Beta Beta — hiring neighbors on Papalocal is new; what you see here is real, and it's still growing.
Fence checks and small fence repair Beta
A neighbor walks your fence line, tightens wire, replaces broken boards and resets leaning posts before your animals find the gap.
- How often
- Monthly
- Where the work happens
- Outdoors
- Who it suits
- Can suit a teen working alongside an adult
These open your Papalocal account. You'll be asked to log in or sign up first.
Fence checking means walking the whole line on a schedule to look for broken boards, sagging wire, leaning posts, washouts under the bottom strand, trees down after a storm and shorts in an electric fence. Small repairs get fixed on the spot.
Livestock owners, horse people and anyone with a dog that digs want their fence walked regularly, especially after storms. Large rebuilds and long new runs are usually work for a fencing company.
A neighbor already knows how the ground drains and where the deer cross, and can walk the line on a quiet Saturday morning without waiting for a crew's schedule.
Also called: farm fence repair, barbed wire fence repair, electric fence repair, fence line check, board fence repair, pasture fence repair.
What's usually included
- Walking the full fence line and reporting what was found, with photos
- Re-nailing or replacing a few boards or rails
- Tightening, splicing and re-stapling wire
- Testing electric fence voltage and finding shorts
- Clearing branches and vines off the fence
- Resetting a leaning post or adjusting a sagging gate
What to ask before you hire
- What kind of fence is it: board, woven wire, barbed, electric, or a mix?
- Who buys the boards, wire, staples and posts?
- Which repairs should the helper make on the spot, and which should they report to you first?
- Is there an electric fence, and where is the charger switched off?
- Will animals be in the pasture while the work is going on?
Staying safe
- Turn off and test the electric fence before touching the wire, and hang a note on the charger so no one switches it back on.
- Wear thick gloves and eye protection around barbed and woven wire, because cut wire can spring back hard.
- Ask the owner to have buried lines marked before any new post goes into the ground.
- Keep animals out of the area being worked on, and never leave a gap open when you step away.
Fence checks and small fence repair by town
Questions people ask
How often should a farm fence be checked?
Many owners walk it monthly and after every big storm or high wind. Owners with goats or horses that lean on fences often check more.
Can a teen help with fence work?
Yes, with a parent's OK and an adult working alongside. Barbed wire, post drivers and electric fences aren't something a teen should handle alone.
How is this different from fence installation?
This is for checks and small repairs. A new fence or a long stretch of replacement is a bigger job for a fencing company.
Can you fix my backyard privacy fence?
Small repairs like a few pickets, a loose rail or a sagging gate fit this service. A fence that's falling over or needs new posts along a long section may need a fencing company.
Thinking of offering this yourself?
- Fence pliers, a hammer, staples, a wire stretcher, a post driver and an electric fence tester cover most fixes.
- Send photos of every problem you find, with where it is on the line, before and after you fix it.
- Charge for the walk plus any repair time and materials, using what local fencing handymen charge as a guide, and set your own price.
- A monthly walk for the same owners, plus a call after big storms, builds steady work.
- Know when a job has gone past a small repair, and tell the owner it needs a fencing company.
