Limb Strikes and Winter Blowdowns Under the Trees
The same big maples and firs that shade these blocks all summer shed branches every winter, and a falling limb does not negotiate with a fence. We see the pattern weekly from November on: a crushed span or two, splintered rails, sometimes a snapped post, while the rest of the line stands untouched. The repair is usually contained. We clear the debris if the tree crew has not, rebuild the flattened stretch to blend with what surrounds it as nearly as aged wood allows, and check the neighboring posts for cracks that have not announced themselves yet. Ice storms bring a second wave of the same work. If the dog or the hot tub sits behind that gap, say so when you call, because open-yard situations move to the front of our calendar.
Leaning Posts, and Replacing a Fence in Stages
Fences on the older east-side lots were often set shallow in soil that never dries, and the lean shows up decades later like a scheduled appointment. Where the structure above is sound, we pull the failed post, dig a generous footing, and plumb the line without replacing panels that have years left. Where a whole run is tired, staging the work lets the budget breathe: rebuild the worst stretch this season, the next stretch when it fails or when the money is ready, keeping heights and board patterns consistent so the finished line reads as one fence. Staged work costs somewhat more per foot than a single mobilization, and we say that up front. For plenty of households the tradeoff is worth it, because the alternative is living beside a falling fence while saving for a whole one.
What a Repair Visit Looks Like
We come out, probe every post near the soil line with an awl, and sort the fence into three honest categories: sound, failing, and borderline. You get a quote for the minimum fix and one for the smarter fix when those differ, with our reasoning attached.
- Debris cleared and damaged sections opened up
- Failed posts pulled, holes dug oversized, replacements plumbed
- Rails and boards rebuilt to sit clear of the soil
- Gates rehung and latches aligned
- Broken material loaded out, yard raked behind us
Repair crews carry stock cedar dimensions on the truck, so most jobs finish the day they start.
Want the deeper dive? Read our full fence repair & replacement page, or see everything we build on our Portland fence company page.