If a storm knocks down or damages your fence: make the yard safe, photograph the damage before anything is moved, talk with your neighbor, get an estimate from a licensed fence contractor, and then decide on insurance and get on the schedule. In about 99% of the storm-damaged fences we fix across the Sacramento region, the wind didn’t break a healthy fence. It finished off posts that were already rotting at the base.
Last updated October 2026. Reviewed by Dominic Vella, owner, Fantastic Fence (CSLB #979657).
Every winter, wind and rain storms roll through Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado, Nevada, Yolo, and Yuba counties and push over weak fences. Some homeowners lose a panel or two to a falling branch. Others walk outside to an entire fence line lying in the yard. The December 2021 storm alone brought heavy rain and 50 mile per hour wind gusts to Sacramento. Whatever you’re looking at, don’t panic. Here is the order we recommend, based on the storm calls we handle every winter.
Step 1: How Do I Make My Yard Safe After a Fence Blows Down?
Wait for daylight, stay away from downed power lines, and secure your pets before you do anything else.
- Power lines: If a line is down on or near the fence, stay away from it and call your utility right away.
- Overhead limbs: Look up before you walk the fence line. Cracked or hanging branches can come down in the next gust.
- Pets, kids, and pools: A fallen fence can mean an open yard and an open pool. Keep dogs inside or leashed, and keep kids away from an unfenced pool until the barrier is back.
- Nails and splinters: Broken boards are full of exposed nails. Wear gloves and shoes, and don’t try to lift heavy sections alone.
- The rest of the fence: Push on the posts still standing. If they move, they failed the same way the fallen section did, and they may be next.
Secure the yard for now. A roll of orange construction mesh and a few stakes from a home improvement store will keep most dogs in while you wait. Some neighbors team up to prop a section back up temporarily. Treat that as a stopgap, not a repair: a fence propped on rotted posts will go right back down in the next storm.
Step 2: Photograph the Damage Before Anything Is Moved
Take pictures of everything, especially the bottom of each broken post, before you or anyone else cleans up. Get wide shots of the whole fence line, close-ups of every break, and photos of any tree, limb, or debris that hit the fence.
The post bases matter most. If an insurance adjuster sees that a post was rotted before the storm, the claim can be denied as wear and tear. Your photos are also the fastest way for an estimator to understand the job.
Step 3: Talk With Your Neighbor About the Fence
Start the conversation right away, because most storm-damaged fences are shared. About 95% of the projects we complete every year are fences on a line between two properties, so you and your neighbor will be making this decision together.
Agree on a game plan early: fix only the section that fell, or replace the whole side. California Civil Code §841 presumes neighbors share the cost of a boundary fence equally, but in our experience many neighbors settle on an uneven split, like 70/30, because one of them doesn’t feel the fence needed replacing yet. That’s normal. What matters is that you both agree before work starts.
We make the shared part easy. Your proposal comes with a short contract that you and your neighbor can each sign in a couple of minutes, and we bill each of you directly for your share.
|
This is general information, not legal advice. For a dispute with a neighbor, talk with a licensed California attorney. |
Step 4: How Do I Find a Good Fence Contractor After a Storm?
Hire a licensed C-13 fence contractor with a long record of strong reviews, and be wary of anyone who can start digging in the next day or two. After a big storm, every fence company’s phone rings at once. That is exactly when unlicensed crews show up.
What to look for
- A C-13 fencing license. That is the California contractor license class for fencing. Look up any contractor on the CSLB license check, and verify ours too (#979657).
- Lots of reviews, not just good ones. A company with a long history of high ratings has proven it shows up and finishes the job. We have more than 1,000 five-star reviews.
- Insurance and real employees. Our crews are background-checked W-2 employees, not subcontractors, and we are bonded and insured.
What to watch out for
- “We can start tomorrow.” The best fence companies are usually booked out a few weeks, and more so after a storm. Digging also requires calling 811 for underground utility marking at least two working days ahead, so a crew that digs the next morning is skipping a safety step.
- “I have a friend who does fences.” Side-job workers usually aren’t licensed or insured. If someone gets hurt on your property, the liability can land on you, and the Contractors State License Board can’t help you with a dispute over unlicensed work.
For more warning signs, read our guide to red flags when looking for a fence contractor.
|
Owner’s take “I started Fantastic Fence in 2011 after hiring fence companies for my own property and getting calls that were never returned, crews that didn’t show up on time, and job sites left a mess. I tell storm customers the same thing I tell everyone: great, affordable, or fast, pick two. We’re not fast, so you get great and affordable. This is a 25-year decision. Don’t hand it to whoever answers the phone first.” — Dominic Vella, Owner, Fantastic Fence |
Short on time? Our estimator can come out at your scheduled time and walk you through the damage by phone or FaceTime, so you don’t have to be home.
Step 5: Decide on Insurance, Then Get on the Schedule
Once you have an itemized estimate, compare it with your deductible before you file a claim. Wind damage is often covered, but the payout is usually reduced by your deductible and by depreciation for the fence’s age. On a shared fence, your policy generally pays only your share. Fewer than 2% of the repair and replacement jobs we do involve an insurance claim, because once homeowners see the numbers side by side, most decide to pay for the repair themselves. Our guide to home insurance for fence damage walks through deductibles, depreciation, and shared-fence claims in detail.
|
This is general information, not insurance advice. Coverage depends on your policy. Confirm with your licensed insurance agent before filing or skipping a claim. |
The fastest way to a new fence is a fast yes. The longest part of most fence projects isn’t the build. It’s getting to approval, especially when two neighbors have to agree. Once both of you sign, we put you on the schedule, and most residential fences between neighbors take 1 to 2 days to install.
