A single broken fence post is one of those jobs where the price can be almost anything, depending on how you tackle it. The post itself has failed, but the panels either side are usually fine, so the real question is how much you need to spend to get the fence solid again. Quotes for the “same” job range from under £25 to well over £1,000.
This guide prices the four realistic routes using current 2026 UK figures, so you can see exactly where the money goes before you commit. We are a fence post repair company, not a fencing contractor, so we have no reason to talk you into replacing a fence you do not need to.
The quick answer
| Route | Typical 2026 cost | Your time | Digging out old concrete? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. No-dig repair (Post Buddy) | From £15.99 + £6.95 delivery | 15-30 mins per post | No |
| 2. Replace the post yourself | £30-£90 in materials | Half a day to a day | Yes |
| 3. Tradesperson replaces the post | £150-£290 per post | None (you pay for theirs) | Yes |
| 4. Full fence or bay replacement | £1,300-£3,000+ | None | Yes |
The gap between the top and bottom of that table is the whole point: for a post that has snapped or worked loose but sits between two sound panels, the cheapest route is very often the one that actually solves the problem.
Route 1: No-dig repair with Post Buddy (from £15.99)
The Post Buddy system is a UK-patented repair designed for a leaning, wobbling or snapped post where the panels are still good. You drive a pair of galvanised steel stakes around half a metre into the ground alongside the damaged post, so they anchor into the existing below-ground timber and concrete, then screw them to the sound part of the post above ground. The weak point is bridged and the fence is rigid again, with no digging and no fresh concrete.
The cost breakdown:
- Post Buddy repair: from £15.99
- Delivery: £6.95 (free over the site’s threshold on larger orders)
- Tools: a club hammer, a drill and a spirit level, which most households already own
- Total: around £23 delivered, and nothing to hire or buy in
The job takes most people 15 to 30 minutes, and because there is no concrete to cure, the fence is back to full strength the same day. This is the route that has earned more than 4,100 five-star Trustpilot reviews. See how it works.
Best when: the post has snapped or gone loose but the panels either side are sound, which covers the large majority of single-post failures.
Route 2: Dig out and replace the post yourself (£30-£90 + a day)
The traditional DIY approach is to remove the broken post, dig out its concrete footing, set a new post and re-concrete it.
The cost breakdown:
- New post: £10-£25 for timber, or £25-£80 for concrete, per MyBuilder’s 2026 cost guide
- Postcrete or ballast and cement: roughly £6-£10 per bag, one or two bags per post
- Post mix, spade, possibly a post-hole digger or breaker hire
- Total: £30-£90 in materials, plus half a day to a full day of hard labour
The materials are cheap, but the work is not. Excavating an old concrete footing is heavy going, and it is worst in the kind of baked, dry summer ground we have seen in 2026. You also disturb the soil around the neighbouring posts, which can loosen them in turn.
Best when: the post and its footing are badly deteriorated and you genuinely want a brand-new post set from scratch, and you do not mind the graft.
Route 3: Pay a tradesperson to replace the post (£150-£290)
If you would rather not dig, a fencer will replace a single post for you. Expect £150 to £290 all-in for one post including labour and materials, according to Checkatrade and regional guides, with London and the South East at the top of that range. Much of the cost is labour and call-out: the actual post is a small part of the bill.
Best when: you want a new post but cannot or would rather not do the physical work, and a single post replacement is worth a tradesperson’s minimum charge.
Route 4: Full fence or bay replacement (£1,300-£3,000+)
At the far end, some homeowners are quoted for a whole new fence off the back of one failed post. UK fence installation runs at roughly £110-£120 per metre including materials and labour, per MyJobQuote, so a typical garden run lands somewhere between £1,300 and £3,000 and up.
Sometimes that is the right call, if the whole fence is at the end of its life. But it is worth being sure the fence actually needs replacing rather than repairing, because this is the most expensive answer to what might be a single-post problem.
Best when: most of the posts and panels have failed and the fence is genuinely past saving.
So which route is right for you?
Work from the cheapest option up, not the most expensive down:
- Are the panels either side still sound, and has just the post failed? If yes, a no-dig repair (Route 1) is almost always the fastest and cheapest fix, and it is where we would start.
- Is the footing wrecked and do you want a fresh post set, with time to spare? Route 2 if you will dig, Route 3 if you will pay someone.
- Have most of the posts and panels failed? Only then does full replacement (Route 4) make financial sense.
The mistake we see most often is jumping straight to Route 3 or 4 for a post that a £15.99 repair would have held for years. Not sure whether your post is a repair job? Our companion guide walks you through the 10-minute check for a loose or leaning post.
What’s included in a Post Buddy repair
Post Buddy is made by Fence Aid Ltd in Beighton, Sheffield, and the system is UK Patent Granted. Each repair ships with the galvanised steel stakes and the fixing screws you need, with clear step-by-step instructions and a fitting video. Order before 2pm on a weekday and it goes out for next business day delivery. Order a repair or see the full instructions first.
FAQ
Is it cheaper to repair or replace a fence post?
Repairing is almost always cheaper. A no-dig repair starts from £15.99, against £150-£290 to have a tradesperson replace a single post, or £1,300 and up for a full fence. Replacement only wins on cost when the whole fence has failed, not just one post.
How much does it cost to fix a leaning fence post in 2026?
A DIY no-dig repair costs from £15.99 plus £6.95 delivery, using tools most people already own. Replacing the post yourself costs £30-£90 in materials plus a day’s work, and paying a tradesperson to replace it costs £150-£290.
How much does a tradesperson charge to replace one fence post?
Around £150 to £290 all-in for a single post including labour and materials, with the South East at the higher end. Most of that is labour and call-out rather than the post itself.
Do I need to replace the whole fence if one post breaks?
Usually not. If the panels either side are still sound, a single failed post can be repaired in place for a fraction of the cost of a new fence. Full replacement is only worthwhile when most of the posts and panels have failed.
Can I repair a concreted-in post without removing the concrete?
Yes. The Post Buddy system anchors into the existing below-ground post and concrete, so there is no need to dig out the old footing or mix new concrete.