Fence Repair

Homebrewale

Old Mossy Horns
I didn't want to sidetrack the privacy fence thread.

I have a 15 year old privacy fence built with 4x4 treated lumber posts. Over the last few years, I have had to replace several posts due to rot. During the storm a week ago, a section of fence would toppled. Four posts broke off at ground level. They were rotted. I have received a quote from a handyman to replace 10 post (4 broken post, 2 other posts I knew were needing replaced, and 4 others he found while making the quote).

What I don't know is the current fair market rate for replacing a post? The work would require digging up the broken section of post set in concrete. Then it would require setting the new posts in the exact position as the old one so I can reuse the old sections of fence. I have done this work before so I know the difficulty of digging out the old concrete especially since you don't have a post to tie a chain around.

I've received a quote for $1850 for removing the concrete for 10 posts, setting new posts in concrete and reinstalling the old sections of fence. I have no idea if this is a fair quote or on the high end. It's basically $185 per post.
 

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
Are they doing this by hand or a backhoe? Price if they need to cover the backhoe.
What will they leave you with clean area and not much sign or will they screw up the yard with a backhoe and leave dirt pile?
One thing would be is to offset the posts to the left or right and reset the fence having one section shorter than the others or little longer.

I need to do the same at the house. Plan to offset the fence and dig infront the current post the see if the concrete will come out or just leave in place.

Get a number for just replace the new posts and leave od in place if you can.
That will give a ballpark of price.
 

Homebrewale

Old Mossy Horns
These posts would be replaced by hand. There really isn't much room for a backhoe. I have replaced 3 posts already by hand a few years ago. My fence guy replaced 4 other ones. He isn't available for several weeks due to a large job he got.

Digging out the old concrete is the hardest step. I want to reuse the old sections of fence because I really don't like the look of new and old sections mixed together. It's not too difficult to reset the post once the old concrete is dug out. Reshape the hole. Attach the post to the sections of fence so the post is hanging over the hole in the ground. Place a few supports to hold the fence in place. Pour new concrete around the fence post. Let the concrete harden. Remove the supports and the fence is complete.

If you dig down a few inches, you can wrap a chain or strap around the concrete and lever it out of the ground. Easy to do when the ground is soft like it is now after these few rains we had. The only reason I'm not doing it is time. I have had a number of things pop up that isn't leaving me much time to do the job.
 

QBD2

Old Mossy Horns
You say you've done it before. Is it worth the $$$ for you to not have to do it?
 

Homebrewale

Old Mossy Horns
You say you've done it before. Is it worth the $$$ for you to not have to do it?

It really bothers me to hire anyone to do something I can do myself. It's only worth the $$$ if I don't have to listen to my wife complain about all the other things on my honey-do list that have not been done. I can only work on weekends and still have a good list of stuff to do. Retirement can't come fast enough.

This guy priced it at a point where I am highly motivated to do it myself. If he had come in at a lower price, we wouldn't have this thread on here. IMG_1496.JPG
 

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
I just had several trees taken down and trimmed. ...
Cost me 2k.
Back in the day I would.have done them for 150 each.....

Sure was nice to sit a drink a beer watching them.work...
That said I though it was high... like your fence est. But sure was not going to do it on my own.

I say get another est on it or just the removal of the concrete.
You will feel better knowing you had a 2nd or 3rd est or cost on just the concrete removed.
 

Homebrewale

Old Mossy Horns
I got a second person coming tomorrow to give an estimate. The problem is that there is so much work right now available for contractors because of all the house building that they can up their estimates and take the best paying jobs. Many contractors are not returning calls. My own fence guy has a 6-8 week backlog. I'm not knocking it because I'd do the same thing. Just trying to get a job done in a tight labor market.
 

GSOHunter

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
It's almost exclusively labor. He will probably have a hourly laborer come out and muscle them out of the ground. If I got a quote like that my back would be sore for a week because I would do the work myself.
 

Homebrewale

Old Mossy Horns
It's almost exclusively labor. He will probably have a hourly laborer come out and muscle them out of the ground. If I got a quote like that my back would be sore for a week because I would do the work myself.

I'm not getting any younger. I already got the "Remember how sore you were last time" speech.
 

