How often should you inspect your fence posts and boards?

These tasks are more about efficiency, longevity, and comfort. Not a huge deal if you miss one, but it pays off over time.

Staying on schedule matters beyond the repair bill: a consistent maintenance record is one of the factors in a home's Roots Home Health Score, and well-kept homes typically sell faster and closer to asking price.

How to do it

A fence lives outdoors taking weather year-round, and its posts are the first to go, rotting at the ground line where wood meets soil. A yearly check catches loose posts and failing boards before a section falls.

1. Push on each post; a wobble or give at the base signals rot or a failing footing.
2. Probe the post bases and lower boards with a screwdriver for soft, punky wood.
3. Check for loose or missing fasteners, leaning sections, and popped boards.
4. Reset or replace failing posts and re-secure boards before winter winds test them.

Alternatives & optional extras

• A metal post anchor or concrete footing outlasts a post set straight in soil.
• Reseal or restain a wood fence on the same cycle as a deck to slow the weathering.

Time: 30 minutes · Typical cost: Free to inspect

If you skip it

Rotting posts and loose boards let a fence section fail in the next windstorm, and neglect turns a board repair into a full-section rebuild.

Related systems to keep on schedule

• Deck / patio — start with: inspect deck ledger, fasteners, and boards, once a year, ideally in May
• Irrigation / sprinklers — start with: winterize irrigation system, once a year, ideally in October
• Pool / spa — start with: clean pool filter, once a month
• Driveway — start with: seal driveway cracks, once a year, ideally in June