Most fences fail one post at a time. A single leaning section after a windy spring is a quick fix. A fence where every post is soft at the ground is a replacement that has not happened yet. This guide prices each repair the way we quote them, explains when a brace is enough and when it is not, and gives you a simple rule for the repair or replace decision.
Fence repair prices at a glance
| Repair | What it involves | Typical 2026 price |
|---|---|---|
| Brace a leaning post | Steel repair stake or bracket driven beside a post that is still solid | $150 - $300 per post |
| Replace a rotted post | Remove post and old concrete, new post and footing, reattach rails | $250 - $450 per post |
| Reset a post deeper | Heaved or shallow post dug out and reset below frost | $300 - $500 per post |
| Replace broken boards | Pickets or boards on an otherwise sound section | $15 - $30 per linear foot |
| Replace 3 or 4 panels | Cedar panels between existing posts | $400 - $900 |
| Fix a sagging gate | Anti-sag kit, DIY | $60 - $120 |
| Rebuild a gate | New gate frame and hardware, hinge post if needed | $200 - $600 |
| Vinyl panel replacement | Matching panel slid into existing posts | $150 - $400 per panel |
| Chain link repair | Re-stretch, splice fabric, replace top rail or a post | $150 - $500 |
| Drainage fix behind a failing section | Regrade or small wall where soil pushes the fence over | $1,500 - $5,000 plus fence work |
Expect a service minimum of roughly $250 to $400 on a single small repair. Bundling several fixes into one visit is almost always cheaper per item.
Repair or replace: the five post rule
Posts are what hold a fence up, and they almost always fail first, at the soil line where wood stays wet. That makes the post count the best guide to the decision.
- One or two leaning posts, wood still hard: brace or reset them. This is a repair.
- One or two posts soft or snapped at the ground: replace those posts. Still a repair.
- Three or four soft posts: probe the rest. If the others are sound, repair. If they are starting to go, price both options.
- Five or more rotted posts, or most of the fence over 15 years old: replace. You will pay for the same posts one by one over the next few years, with a service minimum each time.
- Boards grey but posts solid: repair and refinish. Weathered boards are cosmetic.
To test a post, push a screwdriver into it just below the soil line. Sound wood resists. If it goes in easily, the post is rotting from the inside and a brace will only hide the problem for a season or two.
Brace, reset or replace a leaning post
| Fix | Use it when | Price | How long it lasts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steel repair brace or stake | Post is still solid but has tipped or loosened | $150 - $300 | Years, if the post stays sound |
| Reset deeper | Post was set too shallow and has heaved with frost | $300 - $500 | Long term |
| Replace post | Post is soft, split or snapped at grade | $250 - $450 | Long term |
Bracing is popular because it is fast, but it is only a fix for a solid post. A brace clamped to a rotting post holds the fence up while the post keeps rotting. Resetting costs more than replacing in some yards because heaved posts are often locked in a large bell of old concrete that has to come out first, and tree roots or a tight side yard slow everything down.
For a post to stay put in Ontario, the footing needs to reach below frost, generally about 1.2 m (4 ft) in this region. Posts set at 60 to 75 cm (2 to 2.5 ft) are the ones that lean after a wet, cold winter. Our leaning and rotting fence guide walks through each cause in detail.
Repairs by fence material
Wood: cedar and pressure-treated
The most repairable fence there is. Boards, rails, panels and posts can all be swapped individually. New cedar will look brighter than the old for a season until it weathers. If the fence is being stained, stain the whole run so the repair disappears.
Vinyl
Vinyl rarely rots, but panels crack from impacts and cold, and posts can heave. Repairs depend on finding a matching panel, and colours and profiles are discontinued often. Buying a spare panel when the fence is installed is cheap insurance. Posts that heave are reset like wood posts, with the vinyl sleeve reinstalled over a new insert or footing.
Chain link
Chain link is cheap to repair. Fabric can be re-stretched or spliced, bent top rails replaced, and posts reset. Replacement is also cheap, $20 to $35 per linear foot, so a badly damaged run is often better replaced than patched.
