Inspect beyond the broken boards
Begin at each end of the damaged bay. Check the posts, rail ends, brackets and the first sound section beyond them. A wind-damaged panel may have pulled fasteners in the next bay even if its boards still look straight. Record whether the failure is a snapped board, a rotten rail or a complete section that has detached. Those are three different shopping lists.
Sound posts and rails
A localized board or panel repair may be practical.
Damaged connections nearby
Include those in the repair scope.
Several soft or moving posts
Compare a longer sectional rebuild.
Match the panel without adding unexpected load
Preserve the intended height, gaps and attachment pattern unless the whole assembly is being redesigned. Replacing an open lattice panel with solid boards changes the surface exposed to wind. A matching colour is easier to judge than a matching connection, but the connection does the work. Ask for the actual board profile and finished dimensions; nominal lumber labels alone may not match an older fence.
Before changing which face the replacement presents to the neighbour, resolve Which Side of the Fence Faces the Neighbour in Ontario?.
Make the repair boundary explicit
Agree which posts, rails and hardware are included before dismantling begins. Protect planting and arrange access from both sides where needed. A replacement may weather differently, so test finishing on a spare piece rather than promising an invisible patch. For a pool enclosure, arrange a compliant barrier through the work and any required municipal inspection. Leaving an open bay overnight is not a harmless intermediate stage.
Real Cedar identifies posts, rails and infill as separate fence elements; the replacement scope should address the failed elements rather than just the visible face. Real Cedar: fence construction.
Before you finish
- Measure the bay at top, middle and bottom.
- Check neighbouring connections after wind damage.
- Document new hardware and finish for later repairs.