old fence with storm damage is repair-now.
- Matching tax: on weathered wood and aged vinyl, matching materials costs extra — if the color mismatch is unacceptable, that's a replace-it-all signal.
Hiring a pro: what a fair quote includes
A fair fence quote states linear feet, what's being replaced (posts, rails, pickets, panels, hardware), post specs (size, treatment, set depth, concrete vs gravel), whether haul-off is included, permit responsibility, and a per-post extraction price for surprises. For shared property lines, it should note that you've confirmed the survey.
Red flags: building on the property line without confirmed boundaries (lawsuit fuel), no call-811 mention, posts “set fast” in undrained holes, and quotes that ignore gate posts on a sagging gate — the gate isn't sagging because of the gate.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to repair a fence per linear foot?
Roughly $6–$16 chain link, $10–$32 wood, $15–$42 vinyl, $18–$50 metal — with service minimums making small jobs pricier per foot.
How much does it cost to replace a fence post?
Typically $75–$250 each hired out, more for gate posts or posts buried in old concrete.
Should I repair or replace my fence?
More than a third of sections/posts failing → replace section-by-section. A few isolated failures → repair. Always probe the posts at soil line first.
Does fence repair need a permit?
Usually not for like-for-like repairs; often yes for replacements and height changes. HOA rules may be stricter than the city's.
Get a range for your run: estimate fence repair cost.