The Complete UK Guide to Repairing Storm-Damaged Fencing

The first hour: a checklist

1. Wait for the wind to drop. Do not attempt to lift or hold up panels while gusts are still blowing.

2. Make the area safe. Lay loose panels flat, keep children and pets away from broken timber and exposed nails, and keep paths, drives and roads clear.

3. Photograph the damage before anything is moved, including the whole run and close-ups of every broken post, panel and rail.

4. Record the date and time and check the recorded wind speed for your area. Most insurers define a storm as gusts of at least 55mph.

5. Speak to your neighbour before any work begins if the fence is on a shared boundary.

6. Check your policy wording before assuming you can claim, as most home policies exclude fences.

7. Identify what has failed (see Step 3), then order parts or arrange an installer once the weather settles.

Step 1: Make the area safe.

A 6ft fence panel presents a large, flat surface to the wind. In a strong gust it can be torn from your hands, swing towards you or be carried into a window, a vehicle or a greenhouse. For that reason, repairs should always wait until the wind has dropped.

• Lay loose panels flat. If a panel is hanging or moving in the wind, it is often safer to lift it out and lay it face down on the lawn than to leave it to work loose. Weigh it down if more wind is forecast.

• Clear sharp debris. Snapped timber, exposed nails, broken concrete and damaged trellis are easily missed in wet grass. Wear rigger gloves and sturdy footwear.

• Keep paths and roads clear. If a fence has fallen across a footpath, a drive or a road, keep people away and move it as soon as it is safe to do so. A fence on a front boundary can quickly become a hazard to passers-by.

• Check overhead. If a tree or branch brought the fence down, make sure nothing else is still hanging. If a fallen tree is in contact with overhead cables, keep well clear and call 105, the national power cut and electricity safety number.

• Secure pets. A gap in a fence is one of the most common ways for dogs to escape after a storm. Our dog-proofing guide sets out simple measures to keep them in.

Step 2: Record the damage.

Photographs taken before anything is moved are your best evidence for an insurer, a landlord or a neighbour. They also allow an installer to give an accurate price without a site visit.

• A wide shot of the whole fence line, taken from each end.

• Close-ups of each broken post, particularly at ground level, showing whether it has snapped, rotted or pulled out of its concrete.

• Close-ups of split panels, broken rails and damaged brackets.

• Anything else the fence has struck, such as a car, a shed, plants or a neighbouring property.

It is also worth noting what your posts are made of (timber, concrete or steel) and roughly how old the fence is. Record the date, the time and the strongest gust recorded near you. The Met Office’s Beaufort scale classes a mean wind of 48 to 55 knots as storm force 10.

Step 3: Identify what has failed.

A storm will find the weakest part of a fence, which is usually a timber post at ground level, and the rest of the run then follows. Walk the full length of the fence, push each post firmly, and compare what you find with the table below.

As a general rule, one loose post places additional load on the posts either side of it. If you find one failure, check the neighbouring posts carefully, as an early repair can prevent the loss of the next two panels.

Step 4: Who is responsible for the fence?

There is no rule that you own the fence on your left or on your right. Ownership depends on the legal documents for your property.

• Check your title plan and deeds. Your title register and plan can be downloaded from HM Land Registry for a small fee. A ​‘T’ mark on a boundary line usually indicates which side owns and maintains that fence. An ​‘H’ mark usually indicates that it is shared.

• Deeds are often silent. If nothing is recorded, look for evidence such as who has historically maintained the fence and which side the posts and rails face. Then discuss it with your neighbour.

• Agree the work before it starts. A shared cost, agreed in writing (an email is sufficient), avoids disputes later. Legal action over a fence will usually cost far more than the fence itself.

• There is no general duty to replace a fence. In England and Wales, an owner is not generally obliged to replace a boundary fence unless the deeds or a covenant require it. If you need a barrier, for a dog or for privacy, you can put up your own fence on your side of the boundary.

• If you rent. Report the damage to your landlord or letting agent in writing, with your photographs. Responsibility for the repair will depend on your tenancy agreement.

Our full guide to who is responsible for a fence blown down covers T marks, shared fences and what to do if your neighbour will not contribute.

Step 5: Will insurance pay?

In many cases it will not, so it is worth checking your policy before planning around a claim.

• Most policies exclude fences. A Which? review found that only 1% of buildings policies pay out for storm damage to fences, gates and hedges (Which?). Ageas, for example, states that its standard home policy does not cover storm damage to gates and fences (Ageas).

• Insurers define a storm. Most count wind as a storm when gusts reach at least 55mph, and may check weather records for your area. Damage at lower wind speeds is usually treated as wear and tear.

• Wear and tear is excluded. A post that had already rotted at the base before the storm will often be refused, even if the wind caused the final failure.

• Damage caused by the fence may be covered. If your fence struck a car, a conservatory or a shed, that damage may fall under a different section of the relevant policy. Keep your photographs and contact the insurer.

• Temporary repairs are expected. Insurers generally expect you to prevent further damage. Photograph everything first and keep your receipts.

Businesses, landlords and public bodies should check their property and liability policies separately. Our commercial, public sector and farm guides explain what to record.

Step 6: Temporary repairs until the wind drops

If more wind is forecast, a temporary repair taking around 20 minutes can stop one failed post from bringing down several more panels.

• Brace a leaning post. Screw a length of sawn timber or batten to the post about two thirds of the way up, angle it down to the ground, and fix the foot to a stake driven into firm soil. Brace both sides where possible.

• Reduce the wind load. Lifting out a damaged or loose panel next to a weak post significantly reduces the load on that post. Store the panel flat.

• Refix loose panels. Add galvanised screws or panel clips where panels have worked loose from timber posts. Use galvanised or stainless-steel fixings so that they do not rust.

