Fence Leaning Due To Its Concrete Base? Here's How To Fix It

A good fence can be an important factor in your home's security and give kids and pets a safe place to play. It also impacts the value of your home, and there are numerous types of fencing that can instantly boost your curb appeal. On the other hand, nothing looks much worse in your yard than a fence that's leaning over and seems in danger of collapsing. It might even be a danger to those you're trying to protect.

There are plenty of reasons fences could lean, and not taking into account soil type or prevailing weather conditions are two of the mistakes everyone makes when installing a fence. Sometimes, individual fence posts are damaged, but if they are okay and the fence has a concrete base (often called a footer or footing), it may have tilted. It might have happened because not enough concrete was poured to keep it stable in the first place, or it could be that the ground has moved.

Whatever the cause, righting the fence should be a priority. As a temporary fix, you can brace the fence with lumber. Then you need to make a proper repair by reinforcing the existing concrete. Let's look at how you would do that in more detail.

The first task, even with a temporary fix, is to get the fence upright. If several panels are affected, there will be considerable weight to support, so you'll probably need help. Alternatively, you might be able to use a come-along winch or ratchet straps if there is somewhere solid to anchor them. Hold the fence in place with fencing stakes or 2-by-4-inch lumber at an angle. Prevent the bottom end from slipping with another stake driven into the ground. At the top, you may need to nail it to the post to hold it.

Once the fence is upright, you'll have a hole where the concrete base has pushed the dirt away. This needs to be filled with concrete, so that when the braces are removed, the fence remains vertical. Mike Holmes has a fencing tip that could save major time with individual posts using expanding foam, but it's not practical with concrete bases. Adding more concrete is the only thing that will provide a strong, lasting solution.

Whether the problem occurred because too little concrete was used initially, the soil has eroded, or strong winds eventually took a toll, it may be that the concrete base needs to be much wider and deeper than originally planned. There's nothing to prevent you from carrying out the work yourself. However, you may want to call in a fencing professional who should have the experience to assess the requirements properly and prevent the fence from leaning again in the future.