How Much Does Fence Repair Cost in 2025?

Fence Repair Cost Factors

The height, material, length, and cost of labor will impact your final price to repair a fence. Here’s a look at the biggest cost factors.

Height

Higher fences generally cost more to repair because they require additional materials and equipment. The extra time required to fix a taller fence will also factor into hourly labor costs for the project. You’ll also pay more for fences that are higher or shorter than standard, as this usually requires custom wood cutting, which will add to your overall costs.

Length

Like height, length plays a big role in fencing repair costs. At around $30 per linear foot for average fence repair costs, it stands to reason that a longer fence will cost more to repair. However, length is only a factor if repairs are needed throughout the entire body of a fence.

Cost Per Square Foot

The average cost to repair a fence falls between $18 and $50 per square foot. That places the average cost to repair fences made from all fencing materials at $34 per square foot.

Cost by Repair Type

There are several kinds of fence repair you may need to take on, each of which has its own costs to consider. Some of the most common fencing costs are broken boards, leaning fences, broken wire, chipping paint, fallen fence sections, or a broken gate.

Fallen Fence

If part of your fence has fallen, you’ll need to address it quickly since it puts stress on the rest of the fence, possibly making the issue worse (and more expensive to fix). Generally, fixing a section of fallen fence costs $150 to $400.

Post Replacement

If some of your fence posts need to be replaced (such as if they’ve given way and caused your fence to fall), you’ll have to replace them. Replacing a post costs about $270 per post, on average.

Gate Repair

The wear and tear of gates can cause them to break down over time. Depending on the issue, you may spend less than $100 to replace faulty hinges or latches or up to $400 to replace panels or put a new gate in entirely.

Holes or Cracks

The cost of repairing fence holes and cracks depends on their severity. Generally, this will cost between $125 and $400, though it may be less for small holes or more for very severe damage.

Leaning Fence

If your fence is leaning but hasn’t fallen, you’ll pay around $500 to have it fixed. Fences might start leaning due to eroding soil, rotting post bases, or shifting ground. Support braces cost about $60 to $150 each, while stabilizing posts with concrete can cost anywhere from $125 to $2,300.

Missing Sections

If your fence is missing boards, you’ll typically pay around $200 to replace them. If your fence is missing entire panels, you’ll pay around $150 to $400 per panel that needs replacing. 

Post Cap Replacement

Post caps are important to protect your fence posts from rot—if they need to be replaced, you can expect to pay about $80 to $100 per post cap.

Rail Repair/Replacement

Repairing a fence rail usually costs $80 to $120, while replacing it can cost as much as $750. You’ll also have to cover the cost to paint or stain a fence to make sure it matches the existing finish.

Rotten Fence Sections

Wooden fences can rot over time if not properly maintained. Depending on the extent of the damage, you’ll pay anywhere from $150 to $500 in wood fence repair costs for a rotten section. If the rot is too extensive, you’ll have to pay for fence board replacement instead.

Rusted Fence Sections

Fixing rusted fence sections is a common chain link fence repair cost, but it can happen to most other kinds of metal fences. Fixing rusted fence sections costs around $250 to $500.

Cracked or Warped Wood

If planks in your wood fence are cracking or warping due to weather damage, you’ll pay between $75 to $250 to repair it with wood putty or glue or to straighten warped wood or $125 to $400 to replace entire sections. 

Rusted Fasteners

If the screws or nails in your fence are rusting, you’ll need to replace them before your fence begins to collapse. This is a relatively inexpensive repair, at about $60 to $120.

Stains or Mildew

Stains and mildew are more than just an aesthetic issue—they can actually damage your fence over time and will definitely hurt your home’s curb appeal in the process. Pressure-washing a fence costs about $125 to $325.

Eroded Ground

If the ground around your fence posts starts to erode away, you risk the entire fence collapsing. You’ll need to pay for soil to fill to fix this issue, which costs approximately $700 to $1,700.

Storm Damage

The damage to your fence from a storm can be quite expensive to repair, depending on how severe it is. Strong winds, hail, heavy snow, and falling trees can all damage your fence, with repairs averaging between $335 to $1,250.

Material

While some fencing materials are more expensive by the square foot, others incur higher costs due to the time and labor involved in replacing them.

