Most fence repairs cost $300 to $900 in 2026, going by national figures. Small fixes such as a latch, a board or a hinge run $100 to $300. Large ones, with several posts or a whole section down, run $900 to $2,500.
The price ranges on this page are national figures published by HomeGuide for 2026. They are not quotes from The Saint Paul Fence Company. Local labor, material prices and what we find in your yard move a job up or down. Last checked October 2026.
| Repair | Typical cost | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Minor | $100 to $300 | A board or two, a latch, tightening a gate |
| Standard | $300 to $900 | One panel, one or two posts, new hinges |
| Major | $900 to $2,500 | Several posts, a section on the ground, a rebuilt gate |
How much does it cost to fix a leaning fence?
It depends on how many posts have let go. Boards and rails do not make a fence lean. Posts do. One or two loose posts is a standard repair. If a whole side of the yard is tipping together, that side is rebuilt, and the bill moves into the major range.
Why is my fence leaning, and can it be fixed without replacing it?
In Saint Paul the usual answer is frost, rot or snow. Frost lifts posts that were set too shallow and drops them back crooked. Wood rots at the ground line, where it stays damp. And the ridge of snow a plow leaves along an alley leans on a fence for months. If the wood above ground is still sound, we replace or reset the posts and re-hang the rest.
How much does it cost to replace a rotted fence post?
To replace a rotted fence post or two is a standard repair, $300 to $900 on the national figures. Most of the work is underground: breaking out the old concrete, digging down past the frost and setting the new post. A post next to a garage slab or a tree takes longer than one in open lawn.
My gate sags and will not latch. Repair or replace?
Repair it first. When a gate sags, look at the hinge post before the gate. If the post has tipped, the gate drops with it. Straightening or resetting that post, adding a cross brace and adjusting the latch brings most gates back. A gate with a rotted or twisted frame is replaced.
How much does a contractor charge to fix a broken gate latch?
A broken gate latch is a minor repair, $100 to $300 on national 2026 figures. Most of that is the trip, not the latch. Have us look at the hinges and any loose boards on the same visit.
My fence posts lifted over the winter and the gate will not close. Can they be reset?
Yes. This is frost heave, and the fix is to go deeper, not to hammer the post down. The lifted post and its footing are pulled and a new hole is dug below the frost. The Minnesota State Building Code uses 3.5 feet as the frost footing depth for buildings in the southern zone of the state, which includes Ramsey County (Minnesota Rules 1303.1600). We measure fence posts against that figure.
My fence line goes wavy every winter. Is it the soil or a bad installation?
Both play a part, but depth decides it. Saint Paul soil changes from sand to stony clay within a block, and clay that goes into winter wet heaves the hardest. Even so, a post that sits below the frost with a straight-sided footing stays put in clay. A fence that goes wavy every year was set too shallow, or its footings are wider at the top and give the frost something to lift.
A branch bent my aluminum fence. Do I need a whole new panel?
Not always. Some aluminum fences are put together from separate rails and pickets, and one bent piece can be changed. Others come as welded or riveted sections that are replaced whole. A clear photo of the damage and of a rail end usually tells us which you have.
The only firm number is a written quote for your own yard, and the estimate is free. Call (651) 362-2183 or text us a photo of the fence line.