How the result is decided
The rules run in a fixed order, and the first one that matches decides the result. The same answers always give the same result, and the result lists the answers that decided it.
| If you said | The result |
|---|---|
| A section down, or leaning over a walkway, driveway, alley, pool area or a neighbor's yard | Secure it now. Keep clear until the wind drops. This outranks every other answer. |
| Many posts leaning or broken, rot or rust at many posts, or half the pickets or panels damaged | Replacement likely. |
| The fence no longer meets your height, privacy, HOA or pool barrier needs | Replacement likely, even if it is in fair shape. |
| Two of these: three or more leaning posts in one stretch, about a quarter of the pickets or panels damaged, termite signs, a section leaning after a storm (an age over 20 years counts as one when another is present) | Replacement likely. |
| One of those | Repair now, plan replacement. |
| One or two leaning posts, rot or rust at one or two posts, a sagging gate or a loose section | Targeted repair likely. |
| None of the above | Targeted repair likely, with little or nothing to repair. |
Posts decide most of it. They carry each section's wind load into the ground and are the only part of most fences in soil, so a fence usually fails at the posts while the pickets above still look fine. Allen sits on Houston Black clay, which swells when wet and shrinks as it dries, so posts can work loose over a few seasons. Allen's adopted building code also uses a 105 mph design wind speed and rates termite pressure as very heavy, which is why a few leaning posts or termite signs are worth acting on before they spread.
If you replace
A replacement fence in Allen needs a City permit, a flat $75 fee, and the City's Residential Fence Guideline requires metal posts on all fencing, set at least 18 in deep in concrete. An older fence on wood posts comes back on steel. Check with your HOA before the permit is applied for, and have utilities located through Texas811 before any digging.
What this check cannot tell you
It cannot see inside a post, below the ground or into a footing, so it cannot say how far rot, rust or termite damage goes or whether a footing is sound. A site visit answers those questions. It does not say whether a fence is safe, and it does not predict what an insurer will decide.
If a section is down after a storm, keep people and pets clear of it until the wind drops, and stay well back from any power line.