ScottyB

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
My 2 cents worth........I do a lot of odd jobs around the community and I can tell you.....I would be in the same price range......mainly because it is a PIA job and if I am not making good money on it......I don't want it...... you are essentially building a new fence(with old materials)......... but first you have to take down the old fence......additional labor cost should be expected
 

GSOHunter

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
Would it cost much more to just cut the posts off at the ground and install new posts and fence?
 

Homebrewale

Old Mossy Horns
Probably about a wash......materials or labor......probably easier to match fence back up using same holes

Yes, I want to match up the fallen fence back up with the rest of the fence. I don't want a mixture of old and new sections and I want the sections to be pretty consistent in length between posts. I don't want grey old sections and bright new wood sections. Someday I will replace the whole fence at one time. Right now I don't want to do it. There is over 250 ft of fence.
 

LanceR

Six Pointer
Contributor
Well, I'm not as completely familiar with NC pricing as I was as a longtime upstate NY contractor but it doesn't seem out of line to me. After all, he's the one with the licensing, insurance, vehicle purchase, maintenance, travel and transportation expenses, tax and other accounting expenses, workman's comp, unemployment insurance, hiring costs etc.

And the rule of thumb for the mark up on labor needed to stay in business has been pretty constant for the 40 years I've been around the trades. In general, a contractor needs to charge 2-1/2 to 3 times what he is paying in hourly labor for every hour an employee is on the job. Evenself emplyed folks need to charge the same mark ups over what they need to pay themselves.

And you need to charge for the time and travel expenses to go get materials and to get them spotted on site. And for the time and expense for any needed permits, inspections, time with inspectors etc.

And, those "Free estimates" aren't free. If you figure that a competitive contractor will get about one of every three jobs they bid, the buying customer will pay for the time, travel etc for all three estimates.....

And since you're setting the posts in the now enlarged existing holes each hole will need multiple bags of concrete and, most likely a lot of time and sweat hand mixing the concrete. And a lot of toting heavy stuff around the site.

Since the posts rotting indicates a lot of retained underground moisture be sure to have several inches of tamped gravel in the bottom of the hole and to slope the concrete away from the post above ground to enhance drainage. Set the post bottom on the gravel so that water can drain away from it. A post base set on or into concrete is just providing a place for water to pond and wick into the end grain. After the post shrinks consider caulking around the post where it has shrunk away from the concrete with a good flexible caulk such as OSI Quad that will provide long term protection from water wicking into the gap.

One other thing that can really prolong the life of a post, especially in wet soil, is to allow them to surface dry and really hit the below ground parts (especially the end grain) with something like Thompson's Water Seal until it won't take any more.

As food for thought, with all the tornado damage in and around Greensboro some of the price might reflect the opportunity cost of him being in your yard instead of doing insurance work in the tornado damage areas. If I was still in the trade I know where my crews would be......

Hope all this rambling helps....


Lance
 

bigten

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
What about the possibility of standing and supporting the existing sections until your time frees up a bit? Then make repairs at your pace and convenience.
 

Homebrewale

Old Mossy Horns
What about the possibility of standing and supporting the existing sections until your time frees up a bit? Then make repairs at your pace and convenience.

I'm strongly considering repairing the fallen section myself and then over time replace other posts here and there. The fallen section consists of 4 posts. Replace two posts on Saturday and two on Sunday. The main urgency is to get the backyard enclosed once again. I have an inground pool so I need to keep any kid from wandering into the backyard.
 

bigten

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I'm strongly considering repairing the fallen section myself and then over time replace other posts here and there. The fallen section consists of 4 posts. Replace two posts on Saturday and two on Sunday. The main urgency is to get the backyard enclosed once again. I have an inground pool so I need to keep any kid from wandering into the backyard.

I was thinking ( and it may not be pretty) about just enough T-posts and a bit of wire to buy you enough time to do a more lasting and appealing repair. I, personally, would consider that prior to spending a large sum for something of that nature.
 

Homebrewale

Old Mossy Horns
I was thinking ( and it may not be pretty) about just enough T-posts and a bit of wire to buy you enough time to do a more lasting and appealing repair. I, personally, would consider that prior to spending a large sum for something of that nature.

Right now, there are T-posts and orange plastic netting like you see at construction sites. I need to also keep my dogs from escaping.
 
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