How to Maintain Your Fences — Annual Checklist

Building a good fence is an investment. Maintaining it is how you protect that investment. A well-maintained fence lasts 25-30 years. A neglected one starts causing problems in 5. Here's a practical annual checklist that'll keep your fences doing their job year after year.

WHEN TO DO YOUR ANNUAL CHECK

Late autumn is ideal — before winter rains soften the ground and before lambing or calving season when you need fences at their best. Some property owners do a second walk-through in spring after the wet season. Either way, pick a time and make it routine.

THE CHECKLIST

1. WALK THE ENTIRE FENCE LINE

Yes, the entire thing. Drive it if you can, but walk the sections you can't see from a vehicle. You're looking for:

  • Pickets that have been pushed over or are leaning badly
  • Mesh that's sagging, detached, or damaged
  • Wire that's loose or broken
  • Strainer assemblies that are leaning or have loose stays
  • Trees or branches that have fallen on the fence
  • Erosion that's undermined the fence line (common in gullies)
  • Flood damage (mesh full of debris, posts washed out)
  • Roo damage — kangaroos regularly damage the top wire and mesh by jumping through

2. CHECK WIRE TENSION

Push each wire sideways at the midpoint between two pickets. It should deflect slightly and spring back. If it stays deflected or has significant sag, it needs re-straining. This is particularly common after hot summers when wire has expanded, then stays elongated.

Use your permanent in-line strainers to re-tension without having to go back to the end assemblies. This is a ten-minute job per strainer and makes a huge difference.

3. INSPECT STRAINER ASSEMBLIES

These are the most critical structural elements:

  • Are the posts still plumb (vertical)?
  • Is the horizontal stay still firm and in its notch?
  • Is the diagonal brace wire still tight? (Twist the toggle stick to re-tighten if needed)
  • Any sign of rot at ground level on timber posts?
  • Has soil eroded away from the base?

If a strainer post is starting to lean, address it now. Once it goes past a certain point, you're looking at a full rebuild of the assembly.

4. REPLACE DAMAGED PICKETS

Bent or broken star pickets should be pulled and replaced. A bent picket can't hold the mesh properly, and the bend weakens the steel — it won't straighten properly. Our 2.1kg/m heavy-duty pickets are more resistant to bending than standard 1.86kg/m pickets, which means fewer replacements over the life of the fence.

Check that remaining pickets are still at the correct depth. Stock rubbing on fences can gradually work pickets upward.

5. RE-CLIP LOOSE MESH

Fence clips work loose over time, especially where stock rub against the mesh. Walk the line and re-clip any sections where the mesh has pulled away from pickets. If you've got a clip gun, you can re-clip a whole paddock in an afternoon.

6. REPAIR MESH DAMAGE

Small tears in mesh can be repaired with tie wire rather than replacing the whole panel. For larger damage (roo holes, tree falls, flood damage), cut out the damaged section and splice in a new piece, overlapping by at least one full vertical stay spacing.

7. CHECK GATES AND LATCHES

Gates cop a lot of abuse:

  • Do they swing freely or are they dragging?
  • Are the hinges solid or worn?
  • Do the latches still catch properly?
  • Has the gate post shifted, causing alignment issues?

A gate that doesn't close properly is a gate that gets left open. Fix gate issues promptly.

8. CLEAR VEGETATION

Trim any trees, shrubs, or long grass growing against the fence. Vegetation holds moisture against wire and mesh, accelerating rust. Trees growing through mesh will eventually lift and distort it. Regular slashing along fence lines also gives you clear visibility to spot problems.

9. CHECK FLOOD AND EROSION POINTS

If your fence crosses creeks, drainage lines, or flood-prone areas, check for:

  • Debris caught in the mesh (clean it out — the weight and water pressure in the next flood will tear the fence apart)
  • Erosion under the fence creating gaps stock can crawl through
  • Posts and pickets that have been undermined

In chronic flood zones, consider replacing mesh sections with plain wire that allows debris to pass through.

10. DOCUMENT AND PLAN

Keep a simple notebook or phone note of what you found and what needs fixing. Prioritise repairs by urgency — anything stock could escape through gets fixed first. Budget for materials so you can order everything in one go rather than making multiple trips to town.

A day spent maintaining fences saves weeks of chasing stock and rebuilding damaged sections. It's not glamorous work, but it's the kind of practical, no-nonsense property management that keeps everything running smoothly.

Need materials for your fence repairs? Give us a shout at Outback Fencing Supplies — 0434 093 077 or 76 Astill Drive, Orange.

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