Why Won't Anyone Fix the Job the Last Fencer Botched?

In this post:

• What we see on site visits when a previous job has gone wrong
• Why good fencers are wary of finishing someone else's job
• Why fixing a botched fence can cost close to double
• When a repair only buys you time
• What to do if you're stuck with a job someone else started

On site visits, we hear the same story more often than you'd think.

A homeowner paid for a fence, and a few years later it's leaning and coming apart. The first company has stopped answering. By the time they call us, fixing it means pulling it all out and starting again, and it can cost close to double. Sometimes they've already spent their budget on the first job and simply can't afford to rebuild.

It's one of the hardest conversations we have. And it's why so many fencers say no to these jobs, or come back with a price that seems far too high. I want to explain why that happens. It's not because we don't want the work.

The steps you can't see were skipped

A good fence is built in a certain order. Set out the line. Check the levels. Dig the holes to the right depth. Set the posts in concrete. Let it cure. Then rails, then panels or palings.

When a job has gone wrong, it's usually because some of those steps were skipped. Shallow holes. Not enough concrete. Posts out of line. No allowance for the slope.

The problem is that those steps are at the bottom of the job. You can't fix them from the top. To get to a post that was set badly, everything built on top of it has to come off first.

So fixing the job properly often means taking it apart and starting again from the ground. That's more work than building fresh on a clear site, because now there's old concrete to dig out and materials to remove first.

It goes against how we build

There's another reason, and it's harder to put on a quote.

Tradespeople who take pride in their work have a way of doing things. Every step done properly, even the ones nobody will ever see. That's what separates a fence that's still straight in 20 years from one that's leaning after the first storm.

Patching over someone else's shortcuts goes against all of that. You end up adding your work on top of a foundation you know is wrong. It doesn't sit right.

And there's a practical side. Once we touch a job, our name is on it. If the fence fails later because of the posts the last company put in, it looks like our failure. We can't stand behind work we didn't do and can't see.

Why it can cost close to double

This is the part nobody wants to hear.

When you hire a fencer the first time, you pay for materials and labour once. When that job fails, you're paying for a lot more:

• Taking it apart. Panels, rails and palings come off by hand.
• Digging out the old posts. Breaking up and removing old concrete is slow, heavy work.
• Disposal. All of that has to be taken away.
• New materials. Old posts and damaged sheets usually can't be reused.
• The rebuild itself. The job you originally paid for, done properly this time.

Add the money already spent on the first job, and many homeowners end up paying close to double what a good fence would have cost in the first place.

That's the painful part. Some families have already used their budget. They're left with a fence that doesn't work and no money to fix it. A cheap quote that saved a few hundred dollars ends up costing thousands.

And patching it to save money rarely works. A fence fixed on top of a bad foundation will usually fail again. Then you're paying a third time.

When a repair only buys you time

Sometimes a repair is the right call, but only for now.

We can put in new posts to hold up an old timber fence. The catch is the rails. Once timber has dried out and aged, it often won't hold a screw properly. You drill in, and the screw just doesn't grip the way it would in good timber. Sometimes we can add metal brackets to help, but the timber itself is past its best.

That kind of repair will keep the fence standing for a while. It's not a fix. It's delaying the inevitable, and the fence will need replacing.

That can still be worth doing if you need more time to save, or you're planning to replace it with your neighbour next year. We'll always tell you when that's the case, so you can plan and budget for the replacement instead of being caught out.

What we do when someone calls us about a botched job

We'll come out and have a proper look. We'll tell you honestly what can be kept and what can't. Sometimes the panels or gates can be reused and only the posts need redoing. Sometimes it really is a full rebuild.

We'll explain why, show you what we're seeing, and put it in a written, itemised quote. If the budget is tight, we'll talk through what needs doing first and what can wait. And if we don't think we can make it right, we'll tell you that too.

How to avoid ending up here

• Check the QBCC licence before you hire anyone.
• Ask how deep the posts will go and whether every post is concreted.
• Get a written, itemised quote, not a figure over the phone.
• Be wary of a price that's far below everyone else's. The savings usually come from the steps you can't see.

Doing it right the first time is always cheaper than doing it twice.

Common questions

Can you finish a fence another contractor started?

Sometimes. It depends on what's already been done and how well. We'll inspect it first and tell you honestly what can stay.

Why is fixing a fence more expensive than building one?

Because the old work has to come out before the new work goes in. Removing bad posts and concrete is slow, hard work, and it all has to be taken away.

Can you just add new posts to my old timber fence?

Often, yes, but old dry rails may not hold screws well. It can buy you time, and we'll tell you honestly how long you're likely to get.

Can I get my money back from the first contractor?

If they were licensed, QBCC may be able to help with defective or incomplete work. Keep your quotes, invoices, messages and photos.

Keep reading

• Can you finish a job another contractor walked off?
• My timber fence is falling apart: repair or replace?
• The part of your fence you'll never see matters most

Stuck with a fence someone else started? Call us on 07 2141 7748, get a price online or let's have a chat.