Posts that rot at grade in wet ground
Most fences in the Skagit Valley fail from the bottom up. The soil stays wet for much of the year, and a post set in it can soften at ground level long before the pickets look tired. A run that leans after a windstorm often has one or two bad posts holding the rest hostage, not a whole fence gone.
The other usual suspects are a gate that drags because its hinge post has shifted, pickets split by a fallen branch, and rails pulled loose from the posts. Tell the request line which of these you see and how long the run is. A photo of the base of the worst post says a lot.
Choosing wood, vinyl or chain link for a wet yard
Wood gives the most privacy and can be stained to match the house, but it needs sealing and a gap above the soil. Vinyl does not rot and asks little of you, though it has a different look and flexes under a heavy shove. Chain link is the plain, open choice for keeping a dog in or a boundary marked.
Before the estimate, the handyman who comes out will want the length of the run, where the gate goes and which way it swings, and how the ground slopes. Slope and soft spots change how posts are set. Call 360-813-6743 or send a request with those details and a photo of the line.
Before the first post goes in, and after the last
Confirm the property line yourself before a new run goes up, and check any local rules that apply to your lot. That is your call to make with the right records in hand, not something a request line can settle for you. A survey pin or a recent plat map is the usual starting point.
Afterward, a few habits help the fence last. Keep mulch, soil and lawn clippings off the bottom of the boards so water does not sit there. Check the gate hinges each spring, because a small adjustment fixes a sag before it drags. Walk the line after the first big wind and rain of the season.
