A leaning fence rarely needs a whole new fence — and sometimes a "quick fix" quote hides a replacement that was always coming. The difference lives in the posts. Here is what to check before you approve either.
Panels, boards, and rails are the visible part of a fence — and the cheap part. Posts and their footings are what actually hold it up, and their condition at the ground line is what decides whether a section repair solves the problem or a replacement is the honest answer. A repair decision made without checking the posts is a guess either way.
Top Tier Building Services Inc. is a Castro Valley based general contractor handling fence repair, section replacement, and new fence installation for Bay Area homeowners, HOAs, and property managers.
Want the full walkthrough, with the post checks, repair-vs-replace math, and materials specs?
Read the Fence Repair Guide →
Ask for the contractor's license number and current insurance before the estimate conversation starts. Top Tier Building Services Inc. operates under CA General Contractor License #1146790 and is licensed, bonded, insured, and workers' comp covered.
A fence leans because a post or footing failed, not because a board did. A proper assessment probes each post at the ground line for rot and movement — that check is what separates a real repair scope from a guess.
Section repair is priced per bay; replacement is priced per foot. With sound posts, repair usually wins by a wide margin. The estimate should show both numbers so the decision is yours, made on paper.
Wood grade (ground-contact pressure-treated for posts), hardware finish (galvanized or stainless), and footing depth and concrete belong in the written scope. Those three choices decide how long the fix lasts.
Shared boundary fences in California fall under the Good Neighbor Fence law — adjoining owners generally share responsibility. Confirm the line, and put any cost-sharing conversation in writing before work starts.
Get these checks as a one-page PDF you can hold any contractor to — sent the moment you request an assessment.
Get the Checklist →A trustworthy fence estimate is specific about three things: post condition, pricing basis, and materials. Watch for these gaps.
A price quoted without probing the posts at grade is pricing the symptom, not the cause.
Whole-fence replacement math applied to a two-bay repair inflates the number. Repairs price per section.
If the wood grade, hardware, and footing depth are not named, the lifespan of the fix is not either.
An accurate fence estimate starts at the ground line — which is why the process begins with your photos and a section-by-section assessment, not a per-foot number.
Leaning sections, broken posts or panels, storm damage, gate problems, or a full replacement question.
Photos of the damaged sections and the fence line help the team gauge scope before the visit.
Post-by-post assessment with a written scope: what gets repaired, what gets replaced, and both prices.
Ground-contact posts, proper footings, galvanized hardware — and a fence that stands straight again.
Send the basics about the fence and the damage. Photos of the leaning or broken sections help the team scope it accurately before the visit.
Prefer to call? Reach Top Tier at 510-470-1870 or email sales@toptierbuildingservices.com .
Prefer to call? Reach Top Tier at 510-470-1870 or email sales@toptierbuildingservices.com.
It comes down to the posts. If most posts are solid at the ground line, section repair usually makes financial sense. If several posts are rotted or the footings have failed along the run, replacement stops the repair-every-winter cycle.
How many posts need replacing, footing condition, wood type and grade, gate hardware, and access along the fence line. A section-by-section written scope is the only number worth comparing.
Under California's Good Neighbor Fence law, adjoining owners generally share equal responsibility for a boundary fence, with written notice expected before work. Your contractor should help you document the scope for that conversation.
Yes — wood, metal, and privacy fencing, plus gates within fences and automatic driveway gates. See the gates and fencing service page .
Still researching? Fence Repair or Replacement? The 10 Checks That Decide .
Top Tier serves Castro Valley and Bay Area clients with quality craftsmanship, clear communication, and dependable project delivery.