If a storm took your fence down, take photos of the fence and of whatever hit it, then call your insurer and a fence company before you clear anything. On the Peninsula this is a winter problem. Days of rain soften the clay around the posts, and the wind that follows pushes over fences that stood all summer.
Half my fence blew down. Who can fix it fast and what will it cost?
Send us a photo and the approximate length. A section that blew down with broken posts is a major repair, $900 to $2,500 in the national 2026 figures. After a big storm every fence company's schedule fills within days, so the sooner you call, the sooner you get a date.
My dogs are in the yard and the fence is open to the road. What can be done right away?
The gap can be closed the same visit with a temporary panel, and the posts still standing can be braced. The permanent repair follows. Tell us when you call that dogs are in the yard, or that the yard has a pool, because an open pool barrier or loose dogs move a job up the list.
Is there an extra charge for emergency or weekend fence repair?
Ask when you call, because it varies by company. Some charge more for after-hours work and some do not offer it. A quick temporary closure now and the full repair on a normal weekday is usually the cheaper route.
Does homeowners insurance cover a fence knocked down by a storm or a tree?
Sometimes. Many policies list a fence under other structures. Whether yours pays depends on the cause, your deductible and the policy wording, and a small repair may fall below the deductible. Your insurer or agent has the answer. We provide a written estimate you can send them.
My neighbor's tree fell on my fence. Whose insurance pays?
In most cases your own policy covers your own fence, even though the tree stood next door. It can be different if the tree was plainly dead or hazardous and the owner had been told. Check with your insurer. For a fence on the boundary, the shared-fence rule below also applies.
The insurer offered much less than the repair quote because the fence is old. Now what?
Request the adjuster's calculation in writing. Some policies pay the depreciated value of an old fence and not the cost of a new one. Reply with an itemized estimate. If the gap stays, limiting the work to the sections that actually came down is often what fits the payout.
The storm knocked the fence down and my neighbor says it is mine. Who pays?
For a fence on the boundary, California Civil Code section 841 presumes that both owners benefit and are equally responsible for the reasonable cost of repair or replacement, unless a written agreement says otherwise. If the argument is about where the boundary is, that is for a licensed land surveyor to settle. See our shared fence page for the notice steps.
A heritage tree came down on the fence. Can I just cut it up?
Deal with any danger first and call the city before removing a standing tree. Mountain View's code protects Heritage trees and requires a permit to remove one, with exceptions for trees that are dead, dying or unsafe. Photograph everything before the cleanup so the city and your insurer can see what happened.
Call (408) 539-2396 or text us photos of the damage.