Aluminum
Ornamental aluminum sections and posts come apart with fasteners, so a bent panel can be swapped. Matching an older style is the main difficulty. Pool enclosures need extra care, because the self-closing, self-latching gate has to keep working to meet the pool enclosure by-law.
What replacement costs instead
| New fence material | Per linear foot installed | 120 ft backyard, one gate |
|---|---|---|
| Chain link | $20 - $35 | About $2,400 - $4,200 |
| Pressure-treated wood | $35 - $60 | $4,200 - $7,200 |
| Vinyl | $50 - $85 | $6,000 - $10,200 |
| Cedar | $50 - $90 | $6,500 - $10,800 |
| Aluminum ornamental | $60 - $110 | Per quote |
| Remove old fence | $5 - $12 | $600 - $1,440 |
Full detail on materials, heights and gates is in our Ontario fence cost guide, and the fence cost calculator will price your own run.
Shared fences and neighbours
A fence on the property line is usually shared, and so is the repair. Talk to your neighbour before work starts, agree the scope and split in writing, and confirm where the line actually is from your survey. If you cannot agree, Ontario's Line Fences Act sets out a process where municipal fence-viewers can decide how the cost of a line fence is shared. Your city clerk's office can tell you whether and how it applies where you live.
Permits and by-laws
Repairing an existing fence in its current location and height generally does not need a permit. Fence height and location rules still apply, especially on corner lots with sight triangles. Pool enclosure fences are regulated separately, and any repair must leave the enclosure compliant. Utility locates through Ontario One Call are free and required before digging new post holes.
Where the cheap repair quote is cutting
- A brace on a rotten post. Always ask whether the post was probed.
- Shallow post holes. Ask how deep the new footings will go.
- Concrete mounded above grade. Concrete should be shaped to shed water away from the post, not hold it.
- Old concrete left in the hole. A new post squeezed beside an old footing does not sit plumb for long.
- Nails instead of screws. Exterior-rated screws hold rails far better through freeze-thaw.
- No mention of the cause. If soil or water pushed the fence over, the quote should say what is being done about it.
When to book
Post work needs unfrozen ground, roughly April to November in this region. Spring is the busiest time because winter heave and wind damage show up together. Board, panel and gate repairs can be done almost any time the weather allows.
Frequently asked questions
How much does fence repair cost in Ontario?
Most repairs cost $150 to $1,500 in 2026. A leaning post brace is $150 to $300, a replaced post $250 to $450, 3 or 4 cedar panels $400 to $900, and a gate rebuild $200 to $600.
How much does it cost to replace a fence post?
About $250 to $450 per post in 2026, including removing the old post and concrete, a new post and footing, and reattaching the rails. Resetting a heaved post deeper can run $300 to $500.
Can a leaning fence post be fixed without replacing it?
Yes, if the post is still solid. A steel repair brace driven beside the post, typically $150 to $300, can straighten and hold it. If the post is soft at the soil line, bracing only delays replacement.
When should I replace my fence instead of repairing it?
When five or more posts have rotted, or most of the fence is over about 15 years old and posts are starting to go. At that point you pay for the same repairs one at a time with a service minimum each visit.
Is my neighbour responsible for half the fence repair?
For a fence on the shared property line, the cost is usually split by agreement. If neighbours cannot agree, Ontario's Line Fences Act has a process where municipal fence-viewers decide. Ask your city clerk how it applies locally.
Can I replace just one fence panel?
Yes, on wood and most vinyl and aluminum fences. New wood will look brighter until it weathers. For vinyl and aluminum, the challenge is finding a matching profile and colour.
Why do fence posts lean after winter?
Usually because the footing is above frost depth, so frozen soil lifts it, or because the post has rotted at the soil line. Wet soil and water from downspouts make both worse.
Do I need a permit to repair a fence?
Not usually for a repair in the same place and at the same height. Pool enclosure fences have their own rules, and corner lots have sight-line height limits. Call Ontario One Call before digging post holes.
- Our fence building service
- Fence cost in Ontario
- Why is my cedar fence rotting or leaning?
- Wood vs vinyl vs aluminum fence
- Fence cost calculator
Deck showing its age too? See our deck repair cost guide for repair, resurface and rebuild pricing.
Replacing rather than repairing? See privacy fence ideas with 2026 prices.