What to Do When Your Fence Is Damaged After a Storm

Woke up to find your fence knocked down after last night's storm? It's frustrating and stressful.

But don't panic. This guide walks you through exactly what to do after storm damage to your fence, based on years of experience helping Atlanta homeowners recover from fence damage.

Some of this damage you can fix yourself. Some of it needs a professional fence repair service. And some might be covered by insurance.

Let's figure out your situation and get your fence back up.

First Things First: Safety

Before you touch anything, check for these dangers:

• Downed power lines: If any part of your fence is touching or near a power line, call the power company immediately. Don't go near it.
• Sharp edges: Broken boards can have nasty splinters and sharp nails sticking out.
• Unstable sections: Leaning fence sections might fall if you touch them. Be careful.

If you have kids or pets, keep them away from the damaged fence until it's fixed or made safe.

Document the Damage

Before you do anything else, grab your phone and take pictures. Lots of them.

Take photos of:

• The overall damage (get wide shots)
• Close-ups of broken sections
• Any property damage the fence caused (if it fell on something)
• What caused the damage if you can see it (like a fallen tree)

You'll need these photos if you file an insurance claim. Even if you don't think you'll file a claim, take the photos anyway. Better to have them and not need them.

Can You Fix It Yourself?

Let's figure out if this is a DIY job or if you need to call a pro.

Easy Fixes (You Can Probably Handle These)

1-2 loose boards: If just a few boards came loose, you can probably nail or screw them back in place.

Loose fence cap: Post caps sometimes blow off. Just nail or glue them back on.

Gate latch broken: These break pretty easily in storms. You can buy a new one at any hardware store for $10-30.

Harder Fixes (Better Call a Pro)

Entire panels down: If whole sections of fence fell over, the posts probably failed. This needs proper repair.

Leaning posts: Posts that are leaning won't hold the fence up properly. They need to be reset or replaced.

Multiple broken boards: Replacing lots of boards takes time and skill to make it look right.

Structural damage: If the rails are broken or posts are cracked, the whole section needs rebuilding.

Temporary Fixes Until Help Arrives

If you can't get it fixed right away, here's how to make it safe temporarily:

For Leaning Sections

Prop them up with 2x4s from the back. Angle the boards from the ground to the top of the fence. This will keep them from falling over completely.

For Fallen Sections

If you have dogs that might escape, put up temporary fencing. You can use:

• Plastic construction fencing (buy it at Home Depot)
• Chicken wire attached to stakes
• Even stacked lawn chairs in a pinch

It doesn't have to look good. It just needs to keep your pets in until you get the real fence fixed.

For Dangerous Debris

If there are boards with nails sticking up, lay them flat nail-side down. Mark the area with something bright so nobody steps on them.

When to File an Insurance Claim

This is a big question. Here's what you need to know:

When Insurance Usually Covers Fence Damage

• Damage from storms, wind, or lightning
• Fallen trees (from your property or your neighbor's)
• Vandalism
• Vehicle damage (if someone hits your fence)

When Insurance Usually DOESN'T Cover It

• Normal wear and tear
• Rot or age
• Damage from lack of maintenance
• Damage that happened slowly over time

Should You Actually File a Claim?

Here's the thing: filing a claim can raise your rates. So you need to do some math.

Check your deductible first. If fixing your fence costs $1,500 and your deductible is $1,000, insurance only pays $500. Is it worth a possible rate increase for $500?

As a rule of thumb, only file a claim if the damage costs at least $2,000 more than your deductible.

How to File a Claim

If you decide to file:

1. Call your insurance company as soon as possible
2. Send them the photos you took
3. Get repair estimates (get 2-3 quotes)
4. Don't start repairs until the adjuster sees the damage (unless it's an emergency)

What Fence Repairs Cost

Here's what you can expect to pay in Atlanta:

Minor repairs:

• Replace 5-10 boards: $200-400
• Fix a gate: $100-300
• Straighten one leaning post: $150-250

Major repairs:

• Replace entire section (one post to another): $300-600
• Replace multiple posts: $200-350 per post
• Rebuild significant damage: $500-2,000+

Full replacement:

• If more than 40-50% is damaged, replacing the whole fence often makes more sense
• See our pricing guide for full fence costs

Common Atlanta Storm Damage Scenarios

Tornado or Straight-Line Winds

We get these every spring. They usually knock down entire sections at once.

The posts often break at ground level or pull right out of the concrete. This is major damage that needs professional repair.

Heavy Thunderstorms

These can blow boards off or make sections lean. Often less serious than tornado damage.

Sometimes you can just reattach loose boards and call it good.

Fallen Trees

A tree falling on your fence usually means you need to replace that entire section.

Get the tree removed first (that's separate from fence repair), then assess the fence damage.

Lightning Strikes

Rare, but it happens. Lightning can split posts or burn wood. You'll need to replace whatever got hit plus any sections that were damaged by the impact.

How to Prevent Future Storm Damage

You can't storm-proof a fence completely, but you can make it stronger:

1. Make Sure Posts Are Deep Enough

Posts should be at least 2.5 feet deep in Atlanta's soil. Three feet is better. This helps them resist wind.

2. Use Proper Concrete

Each post should have a good concrete footing. Skimping on concrete makes fences more likely to fail in storms.

3. Keep Trees Trimmed

Trim branches that hang over your fence. A small branch won't hurt anything, but a big one can destroy a whole section.

4. Fix Small Problems Fast

If you notice a post starting to lean or a board coming loose, fix it now. Small problems become big problems in storms.

5. Consider Your Material

Vinyl and aluminum fences often handle storms better than wood. They're more flexible and don't rot at ground level like wood posts can.

Dealing With Neighbor Issues

What if the storm damaged a fence on your property line? Who pays?

If It's Your Fence

You're responsible for fixing it, even if it fell into your neighbor's yard.

Be a good neighbor - clean up any debris that landed on their property quickly.

If It's a Shared Fence

If you and your neighbor split the cost of the fence originally, you should split the repair cost too.

Have a friendly conversation about it. Most neighbors are reasonable about storm damage.

If Their Tree Damaged Your Fence

This gets tricky. In Georgia, if a healthy tree falls during a storm, nobody's at fault. It's considered an "act of God."

Your insurance (or you) pays for your fence. Their insurance pays for their property.

BUT if the tree was dead or obviously dangerous before the storm, they might be liable. You'd need to prove they knew it was dangerous and didn't do anything about it.

How Fast Can You Get It Fixed?

After a big storm, fence companies get swamped with calls. Here's what to expect:

Small repairs: Often fixed within a few days to a week

Major repairs: 1-2 weeks, depending on how busy companies are

Full replacement: 2-4 weeks after a big storm (longer if everyone's fence got damaged)

Call as soon as you can. Companies work on a first-come, first-served basis after storms.

Final Advice

Storm damage to your fence is annoying, but it's fixable. The important things are:

1. Make sure everyone's safe first
2. Take photos before you touch anything
3. Do temporary fixes if needed
4. Decide if insurance makes sense
5. Get multiple repair quotes
6. Choose a company that does quality work, not just the cheapest one

Most fence storm damage looks worse than it actually is. Often it's just a few sections that need attention, not the whole fence.