The short answer
Most broken fence panels can be repaired by re-nailing loose slats, replacing individual split boards with new timber of the same size, or reinforcing the frame with battens. If the frame itself is rotten, or more than half the slats are damaged, replacing the panel is usually quicker and cheaper.
Fence panels fail in a handful of predictable ways: slats come loose, boards split, frames rot, or the whole panel is pushed out of the posts in a storm. Each has its own fix.
Loose slats
Lap panels are made of thin slats stapled or nailed to a frame. Over time the fixings rust or pull out. Re-fix the slats with galvanised nails or small screws, pre-drilling to avoid splitting. Work along the panel, checking every slat.
Split or missing boards
Split slats can be removed and replaced with matching timber from a merchant or salvaged from another damaged panel. On closeboard fences, it's even easier: each feather edge board is nailed individually, so you just remove the damaged one and nail in a new one.
Damaged frames
If the outer frame of a panel is cracked but not rotten, it can often be reinforced by screwing treated battens across the back. If the frame is soft and crumbling, the panel is near the end of its life.
Storm damage
Panels blown out of concrete posts can often be slotted back in, sometimes with rubber packers to stop rattling. If a timber post has snapped, the panel may be fine but the post needs attention – see replacing a fence post without removing the panels and storm-proofing a fence.
Repair or replace?
A new lap panel costs £25–£50, so if a repair will take more than an hour or two, replacement may be better value. See the cost to replace fence panels and posts, or get quotes for fence repairs.
- Repair: a few loose or split slats, sound frame
- Repair: panel popped out of posts but intact
- Replace: rotten frame or bottom rail
- Replace: more than half the slats damaged
- Replace: panel badly warped