Wood

The cost to repair a wood fence averages around $130 to $600. While most homeowners are paying $20 per square foot for wood fence repair costs, rates are determined by the extent of the damage. Expect to pay more if it's necessary to dig out and replace rotting posts when compared to repairs that simply involve patching up holes.

Chain-link

The average cost for a repair involving chain link is $150 to $550. Costing an average of $15 to $20 per square foot for a repair, chain link often involves cutting out and replacing existing patches. Dealing with damaged or rusting chain link is often more expensive because this requires replacements of both rails and mesh.

Stone

The average cost to repair a stone fence is $50 per square foot. Costs are higher for stone because the job typically needs to be handled by a masonry expert instead of a fencing installer. If a stone fence is crumbling, a mason may need to refill the fence with smaller stones before replacing larger stones.

Aluminum or Steel

The average steel or aluminum fence repair cost is $250 to $880. Common repairs needed to get these fences back in operational order include welding, panel replacement, and post replacement.

Iron

The averageiron fence repair cost is $300 to $1,100. In some cases, a portion of an iron fence can be fixed using epoxy. However, repair costs start to climb if your fencing contractor needs to weld portions of the fence.

Barbed Wire

Fixing barbed wire fencing costs between $100 and $400. Costs for repairing barbed wire can be higher than average because safely accessing the damaged area involves a process of stretching the fence and removing barbs using a crimping tool or splicing barbed wire.

Lattice

Lattice fencing repairs land around $250 to $500. In some cases, repairing a full lattice panel is the best way to reestablish a cohesive look. It may also be possible to reinforce the section with damaged or missing slats with new slats.

Gate

With most homeowners paying between $100 and $400 for a fence gate repair, the cost for a new gate is around $250. The higher end represents a full gate replacement to match the existing fencing. However, replacing hinges and latches with heavier versions to prevent a gate from sticking or sagging can often be done for under $100. If your gate is loose or crooked, the fix may involve resetting or replacing the wood supports.

Other Fence Repair Cost Factors

There are a few other cost factors to consider when repairing your fence, particularly the labor, land prep, and ongoing maintenance you may need.

Labor Costs

The labor cost to repair a fence averages $50 per hour, with most homeowners spending between $303 and $938 in total fence repair costs. Labor costs associated with fence repair can vary based on the extent of the repairs needed, the complexity of the terrain the fence is sitting on, and accessibility. 

With many professional fencing contractors billing by the hour, homeowners can expect to pay more for time-consuming repairs spread throughout the length of a fence. In addition, factors that include rough terrain, hard soil, or hard-to-reach spots can all increase repair costs due to the extra time, planning, and materials needed.

Land Leveling

You may need to level your yard in order to properly repair or replace sections of your fence. On average, homeowners pay between $500 and $5,000 for land leveling, depending on the size of the area being worked on and how much work is needed to complete the job.

Ongoing Maintenance

Once your fence is repaired, you’ll need to continue to pay for regular maintenance to keep it in good condition. The main ones to consider are periodic painting and staining of your wood fence, as well as pressure washing. These shouldn’t cost too much upfront, but they’ll save you a lot of money in future fence repair costs.

Fence Repair vs. Replacement

If you’re able to repair your fence instead of replacing it, it’s definitely wise to do so. With fence repairs costing $608 on average, you’ll save hundreds or thousands compared to the fence replacement cost of $1,740 to $4,430 or more. Your fence installation expert can help you determine your options when it comes to deciding between repairs, partial replacement, or installing an all-new fence.

Budgeting for Fence Repair

Fence repair is an expensive project, but one that can’t be avoided when you need it. Here are a few steps to save money:

• Prep the area for your fence repair pro by removing debris, outdoor furniture, and trimming back any plants that are in the way. 

• Talk to the neighbors you share the fence with to see if you can split repair costs.

• Do minor repairs, such as fixing small holes, staining, and pressure-washing yourself to save money.

• Consider investing in a more durable fence material, such as vinyl or composite, for lower costs in the long term.

How HomeAdvisor Gets Its Cost Data

No place is more important than your home, which is why HomeAdvisor connects homeowners with local pros to transform their houses into homes they love. To help homeowners prepare for their next project, HomeAdvisor provides readers with accurate cost data and follows strict editorial guidelines. We surveyed over 10,000 real customers about their project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.