Take it down in the reverse order it went up: gates first, then the boards or chain link fabric, then the rails, and the posts last. Boards unscrew or pry off, and chain link unrolls once the ties are cut and the tension bars come out. Posts are the hard part — plan for a post puller, and confirm the property line and buried utilities before you dig.
Taking out an old fence is mostly about working in the right order and having the right tools for the posts. Here’s how we do it before a replacement, and how you can do it yourself.
Before You Start
- Confirm it’s your fence. If it sits on a shared property line, talk to your neighbour before anything comes down.
- Call for a locate. If you’ll be digging around posts, request a utility locate through Click Before You Dig MB first.
- Plan the disposal. Steel posts, rails and chain link go to scrap metal. Wood goes to the landfill or a transfer station.
Tools You’ll Need
Work gloves and eye protection, a cordless drill or impact driver, a pry bar, side cutters or bolt cutters, a socket set, a reciprocating saw, and a post puller or farm jack for the posts.
Step by Step
- Take the gates off. Remove the latch, then lift or unbolt the gate from its hinges.
- Remove the boards or fabric. On a wood fence, unscrew or pry off the boards. On chain link, cut the ties along the rails and posts, loosen the tension bands, slide out the tension bars and roll the fabric up as you go.
- Take down the rails. Wood rails unscrew from the posts. Chain link top rail comes apart section by section once the ends are loosened.
- Pull the posts. Hollow steel posts come straight out with a post puller. Rotted wood posts often snap at ground level, so dig around the stub and lift it out. Posts that won’t budge need the soil dug away first.
- Fill and clean up. Fill the holes with soil, sweep up ties, screws and fasteners with a magnet, and haul everything away.
When to Call a Pro
Long runs, commercial sites, fences tied into a building or a neighbour’s fence, and posts that won’t come out are all faster with a crew and the right equipment. If you’re replacing the fence, removal and haul-away can be part of the same job — book a site visit or price it with Build & Price.