• Close a gap for pets or security. A sheet of OSB or plywood screwed to the posts makes a quick and inexpensive temporary barrier.

• Leave concrete work for calmer weather. Post mix sets in minutes, but a new post still needs bracing until it is fully firm, and digging in waterlogged ground is slow and difficult work.

How to repair storm damage: fix by fix

Each repair below is a summary. The linked guides include full tool lists, photographs and video. As a general rule, most fencing repairs are easier and safer with two people.

Replace a panel between timber posts

1. Check the posts first. If they are firm and upright, they can be reused. If not, repair the posts before fitting a new panel.

2. Lever the old panel frame away from the post until the nails or screws are exposed, then cut through them with a hacksaw or remove the screws.

3. Lift the new panel into position on its gravel board or on blocks, so that it sits clear of the soil.

4. Fix it to the posts with panel clips or brackets and galvanised screws, using two or three fixings on each side.

5. Check that the panel is level before the final fixings go in.

Full guide: Replace a blown-out fence panel. Parts: lap panels from £25.76, closeboard panels from £31.52.

Replace a panel in slotted concrete posts.

Concrete posts make panel replacement straightforward, as the old panel lifts out of the post slots and the new one slides down into place. Lift the panel vertically, with one person at each end. If panels rattle in the slots, fit rubber panel clips or packers to stop them moving in the wind.

Full guide: Replace a panel in concrete posts.

Fix a timber post snapped at ground level.

This is the most common storm failure. Timber posts are most vulnerable to rot where they meet the soil, and a storm will find that weakness. There are three ways to repair it.

Option A: Concrete repair spur

This is the best option when the post is sound above ground. The spur is concreted into the ground beside the existing post and bolted to it.

1. Prop the fence upright with timber braces on both sides.

2. Dig a hole beside the post, 45 to 60cm deep. The deeper the hole, the stronger the repair.

3. Cut away the rotten stump and treat the sound timber with a preservative.

4. Stand the spur in the hole tight against the post, check that the post is plumb, and mark the bolt holes.

5. Drill through the post, fit coach bolts through the spur and the post, and tighten them.

6. Fill the hole with concrete or post mix to just above ground level, sloping the surface so that water runs away from the timber.

7. Leave the braces in place until the concrete has fully set.

Option B: Metal repair spur

A metal repair spur is a galvanised spike or sleeve, driven into the ground beside or around the post and bolted or clamped to it. It requires less digging, is less visible and works best in firm, stone-free ground.

Option C: Replace the post.

This is the best option when the post is rotten above ground, or when you want the fence to last for many more years.

8. Remove the panels on either side.

9. Dig out the old post and its concrete. If it will not move, cut a notch about 20cm up the post and lever it out with a long bar resting on a block.

10. Dig the new hole to a depth of at least 600mm and roughly three times the width of the post, which is around 300mm wide for a 100mm post.

11. Place about 150mm of gravel in the base of the hole for drainage, then stand the new post on it and check that it is straight on two faces.

12. Pour water into the hole, then add the post mix around the post, following the instructions on the bag. Our post mix sets in 5 to 10 minutes.

13. Brace the post, then refit the panels.

Full guides: Snapped post, three fixes compared; Fit a concrete repair spur; How to use Postcrete. Parts: 100mm x 100mm incised posts from £12.65, post mix from £5.64, metal post supports

Replace a cracked or snapped concrete post.

Concrete posts do not rot, but a heavy impact from a falling branch, or a panel acting as a lever in high winds, can crack them, particularly if the steel reinforcement inside has corroded. Slide out the panels on either side, break up and remove the old footing, set the new post in post mix at the same height and alignment, and slide the panels back into place. Concrete posts are heavy, so they should always be lifted by two people.

Parts: concrete H posts from £25.28, concrete gravel boards from £16.74.

Repair a broken arris rail on closeboard fencing.

Arris rails are the triangular horizontal rails behind a closeboard fence, and they are one of the components most often broken in high winds. For a break close to the post, fix a flanged arris rail bracket across the break and into the post with 50mm screws. For a break mid-span, use a straight bracket. If the rail is rotten along its length, it should be replaced.

Parts: arris rails from £4.67, fittings and brackets.

Replace split feather edge boards.

Remove the damaged boards, then nail new boards to the rails with galvanised nails, matching the overlap of the boards on either side. Our 22mm x 125mm feather edge boards start from 85p each.

Replace a broken gravel board.

Gravel boards keep the bottom of the fence clear of wet soil. Timber gravel boards fix to cleats on the posts, while concrete gravel boards slot into concrete posts. Replace any that are split or soft, as a panel resting directly on soil will rot far more quickly. Timber gravel boards start from £4.42.

Straighten a leaning fence.

Start by identifying the post that has moved, which is usually the one leaning furthest. If its footing has lifted in soft ground, dig it out, deepen the hole and reset the post in post mix. If it has rotted at the base, spur it or replace it. Brace the posts on either side while you work. Our guide to fixing a broken fence post covers this process step by step.

Repair or replace?

Repair is the right choice when the damage is localised. Replacement is usually better value when the storm has simply exposed a fence that is at the end of its working life. Our yard teams use the following as a general rule:

• Repair if one or two posts have failed, the remaining posts are firm when pushed, and the panels are still sound.

• Replace the run if more than about a third of the posts are loose or soft at the base, the panels are grey, brittle and splitting, or the same fence has already been repaired after previous storms.

• Upgrade as you repair. When replacing posts in an exposed location, consider switching to concrete or galvanised steel posts. Panels fit both, and neither will rot at ground level.

Our repair or replace guide explains the decision in more detail, including costs.

What the materials cost

Indicative starting prices from Walford Timber, October 2026. Prices vary by size and treatment, so check the product page for the size you need.