Fence Repair in Vancouver
Fences fail at ground level, and they fail from the inside. The panels you are looking at are usually fine — the post holding them has rotted through in the 100mm band where soil, air and water meet, and everything above it is just waiting.
Why posts rot at ground level
Timber decays fastest where it is alternately wet and dry with plenty of oxygen, and that band sits right at the soil line. Below it, saturated ground has too little oxygen; above it, the post dries. So a post can be sound at the top, sound below, and gone entirely across the few centimetres that matter.
The test takes a second: grip the post and push. If the top moves while the base stays put, it has snapped at grade even if nothing looks wrong. This is also why replacing panels on old posts is wasted money — the new panel is being hung on the part that is about to fail.
Straightening a leaning fence
A lean is either the posts moving in the ground or the panels racking out of square. Racking can be pulled back and braced. Posts that have shifted need resetting, and posts that have rotted at grade need replacing — no amount of bracing fixes wood that is no longer there.
Where most posts are sound and one or two have gone, replacing the failed ones and re-hanging is far cheaper than a new fence, and we will always price that option. Where more than about a third have failed, spot repairs become a rolling cost and full replacement is the better spend.
Post setting: concrete vs. gravel
Concrete is the default and it works, provided it is domed above grade so water sheds away rather than collecting in the collar. Set flat or slightly dished, a concrete collar becomes a bucket holding water against the post, which accelerates exactly the rot it was meant to prevent.
Compacted gravel is the alternative: it drains freely, holds the post firmly once tamped in layers, and makes future replacement far easier. In our rainfall gravel performs very well. Either way the post itself should be rated for ground contact and the cut end treated before it goes in.
City height limits and shared fences
Vancouver and the surrounding municipalities each set maximum fence heights, and the limit is typically lower for a front yard than for the sides and rear, with additional rules near corners for sightlines. The figures differ between cities, so we confirm for your address rather than assuming.
A fence on the property line between two lots is generally a shared responsibility, and the practical advice is to talk to your neighbour before work starts rather than after. Where the line itself is disputed, that is a survey question and not something a fence contractor should be deciding for you.
What this costs
$1,400–$14,000 for built-ins, trim and stair work
Quoted after a site visit, materials separate. Trim and baseboard runs start around $1,400; a full alcove built-in in a heritage home, scribed to out-of-square walls, runs toward the top of the range. Decks are quoted separately and typically start at $22,000.
Materials are always separate from labour and passed on at cost. Quotes are free and written, and the full rate card is published rather than given out on request.
Common questions
Can a leaning fence be straightened without full replacement?
Often, yes. If the panels have racked out of square they can be pulled back and braced; if one or two posts have failed while the rest are sound, replacing just those is far cheaper than a new fence. Once about a third of the posts have gone, spot repairs turn into a rolling cost.
How tall can a fence be in Vancouver?
There is a limit and it is usually lower at the front than at the sides and rear, with extra restrictions near corners for visibility. The exact figures differ between Vancouver and the neighbouring municipalities, so we confirm the rule for your specific address instead of quoting a number that may apply to the wrong city.
Who pays for a shared fence?
A fence on the boundary is generally a shared responsibility, but that is a conversation to have with your neighbour before the work rather than after. If the position of the property line itself is in doubt, that is a survey question — not something we should be deciding on your behalf with a post hole.