Fence repair and gate work covers the leaning section, the heaved post, the storm-damaged panel, and the sagging gate that drags a year after a cheap install. Gates are where fences fail first — a gate moves a thousand times a year and needs its own concreted post, real bracing against sag, and proper hardware. We also build pool-barrier gates to code: self-closing, self-latching, and swinging away from the pool. Across all of it, the fix is usually at the post and the footing, not the pickets.
Why fences fail, and where
A fence almost never fails at the pickets — it fails at the posts. A leaning run means a post heaved in the red-clay freeze-thaw or was set too shallow for the Stillwater wind. A dragging gate means the gate post moved or was never braced for the load it carries. Storm damage shows up as blown-out panels and snapped rails, but the sections that survive are the ones with deep, concreted posts. Diagnosing the post is how you fix the fence for good instead of patching it twice.
How a gate is built to stop sagging
A gate is the one part of a fence that moves constantly, so it gets the most careful footing and bracing. The crew sets the gate post in concrete, deep enough not to heave, and squares and braces the gate frame — often with a diagonal brace or a turnbuckle that resists sag — before hanging it on real hardware. A pool gate adds the code requirements: self-closing, self-latching, and opening away from the pool. Done right, the gate swings true and latches every time, years on.
- Reset the post. Heaved or shallow posts reset deeper and concreted.
- Brace the gate. Diagonal brace or turnbuckle against sag.
- Real hardware. Hinges and latches sized for the gate, not the cheapest set.
- Pool to code. Self-closing, self-latching, swinging away from the pool.
When repair becomes replacement
If the posts are rotted through or the line has failed in several places, a new section or run is the honest call — that points to wood, vinyl and privacy, or chain-link installation depending on what is there now. We cover why footings decide a fence's lifespan in how long does a fence last and what a fresh install involves in fence installation: what to expect.