If you’d rather not pay all at once, financing lets you spread an unexpected storm repair over months or years.
Why Do Fences Blow Over in Sacramento Storms?
Because the posts were already rotting. About 99% of the fences we repair or replace are on wood posts, and the post fails first, right at ground level. Since the industry changed wood-treatment chemicals in 2004, pressure-treated posts don’t last the way they used to. We regularly pull posts only 3 to 5 years old that have already rotted off at the base.
A solid wood fence catches wind like a sail. Healthy posts hold it. Rotted posts give way, and one failed post pulls its neighbors down with it. That’s why a storm often takes out a whole run instead of one panel. If part of your fence is leaning but still standing, see why fences lean and how to fix them.
Should I Repair or Replace My Storm-Damaged Fence?
Repair it if a few posts or panels failed on an otherwise solid fence. Replace it if most of the posts are failing, because the rest of the fence is the same age and may be one storm away from falling too. It comes down to the extent of the damage and the repair cost, compared with the cost of a new fence that resets the clock for another 25 years. Our estimators push-test every post and price both options.
|
Storm repair |
2026 price (installed) |
|---|---|
|
Replace a broken post (1–2 posts) |
About $500 per post |
|
Replace posts (3 or more) |
About $300 per post |
|
Steel support post beside a broken post (1–2 / 3 or more) |
About $350 / about $300 per post |
|
New redwood dog-ear fence on wood posts |
About $40 per linear foot |
|
New redwood dog-ear fence on hidden steel posts |
About $47 per linear foot |
When neighbors replace a whole side, they often get better pricing because a longer run is more efficient to build, and they won’t go through this again next winter. If you replace, ask about our hidden steel fence posts. They are galvanized steel wrapped in redwood, so they look like wood but won’t rot at the base, and that rot is what takes most fences down in a storm. For the full decision, read repairing vs. replacing a storm-damaged fence.
What Our Customers Say About Our Storm Damage Repairs
★★★★★ “Working with Fantastic Fence was a great experience. They were able to quickly get us scheduled to get a new fence installed after ours broke during a storm. Jared and Quai did an awesome installation job and the fence looks great! Will definitely be working with them again, as they were affordable and easy to work with.”
— Alexander Cupps, Google review
★★★★★ “Team Esteban did an amazing job on our extremely broken fence line. We have had many broken boards from the terrible wind storms this past year. It took Esteban’s team half a day to complete our entire fenceline! I was worried my bushes and flowers would be in the way and would get cut down; nope! None of my pretty flowers and shrubbery was even touched. These guys know what they are doing.”
— Sasha Brown, Google review
★★★★★ “Great company to work with. Needed a new fence after our old one took some damage from one of the first storms of the season. Installed a wood fence with steel posts and steel framed 10ft gate. Will not have to worry about this fence and gate for years to come. Such a relief with the storms we have been having.”
— Leighann Nguyen, Google review
★★★★★ “Another 5 Stars for Fantastic Fence ✨️!!! Truly a professional team from top to bottom. Estimator came out used a lazor to measure length. Provided me with a pamphlet with choice of fencing and price options. We went board on board with metal post. Best for neighbors with dogs. Thank you Ivonne for working with the neighbors 🙏 and splitting the cost on easy sign contract.”
— Steven Aston, Google review
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do first if my fence blows down?
Make the area safe: stay away from downed power lines, check for hanging limbs, and secure pets and pool areas. Then photograph the damage, including the base of every broken post, before anything is moved.
Does homeowners insurance cover a fence blown down by wind?
Often yes, minus your deductible and usually minus depreciation. If the posts were rotted before the storm, the insurer may deny it as wear and tear. See our fence insurance guide and confirm with your agent.
Who pays to fix a shared fence that blew down?
California presumes neighbors share a boundary fence equally (Civil Code §841), but neighbors often agree on a different split. We give both households one proposal and bill each of you directly for your share.
Can I put my old fence back up myself?
You can prop a section up or string temporary mesh to keep pets in. But if the posts rotted off at the base, the fence will fall again in the next storm. A lasting fix means new posts set in concrete.
How soon can you fix my fence after a storm?
We are usually booked out a few weeks, and storm season adds to that. The quickest way onto the schedule is getting an estimate early and getting both neighbors’ approval fast. Once we start, we only take down what we can put back up the same day, so your yard isn’t left open overnight.
Do you fix fences you didn’t build?
Yes. We repair and replace wood, chain link, vinyl, and ornamental iron fences and gates across our six-county service area. See our fence and gate repair page.
Get Your Storm-Damaged Fence Fixed
Book a free estimate and we will push-test every post, show you what failed, and give you an itemized written estimate you can share with your neighbor or your insurance company.
Book your free estimate online or call the office nearest you:
- Rocklin: 916-790-7100
- Sacramento: 916-248-5518
- Elk Grove: 916-345-0142
Phones are answered Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–6 p.m. and Saturday–Sunday 9 a.m.–5 p.m. You can also browse our fence design gallery or contact us online.
